JHCC Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 Speaking on behalf of the anthracite burners, I would agree that bituminous would be easier for a beginner. It's what I used when I started, and it's great stuff. Just make sure that you have a good way of pulling off the smoke: the one way anthracite is definitely superior is how much cleaner it burns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 6 hours ago, JHCC said: Speaking on behalf of the anthracite burners, I would agree that bituminous would be easier for a beginner. It's what I used when I started, and it's great stuff. Just make sure that you have a good way of pulling off the smoke: the one way anthracite is definitely superior is how much cleaner it burns. what are you using for a firepot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 2 hours ago, jlpservicesinc said: what are you using for a firepot? Side-blast JABOD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 2 hours ago, JHCC said: Side-blast JABOD. Still love to see it.. Side blast works very well with anthracite coal.. Is your water cooled? I'm just always looking at alternatives.. While i prefer soft coal the ability to use other fuels is a major plus and a back blast offers the ability to use any of the hard fuels.... I personally have never ran a hard coal forge other than when I was a kid and had limited success with the knowledge I had at the time.. I did use a coal furnace for awhile before I moved into an oil pan coal forge filled with cement.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 1 hour ago, jlpservicesinc said: Still love to see it.. It has its own thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 1 hour ago, JHCC said: It has its own thread. Nice I have responded.. The guy I mentioned before used stove coal to fire his forge.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 Unfortunately "stove coal" is not a specific coal; it can range all over the place from stuff that's a joy to use to stuff that will make you want to give up blacksmithing trying to use it. You can use a "brand" for years with good results and then find that they changed the mine or the mine is in a new coal layer or ???. Which is why we suggest you first try 1 unit and if that works really well try to get a bunch of it immediately before something changes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 2 hours ago, ThomasPowers said: Unfortunately "stove coal" is not a specific coal; it can range all over the place from stuff that's a joy to use to stuff that will make you want to give up blacksmithing trying to use it. You can use a "brand" for years with good results and then find that they changed the mine or the mine is in a new coal layer or ???. Which is why we suggest you first try 1 unit and if that works really well try to get a bunch of it immediately before something changes! Stove is the size not the type.. pea, nut, stove. Referring to anthracite that is... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 On 6/5/2017 at 3:29 PM, Leatherneck Donald said: This is my first post here... that forge (pan, is that the right word) is almost identical to mine. Two questions... do you know who made it and how old it is? Do I need to line it with clay of some sort? If so, do I line just the rectangle part, just the bowl, or both? Thanks! Hi Donald, Just saw your post. No idea who made my forge pan, the firepot in it is a Centaur forge and I"m pretty sure its not original. Found it (along with the Blower and a post vise) in Northern California, covered in motor oil and left in the shed of a rental house. Owner wanted it gone. I've never clayed the forge, the cast iron is pretty thick. I briefly clayed a brake drum forge years ago, but didnt' find the claying to be all that useful or durable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 8, 2017 Share Posted June 8, 2017 And I don't believe that terminology is uniform everywhere. If it's standard in your area, more power to you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted June 8, 2017 Share Posted June 8, 2017 1 hour ago, ThomasPowers said: And I don't believe that terminology is uniform everywhere. If it's standard in your area, more power to you! Sorry, must be one of those days.. It might be a regonal thing.. Here is some info I pulled off the web. Only difference i know of is around here the smaller size under pea is rice.. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal_breaker Steam - 4.5 to 6 inches in size (primarily used as steamship fuel). Broken - 3.25 to 4.5 inches in size. Egg - 2.25 to 2.3 inches in size. Stove - 1.5 to 1.625 inches in size (primarily used for use in home cooking stoves). Chestnut - 0.875 to 0.9375 inches in size. Pea - 0.5 to 0.625 inches in size. There were three subsets of "pea coal": No. 1 Buckwheat - 0.25 to 0.3125 inches in size. No. 2 Buckwheat - 0.1875 inches in size. No. 3 Buckwheat - 0.09375 to 0.125 inches in size. coal sizes...pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 8, 2017 Share Posted June 8, 2017 Yup----notice that just those 2 sources don't agree on what stove size is The PDF has 1.75" to 1.25" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcusdad Posted June 16, 2017 Share Posted June 16, 2017 On 5/8/2017 at 0:42 AM, jlpservicesinc said: Here is the complete build.. Anvil is on the ground.. That is a really great setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reeltree Posted August 15, 2017 Share Posted August 15, 2017 Got the air trap installed today, will be under a pressure test for next few days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reeltree Posted August 21, 2017 Share Posted August 21, 2017 air held steady for four days,,time to run piping to two hookup locations and one to the hose reel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidManuel Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 So this is the general set up at this time. In the lower right corner of the front pic, a 8x12 Arrow shed will be built for the included tools. Will run extension cord for now. Plan to run properly run electric to the shed. Future plans for a coal forge are in the fire, excuse the pun, for a later date. The wife and I, bless her heart, have agreed to a 40x40 garage/ workshop in the next 3-5 years. I will then move into that more permanent location. Materials: Planning on using my local junk yards for appropriate steel for applications. Leaf springs, axles, etc. The RR track I have horizontal, but will switch to a vertical alignment once I carve out the stump some more. The ground i'm turning by hand to remove all grasses. Our area is pretty sandy and more than likely will leave it as dirt for the time being. Future Goals: I honestly want to make armor. But I understand this is a long future goal. I am more than set to start with the S hooks and nails for now. But would love any tips or techniques that would help me in this goal. I accept any and all feedback, will reply as often as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 May I strongly commend the armour archive; www.armourarchive.org, to you as a set of forums dedicated to armour making! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 First, if the safty hazards of non incapsulated ceramic wool have not been explaned to you, please rigidiz and line your forge as soon as possible. gravel screenings/fines make a nice floor and generaly have enugh Clay too pack hard and with an occasinal spray if water stay that way. Some acualy mix in a bit of saw dust to make it easer to find earant hit peices (they set up smoke signals) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidManuel Posted December 2, 2017 Share Posted December 2, 2017 Think a little was lost in translation but I believe have the gist. I need to use a refractory layer on the wool in the forge. And I need to lay down a protective layer, pea gravel/ clay dust?, on the ground around my work space to minimize flareups/ full fires. On 11/30/2017 at 3:03 PM, ThomasPowers said: May I strongly commend the armour archive; www.armourarchive.org, to you as a set of forums dedicated to armour making! Thank you for the response. I have seen their forums and will look now with further vigor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted December 2, 2017 Share Posted December 2, 2017 Rigidiser and a castable linner. i just find most plain dirt floors dusty, and crusher/gravel screenings/fines are cheep. And generally less dusty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted December 2, 2017 Share Posted December 2, 2017 2 hours ago, Drace said: Think a little was lost in translation but I believe have the gist. @Charles R. Stevens‘s agraphia can be a bit of a challenge, but it’s almost always worth the effort. In this case, he’s trying to save your life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted December 2, 2017 Share Posted December 2, 2017 John, I can't find Chuck's post. The link I have goes to a "can't find" page. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted December 2, 2017 Share Posted December 2, 2017 Don't worry Drace, he didn't take it wrong. You'll learn to interpret Charles' writings if not ask, he'll clarify he's anything but bashful. He's also one of the biggest hearted, wisest and knowledgeable members around. It's also fun to make him blush. He was referring to the ground or floor you're working on. Lots of the gang have issues with concrete floors and there are a wide varieties of different decks. Everything from mowed and wetted down lawns, dirt lots, compacted crusher run gravels, oil, water, clay, cement, lime, etc. stabilized soils. Asphalt is okay, any dropped hot steel will make itself known even if you can't see the smoke. Same story for wood and oiled wood is surprisingly hard to get burning. If you do though, Katy bar the door! Read up on the current Forges 101 thread to get a handle on what Charles was talking about rigidizing and encapsulating ceramic blanket refractories. There was also a recent post by a Dr. including xrays of a person suffering from lung damage resulting from breathing ceramic fibers. So, yes Charles was trying to help keep you healthy longer. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted December 2, 2017 Share Posted December 2, 2017 yep, my spelling sucks, some where around a third grade level. Tho it's not just spelling, it's phone numbers, multiplication tables, PIN numbers, right/left and pass words. Think mesothelioma and Asbestos. We have at least one member with 50% lung capacity do to ceramic insulation in gas forges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted December 3, 2017 Share Posted December 3, 2017 Charles Is this the thread you are looking for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.