HondoWalker

Location updated.

Thanks for the help! It fired right up this morning. Got a good 5 hours of beating on that angle iron. I was trying to make a draw knife and it sorta looks like one. That anthracite burns great once it's going. I had hot fire the whole time and only used a small 3 gallon bucket of coal. I have to get some tongs though. Dollar store tongs really don't work well. That angle iron did not forge weld at all. Probably should have cleaned off the paint before I smashed it together.

It is Tractor supply nut coal. I thought you needed some coals from the fire to put the coal on. Should I build it into the fire so it all burns at once? Someone said that if you have too high a pressure it will blow the fire off the coal. Small holes equal more pressure. Larger holes move more air at less pressure. I've been babysitting my granddaughters all week and haven't had the chance to take any photos yet. They'll be on soon. I'm not insulted. I've literally only collapsed a piece of angle iron and that's it. I value the input of those who know how to do things I want to do. And I'm about as inexperienced as it's possible to be. I appreciate the help.

I had already read the first article. The second has some great information. To me it's embarrassing not getting a coal fire started. I'm originally from West Virgina and coal is a way of life there. Tried again last night thinking I would better see what the fire was doing at dusk. I got the forge to put out more air with less pressure. Didn't help. So now I'm thinking I need to make the kindling fire bigger. So tonight I will cut more than the3 single handfull of kindling I've tried to use twice now. Unless otherwise suggested of course. I'll get a bed of coals 2 inches thick and then see if it lights. I'd really love to start hammering some iron. If only my coal would light. Would a liqud accelerant be helpful? Like gas or charcoal fluid?

I'm just starting out. In did a test fire in my fire pit with wood scraps and got my metal real hot twice. It took a huge pile of wood just to do that. So I built me a forge out of a tire rim and exhaust pipe. Got some coal and used a hair dryer for air. Tried for four hours yesterday to heat some steel. Failed miserably. I got the coal the begin to start once but after that it would not burn. Read up ans saw a few videos and apparently my air holes are too few and my air I was sending was too fast. So I'll be babysitting all week and Friday I'll try again with more vent holes, a way to impede the air pressure, and a ton of hope. My forge is a rim from a temp tire, with a grate on the 2 inch hole and cement/firebrick making it rectangular like I've seen done so often. It's on a pillar of cinderblocks and cemented so I have a place to store unused coal. My coal is Tractor Supply anthracite. Willing to try any tips for making a good coal fire.