waianvil Posted March 27, 2010 Share Posted March 27, 2010 does any of you that do blacksmithing everytime I am around a demo that have a lot of smoke or at home. have bloody nose problem the next day use vasoline does any one out there have the same problem. would not like to quite blacksmith ,gas is out of the picture any help would be helpful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 27, 2010 Share Posted March 27, 2010 Coal smoke gives you a bloody nose? That is NOT a good sign! So why is a gas forge out of the question? That's just the thing that might let you keep forging. If you MUST continue with coal I can only think of a couple things that MIGHT help. #1 See the DOC! You might have something seriously wrong with your sinuses! #2 make or buy a GOOD smoke hood, probably a side draft hood and make sure it has a tall enough stack to get the smoke well AWAY from you. #3 and my least hopeful, buy a GOOD filter mask, not some little paper dust mask, a proper smoke mask with real filters, probably cartridges that will remove the dangerous completely. Heck, a supplied air mask might be the way to go but you'll need an oilless carbon vane compressor specifically for breathable air supply plus breathable air supply hose and a proper mask. I have all this junk for my supplied air welding helmet, YES it's a helmet.) Anyway, if you're getting bloody noses from coal smoke they're trying to tell you something important. At least change fuel, either coke or charcoal, but preferably get a gasser. You can easily build a gasser that looks and behaves just like a coal fire but without the smoke. Search Chip bed forge in Google for examples. Then there're the older style where the burner fires into a vertical cylindrical cavity in the forge table that has an opening at table level. A few fire bricks and you have an enclosed forge chamber. You have my best wishes. Frosty the Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Roy Posted March 27, 2010 Share Posted March 27, 2010 Sorry about your sensitivity to the smoke. Get rid of the smoke! My hood and smoke pipe do a good job but I still always wear a dust mask to keep the various grits out of my nose and lungs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alec.S Posted March 27, 2010 Share Posted March 27, 2010 bad luck with the bloody noses,,, i would go and see the doctor, and if it persists i would just get a gasser. bad luck... alec Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waianvil Posted March 27, 2010 Author Share Posted March 27, 2010 went to the doctor ane he said the one nose the vein is on the surface not a good ideal to have coutrize as far as the gas forge my wife will not have one because of the cost for one do have a good forage that takes out smoke just demo that I have the big problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rasklking Posted March 27, 2010 Share Posted March 27, 2010 A hood is the way to go. I've never had my nose bleed from the smoke but those black boogers can be a bit bothersome. :unsure: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 Photos of your set up will help greatly. Each forge set up is different and we base our suggestions on what is available to us in our location which may be vastly different from what you are working with in your location. You can (and should) get the smoke out of your work zone, watch carefully your fire management procedures so you produce less smoke. Ventilate the work area with fresh air being blown shoulder to shoulder where you stand most often. Consider coke, or charcoal as they burn with less smoke than soft coal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragons lair Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 went to the doctor ane he said the one nose the vein is on the surface not a good ideal to have coutrize as far as the gas forge my wife will not have one because of the cost for one do have a good forage that takes out smoke just demo that I have the big problem. I would be explaining to the wife. Cost of a gasser vs Health/death risks. There are enough plans floating around to build your own for cheap.Or just quit sniffing the smoke GRIN Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 In order to get rid of the smoke put up a good chimney. The hood is a pain in the head and not required to remove smoke. 12" minimum diameter and 24" higher than the peak of the roof. Plus after the first 5 minutes or so of starting your fire you shouldn't have any smoke anyway. Then you should only be burning the coke from the sides, not putting green coal on top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkunkler Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 went to the doctor ane he said the one nose the vein is on the surface not a good ideal to have coutrize as far as the gas forge my wife will not have one because of the cost for one do have a good forage that takes out smoke just demo that I have the big problem. What I have done is "coke" some coal in my stationary forge and save it for demos. After a forging session, while the fire is still hot, pile on fresh coal and let it smoulder with the blower off. After an hour or two, rake apart and let the fire die out. Before firing the forge the next time, pick out the chunks of coke and save for demos. If you can find it, you could buy coke ready made. There is a lot less smoke either way. I don't demo much so it easier to make it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 What I have done is "coke" some coal in my stationary forge and save it for demos. After a forging session, while the fire is still hot, pile on fresh coal and let it smoulder with the blower off. After an hour or two, rake apart and let the fire die out. Before firing the forge the next time, pick out the chunks of coke and save for demos. If you can find it, you could buy coke ready made. There is a lot less smoke either way. I don't demo much so it easier to make it. Good ideas of making your coke for the demos but buying the 'ready made coke' won't work on a handcrank blower as you will need a constant air flow for that type of coke....either that or keep lighting your fire after about 5 mins of no air. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Seelye Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 My first demo, I thought I would die or go blind from the smoke. I have a flat cast forge pan and the smoke was everywhere. I built a hood and got 6" of stovepipe. Yes, it takes much more time to set up but it beats trying to talk to someone with tears streaming down your face. Pay attention to which way the wind blows at demo's too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkunkler Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 Good ideas of making your coke for the demos but buying the 'ready made coke' won't work on a handcrank blower as you will need a constant air flow for that type of coke....either that or keep lighting your fire after about 5 mins of no air. Good point Thomas. You've got to just keep on cranking or mix in a little coal to sustain the fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blksmth Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 Waianvil sent me a picture of his forge some time ago and asked that I post it here. The chimney appears adequate in size and the hood is reasonable. He possible could have a problem with the height of the chimney, or possibly another building or tree etc. is blocking the wind. Also, the chimney cap could encroach on the opening and cause a problem. Have not seen his set up so don't know about those. Maybe waianvil could talk about chimney height, surrounding buildings etc., and his chimney cap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blksmth Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 Another possible solution besides gas for waianvil would be to use commercial coke. Might be worth a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Thompson Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 If the smelly smoke isn't getting away then the odourless, poisonous gasses will also be hanging around. The particulates that you can see are a good warning that something is amiss; CO and CO2 are not noticeable in dangerous concentrations. A friend died a few years ago because the flue on his coke burning stove got blocked and he just fell asleep while watching TV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 If the smelly smoke isn't getting away then the odourless, poisonous gasses will also be hanging around. The particulates that you can see are a good warning that something is amiss; CO and CO2 are not noticeable in dangerous concentrations. A friend died a few years ago because the flue on his coke burning stove got blocked and he just fell asleep while watching TV. Well said Sam and it goes even more for a gas forge which doesn't produce smoke. Hopefully that is. Gas forges are notorious for producing large amounts of CO, not to mention the large amounts of water vapor to enhance rust in a shop. No matter what kind of fire you use indoors you must take precautions against dangerous exhaust gasses. Heck, the only forge I know of that doesn't produce potentially dangerous fumes is Grant Sarver's Inductin forge but that's a whole different breed of cat. Frosty the Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 One thing my doctor told me NOT to do was put petroleum jelly up my nose, it gets into the lungs and then the lungs have a real hard time of getting rid of the oily stuff, not good at all so he recommended this product called "Ary" saline nasal gel instead. I live where it is rally dry and like you I have a vein right on the surface that can't be cauterized, this has helped tremendously. I used to have an air delivery hood for woodworkers, it walk off one day, that had a HEPA filter, battery powered fan, battery pack, face mask and charging unit. It blew air down across my face and out the bottom. This was a great unit since I have a full beard. Give the "Ary" nasal gel a try and see if that helps, it cheap. B) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waianvil Posted April 5, 2010 Author Share Posted April 5, 2010 thank you all for the help I used the ary saline gel that is very good stuff, it does the job even with the allegy that is in the air so i can blacksmith with no problem so thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecelticforge Posted April 5, 2010 Share Posted April 5, 2010 I have a friend on Madison Georgia whose company sells scrubbers for coal burners. Everything from our size to power plant size. I have toyed with the idea of trying one out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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