It Stinks

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

Welcome aboard Andrew. Pictures of your grandpa's forge, we love pictures don't ya know. It doesn't take long to get used to maintaining a coal fire. That was the first thing my mentor taught me over 30 years ago. this is a good thread about that.

https://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/30887-forges-and-fires/

 

[ThomasPowers]

One way to bootstrap your coal forge is to light it using lump charcoal, NOT briquettes!, and then start adding the coal in small amounts so all the smoke gets burned off as it forms coke.  The charcoal will burn away pretty fast and then you can add coal to the hot coke with the smoke burning off likewise.  Be sure to leave a good amount of coke when you shut down so you can skip the charcoal step the next time.

Also in Weygers' book "The Complete Modern Blacksmith"  he had a cover he made for a rivet forge that would feed the smoke back into the hand crank blower to burn it off when starting up and remove it once a good fire was going.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

I was taught to extinguish the fire with water when done for the day. That way I have plenty of coke to start the next one. If the air is shut off without extinguishing the fire a lot of coke will burn off before going out.

[ThomasPowers]

I've seen a lot of folks let the fire burn down as they get near the end of the session.  It's counter productive you should heap it up to coke more coal for the next days start! (And extinguish it when done for the day.)

[George N. M.]

The issue does not arise if you forge with coke.  The fire goes out quickly (within a few minutes) once there is no air blast.

I have found that you need to be judicious with water in extinguishing a fire at the end of the day.  You want enough to put out the fire but not so much that everything is still dripping wet and soggy the next day.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

One reason I use a sprinkler can, easy to make.

[Goods]

I was taught not to put much water directly onto the center of the forge to avoid cracking the cast iron fire pot. I’ve always pulled the fire apart and put the coals out outside of the fire pot. (Yes, watering cans are very handy!)

David

[Glenn]

When time to quit, I rake the fire out and let it die while I clean up for the end of the day.  Then I scoop everything that WAS hot up and put it into a 5 gallon bucket of water.  Remember to empty the ash dump.   I sleep well at night knowing that everything that was hot is now covered by 2 inches of water. 

Next day, give the contents of the bucket a swirl with your hand and the coal and coke will rise to the top so you and pick it up and out. The ash, clinker, etc will sink to the bottom.  Pour the water into another bucket for reuse, and dispose of the ash, clinker, etc.  Lay the coal and coke out to dry and use later.

[pnut]

10 hours ago, George N. M. said:

you need to be judicious with water in extinguishing a fire at the end of the day.  You want enough to put out the fire but not so much that everything is still dripping wet and soggy the next day.

Or you crack the firepot. 

Pnut

[bluerooster]

A while before quitting time, I'll add some more green coal around the sides. Then, when I'm done for the day. I rake the coal to the back of the forge, then the coking coal, to the back and sides, then I rake out the fire pot to the front. (leaving ash in the corners of the firepot)  That way I have coke, coking coal, and green coal, in that order, ready to be fired up again.  I usually get very little smoke, using a small wad of newspaper, and some sticks and twigs.   But the first time I burned coal, WOW what a smoke screen, blowing directly toward my neighbor.   I've since learned to allways leave the forge with plenty of coke to start with next time.