antigoth24 Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 so which do you guys think is better coal or propane? by lowest cost, easiest storage, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unkle spike Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 Both have their places. Biggest thing with coal is availablity, I see you are in Pennsylvania, so that should not be a problem. I would suggest finding a guild or group to try both and decide which YOU like better, our opinions are only that opinions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GobblerForge Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 In my opinion, coal is by far, cheaper than propane. However for storage, propane wins. Gobbler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dablacksmith Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 clean to burn propane . cheaper where you are at coal! mor traditional coal. ease of use propane. easy to use with different shapes heat in the middle ect coal. keeps a constant temprature with out burning your stock propane. good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fisher_norris Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 i like charcoal, not an option but solid fuel does not go 'boom' and i made a deal with a guy to haul away his old blacksmiting coal for $8 us for 200lb but charcoal burns hotter than coal with less smoke. but i hear propane is really convienent. plus i get charcoal 100% free as i make my own in my forge as i work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 If you are trying to use "old smithing coal" that may be why you cant get it to burn, as it has already been used up. Also interesting how many New Guy's use wood in their forge, and can't get coal to burn in Norwalk area of Ct. Also solid fuels can go boom, so be careful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jymm Hoffman Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 You left out some important information. It is illegal to burn bituminous coal in Allegheny County, PA. Just because you live in PA does not mean you can get your hands on good coal. Many places have some local coal, but it is junk. Free and cheap is not always better. The really good stuff is normally scarfed up by big companies leaving us little guys to suck wind hoping for droppings. After having been violently sick from bad coal, spending many hours driving for half way decent coal, blowing black snot out of my nose, coughing like a smoker, brushing coal dust out of my hair, dragging coal dust into the house, and 13 years of full time use of mostly bituminous coal, tried coke and anthracite, spent a lot of time cleaning clinker and ash from the fire, the romance finally left me and I finally switched to propane. No pick up or delivery time, no storage problems, no need to carry the fuel into the shop then take out the ashes to either spread on the driveway or put into the trash, black buggers gone (except from grinding which is easily remedied with a dust mask,) and a lot less coughing. Much healthier with the switch. In the warmer weather, I think an awful lot about induction. So do you want to just play with a fire or do you want to spend more time making neat stuff? Time for me to heat it and beat it, not play with a fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fisher_norris Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 i get my wood from the same place as new guy (his user name) we hang out sometimes plus i bought his anvil as he thought that bladesmithing was easier on a rr track (yay me!). the coal was mined about 25yrs ago but i like it to keep my fire going longer and it will get hotter than heck if i use alot of air. But it has never been used and was still sealed in the origanal shipping containers, but it was somewhat damp. and if you are insinuating(spelling?) that me and new guy are one in the same i don't know where you got that idea from. well actually i do , but wood works for me and we do share ideas and tools ocasionally so we do have a lot of parrelels and hey friends who like the same things are similar.. we work toghether on alot of newer projects and he kinda sent me over here for advice. but i can get it to burn but i like charcoal as it smells less awful (even brand new really good top of the line smithing coal smells bad to me). although do you mean wood/charcoal or coal going boom? i understand coal as i read that the white gas coming off is flamable. although arent flames burning gasses? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisB Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 Each has its own unique nusiance, Coal - Finding it, Getting it, Maintaining the fire, neighors smelling the smoke, Black boogers. Gas - The forge is expensive to buy or build, dragons breath, localized heat can be hard to do. Of course this is all IMHO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 FYI Wet coal and charcoal have been known to spontaneously ignite. Concidered hazardous material by DOT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 So far I have built several propane forges and while they are not as cheap as a solid forge *can* be, I do not consider under US$150 for a complete bottle to hot metal system built of new parts in a SOFA workshop "expensive" Shoot I have books that cost twice as much as that! Using my scrounging abilities I have built several propane forges for the cost of 1 x 2' of kaowool and less than $25 worth of misc stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Trez Cole Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 both have there place for me I perfer coal for fine isolated work. Big twist, scrolls and production I use the gas forge. Wood charcoal is great fun very clean but you will burn up a lot of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 I prefer coal and coke to propane for hand work because of the quicker heats and intensity of the heat, but I'll have to agree with Jymm Hoffman about the Induction heating. From what I'm hearing and have seen I don't think I can afford not to switch to induction heat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fisher_norris Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 well spontaneously igniting coal is good to know, lucky for me my coal bin is outside away from my house! i think i would lose the ability to use power tools or have a house if i burned down the house. alhtough it got a welding fire with a coal and wood mix. my advice: do what works for you and be as safe as posible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antigoth24 Posted June 4, 2009 Author Share Posted June 4, 2009 hey Jymm its robert burns! i know you and i have talked about this issue before but i wanted a few more opinions before i go either way because i like both! but im glad your on this site makes it easy to keep in touch and thank you everyone for the great information it has helped a lot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBrann Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 I would be very interested to hear the chemistry/ physics/ story about how wet coal r charcoal can ignite spontaneasley. Aren't deep coal mines full of water? Looking forward to this story, I store my coal in bags outside my shop, under and overhang, so if my shop burns, there is not a couple hundred pounds extra of flamable stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GobblerForge Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 I would be hard pressed to believe that a pile of wet coal would spontaniously ignite. I would have to see it to believe it, and then, maybe. Gobbler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fisher_norris Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 if wet charcoal can spontaneously ignite why is it that bag off lump charcoal left out in the rain for a month did not light on fire? it is a long story to as why it was out there and irrealavant to this discussion. but i still am a HUGE fan of solid fuel. but that works for me and do what works for you. and ignore people telling you otherwise unless you ask for advice or am doing something dangerous. but that is ironic advice from a teenager.:rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welder19 Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 I think it is mainly a matter of prefference or what you learned on, however I have both a coal and propane forge because if you just need to do something quick then a gas forge is the way to go but when I'm forging all day I prefer coal. welder19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quenchcrack Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 I live in a very nice neighborhood in the suburbs of Houston, TX. If I lit my coal forge here, I would be avalanched with complaints and possibly an injunction from the local property nazis. Gas is the only way to go in Yuppieville. I run the coal forge when we go to HABA meetings out in the country or at Demos. Coal is clearly more fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fisher_norris Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 i live nearby new guy in yuppieville usa but i can get away with coal as the fire marchal knows my mom. and i have the smoke down by the time he gets to my house. and the days i burn wood it smells like a barbaque and i get get around the rules as i am using my fire for something. :rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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