cmbaker82

Ok just to make sure i'm getting it, this is my plan right now. Please let me know if something is off. Tuyere to be angled down some, i forgot to do that in the image

However now I'm also confused because I've seen several recommendations on distance between tuyere and top of forge. Generally with 3/4" pipe. I've seen a couple posts saying 2". JHCC suggested on here 2 to 3", and the chart you referenced if i'm reading it right suggests 4".

And this is why i posted the original question on this thread to make sure my understanding was correct.

Thats true. I'll just go for it and see what I get. Thanks for all the information.

I'm not looking to do anything huge so I'm thinking 4x8 size Firebox about 4 to 5 inches deep. Thinking 3/4in iron pipe for tuyere.

so like 3 or 4 inches above?

So from all the the posts i've read it seems like the tuyere should be placed about 1" above the bottom of the firepot and 2 inches below the top of the forge?

Just in case anyone else reads this from around here, the two suppliers i found for bituminous are Booth Machinery in Crawfordsville, IN 50lbs for $20, and Graber Farm and Home in Odon, IN 50lbs for $12. Given your experience working with anthracite, do you have any suggestions for firepot/tuyere design differences for anthracite vs bituminous, or do they both work off the same

Thanks for the link, I did read through that entire post and all the comments before posting this question I have not been to one of their meetings yet.

Thank you for the suggestion. I checked previous posts on Indiana Blacksmiths Association's facebook page and the closest suppliers are over an hour away and costs $20 per bag 50lbs. I understand anthracite is harder to work with but is it really worth paying three times as much for? Not really interested in making charcoal, although the cost is right the time and effort spent i would rather put into something I enjoy doing. Unless i'm missing something I would need to cut up the wood into manageable chunks then "burn" it to make it into charcoal and then break it up more to make it usable for forging.

So i have decided to build a forge and get into blacksmithing after my daughter and I took a class on it, at conner prairie (www.connerprairie.org) for anyone local. I tend to over analyze and read a ton of information before getting started on a project which i've done with this already. In this area I haven't found a fuel source more affordable than anthracite coal which i can get for about $6 for 40lbs so that is likely the fuel I will be using. I'm planning on using pallet wood to build the frame for the forge and likely clay from my yard to fill it and make the firepot and bricks if needed. From my unfired tests the clay here does not crack much even when untempered. After reading a large number of posts I'm still not sure what is the best setup regarding the tuyere size and placement. I can get whatever size pipe is recommended. My understanding is that it should be slightly angled down towards the firepot. I don't plan to work with much better than 1" stock for the foreseeable future so i'm thinking the firepot should be about 4"x8". I've read recommendations for the depth of the pop and placement of the tuyere for charcoal and bituminous coal and charcoal but have not seen anything specific for anthracite. I've read lots of the JABOD builds that ended up needing to either dig down or raise the firepot to get the heart of the fire at the right level. I'm hoping to have it at the right level so i can put stock in flat against the top of the forge and have the fire at right zone there. I would appreciate any suggestions, especially with regard to size and placement of the tuyere for anthracite.