hi all im bob!
i am very new to this blacksmithing game and i have all ready hit a problem. i have made myself a forge using a lorry brake drum using plans off the internet and i have an electric blower that gives me lots of air the problem that i am having is what to put in it. After trying the local solid fuel yard i have got told that you cannot buy coke for forging. so i tried some of there coal brickets which do not burn hot (only got the steel to red hot after half an hour of heating with air) the only other option is using charcoal but that burns to quickly and for the small bit of forging that i want to do it would cost me a fortune! so can anyone help? i live just outside of maldon in essex if that helps

I had to look up where maldon in essex was located as the site is visited by over 50 world wide countries each month. I have added that information to your account so you can get help in or near your location.

I would suggest contacting BABA. If you type in your location there are several blacksmiths in Essex. They will know where the best fuel is located, help you get set up, and point you to the tools you may need.

many thanks for the quick reply!! will check out what you advise and let you know.

many thanks Bob Finch

Hi Bob, being a newcomer myself, I'm glad to be of assistance.

There's several suppliers of Smithing coke up here in the Midlands, although I gather the availability fluctuates depending upon production and stock levels of the various wholesalers. I currently use 'Sunbrite Singles' coke ( a brand name variety of Monckton Coke), which is currently owned by Hargreaves and produced from Anthracite mined from Maltby Colliery.

It's pretty much the only coke I've used for smithing, and is probably a little large compared to the 'breeze' that most smiths hold in high regard, but it suits my purposes fine and as they say; 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it!'.

You may be able to obtain the fuel from coals2u.co.uk, just type in Sunbrite Singles in the search box.

Hi Bob, Welcome to the site, if you cannot get past red heat with your set up, you may have air delivery / control problems, you say you have 'lots of air' but no details of its source

You need low pressure with a high volume, and be able to control the amount going through the firepot,

Without seeing your set up, firegrate etc, it is difficult to know how to help you, pictures may help.

For forging coke, check out Corralls, at Coal delivery for local depots. They cover South East England, Midlands Isle of Wight and Isle of Man, some of our members as well as BABA's get their forging coke from them.

You can keep up with some of what we do by visiting the Blacksmiths Groups forum on this site or visit our home site at Blacksmiths Guild Home

Good luck and have fun with it

Hi Bob. Welcome to IFI and to the great world of blacksmithing. The folks in your area will be of great help. Keep us posted on your progress and don't forget to post pix of your projects. Good luck and enjoy. :)

Welcome aboard Bob, glad to have you.

Talk about finding what you need in one location! I know there are lots of smiths in the UK on IFI so I'm not too suprised to see so much help so fast.

It's hard to say what's keeping you from good heat with your setup without pictures and a little more info. If by charcoal briquettes you mean the compressed regular shaped dense and heavy bagged charcoal sold for grilling that could be the problem right there. Loof for "Lump" charcoal, it's very light and soft. It takes less air and a deeper fire than coal or coke but will produce iron melting heat with a little practice.

If the coke you can get is to large just break it up, I like coal that passes a 3/4" sieve and fines. Breeze is popular with many smiths because the foirge makes breeze rather than coke proper.

Commercial coke is made in ovens and is under pressure so it's harder, denser and is harder to light and keep burning. Breeze formes like charcoal as the volatiles are driven out of the coal by combustion heat but it's an open air process so the coal puffs making the breeze light soft and easy lighting. It looks kind of like gray popped corn.

Either fuel works just fine but takes a little different fire tending technique. Finding a local group or an experienced smith to visit will solve all these little things quite handily.

Frosty

Frosty..... "loof for Lump"??? Is that performance art or just some kind of coloquial dance?

Sounds like something done in the shower!

wow thanks guys i did not realise you are all a propper friendly bunch thanks for all the replys our first project is two small skinning knifes for me mum she is a butcher (so they will get a good test!!) we are trying with two sections cut out of my mates old golf g60 brake disks!! these have been heated all day in my workshop stove at about 800'c and are cooling slowly then once soft we will form a blade harden then temper will let you know how we get on

Hmm, brake disks are rarely steel.

Could he mean the replaceable break pads used with disk style (as opposed to drum) breaks?

Hi Glen, I have sent a pm to Bob with some info he asked me for, and I mentioned this post re the disc

He meant brake disc, and as Grant said they are very rarely steel, mostly a cast iron on most road vehicles this side of the pond.

That is why I questioned the material as suitable for a knife. I would suspect the pad base metal may be mild steel under the breaking compound. I have used the metal for projects in the past
.

Frosty..... "loof for Lump"??? Is that performance art or just some kind of coloquial dance?

Oh xxxx I have to go laugh at myself for a while now!

Wait a second, I have a perfect excuse now after being brutally attacked by a Great White . . . Birch. It's brain damage but brain damaged performance art might be a money making gig!

Hmmmm, maybe that tree knocked me for a Loof. Frosty

Sounds like something done in the shower!

I COULD make a couple cracks about crossing your pein and privacy you know.

Still laughin, Frosty

Hi Glen, I have sent a pm to Bob with some info he asked me for, and I mentioned this post re the disc

He meant brake disc, and as Grant said they are very rarely steel, mostly a cast iron on most road vehicles this side of the pond.

This side of the pond too John. Please clue him to better knife steels available in the UK. Be they new bought of salvaged, it's IMPORTANT info. Heck, I plan on forgiving him for including me in anything Proper so what the hey.

Frosty

hi there bob - im in uk too - glos - have just seen this post - glad youre sorted with the coke - im going to try to get to one of johns courses in the next year, so if your going too maybe catch you there:)

This side of the pond too John. Please clue him to better knife steels available in the UK. Be they new bought of salvaged, it's IMPORTANT info. Heck, I plan on forgiving him for including me in anything Proper so what the hey.

Frosty

Nice to have you back Frosty,

I included what may be useful for his forging ie coil and flat springs, torsion bars etc

Being on a budget (polite way of saying Tight), named steels are usually a last resort with me, unless its specific for the customer requirements, then I like to know for definite it will stand up to the job.

In the UK, you should ask for breeze or 'Sunbrite (sic) Beans'. It's about

It's made at Monckton.

Sam, Is it really

Nice to have you back Frosty,

I included what may be useful for his forging ie coil and flat springs, torsion bars etc

Being on a budget (polite way of saying Tight), named steels are usually a last resort with me, unless its specific for the customer requirements, then I like to know for definite it will stand up to the job.

Ah yes, I see you PM'd him so I should've known you would give him the short list of proper salvable blade steels.

It's good to be back John, especially since the guys started roasting me in the "everything else" section in the Great White Birch Joke thread. It feels so good to have the normalcy of people making jokes at me.

Life is GOOD, Frosty

Sam, Is it really

Bob

I live near you. I am in St Lawrence, Southminster,

Can you please tell me where you finally got your coke please

Did you manage to get something local?

Thanks