I have been given two pickup truck loads of coal. The bad thing is that it's the crud left over from a tractor trailer load and has a lot of fine crap that has to be sifted out, but its free and I have a lot more time than money right now.

I did some calling around and it looks like coal is going for around $450 to $500 a ton. Eight years ago my father in-law was selling it for $90 a ton. That is a heck of an increase. Is the prices I got about right?

Edited December 31, 201015 yr by Moderator54
language edit

Hey Duke,

Different coal goes for different prices. What type of coal did you get your hands on?

The fines arn't worthless, if you wet them and then pat them into balls the size that you like your coal chunks to be, they can be used just like regular coal. They puff up a bit and hold together as they are heated.

Caleb Ramsby

I don't really know. It looks like this after all the fine stuff is gone, and it's dry.

Ummm DO NOT sift it!!! Those fines are just fine! Simply wet it before adding to your fire and work it in from the edges... it will melt together to create large lumps of coke that will be excellent for forging. You will actually have to break it up a little as you move it into the fire. I like to keep a good sized chunk together though to use as a lid for my fire. Some smiths prefer to use those fines that you are discarding over any other coal. I keep my coal in a bucket and put a couple of sprinkle cans of water over it so that it makes a sort of paste mixed with dampened chunks. There are some other old threads on this subject too if you want to read more.

looks like good stuff to me, dont feal so shocked ,for me to get good coal i have to pay 700 a tone and thats not delivered to my house...

I did some calling around and it looks like coal is going for around $450 to $500 a ton. Eight years ago my father in-law was selling it for $90 a ton. That is a hell of an increase. Is the prices I got about right?

Are you saying that is what the coal looks like.......... or THAT is the coal you have??

I dont know how far it would be for you, but there is a fella i get my coal from ( near Dayton, Oh) that sells large lump Bituminous coal for $190 per ton.

We lost our supplier of coal, in my area. I have finally located a guy about 80 miles north that is trying to get a semi load brought in from West Virginia. Looks like that coal is going to sell to us at about $400 a ton, you pick it up. I'm just hoping that he can get it in soon. :)

STOP sifting like BFN says. I keep mine in a quarter barrel, add a little water, and use as it. It works great that way.

I can go get coal for $130 a ton at the moment, it was $120 earlier in the year. Probably higher due to winter being here, less in the summer.

From what I have heard the reason for the cost of coal going up is that a lot of it is headed to CHINA. Just like steel, copper, cement, and other materials have also done. I find it really hard to believe that folks in coal country are having such a hard time either getting coal, or are paying so much more for it.

I did some calling around and it looks like coal is going for around $450 to $500 a ton. Eight years ago my father in-law was selling it for $90 a ton. That is a heck of an increase. Is the prices I got about right?

Not so big of an increase, really. Quite small compared to movie tickets or soup: http://hubpages.com/hub/Life-75-Years-Ago-Compared-To-Now

If you don't want those nasty old fines, you can send them to me...

Burn It ALL!!!!!

Friend your in Kentucky I see. Eastern, Kentucky is the absolute heart of Coal country. Over here we can buy it sized for less than $100 a ton even now..Lump house coal is for sale all over the place.

That isn't the actual coal. Just looks like what I'm getting after sifting. The stuff I'm sifting out is fine dust. I'll try burning the dust and all and see what happens. I figured the dust would trun straight to ash and not coke up. Ky-boy were you getting you coal.

That isn't the actual coal. Just looks like what I'm getting after sifting. The stuff I'm sifting out is fine dust. I'll try burning the dust and all and see what happens. I figured the dust would trun straight to ash and not coke up. Ky-boy were you getting you coal.

There is a picture of some fines in a bucket under an inch of water somewhere on here. The poster (Glenn?) stated he just packed the wet fines against the side of the fire to form a beehive and then it would coke, fuse, and be pushed in.

I haven't tried this yet. I just got a bag of coal from my brother in law for Christmas, and haven't lit a fire yet. There is a small pile of fines on the floor that sifted out of the burlap bag.

Phil

That isn't the actual coal. Just looks like what I'm getting after sifting. The stuff I'm sifting out is fine dust. I'll try burning the dust and all and see what happens. I figured the dust would trun straight to ash and not coke up. Ky-boy were you getting you coal.

Duke, there is a coal tiple in Prestonsburg (Floyd co.) that sells it in three sizes for that price..Tahts where we get it B)

My coal ranges from fist sized to fines. The large pieces I break up and the fines I use to build the outer wall of the fire. I find that the fines when wetted are perfect for this as many others have already stated. I haven't rolled them into balls but use it as a paste. If I get desperate for chunks, I'll start rolling.

Waste not want not.

Mark<><

Thanks kyboy, I'll need to head that way when my pile gets low.

Are you saying that is what the coal looks like.......... or THAT is the coal you have??

I dont know how far it would be for you, but there is a fella i get my coal from ( near Dayton, Oh) that sells large lump Bituminous coal for $190 per ton.

Mind if I ask where abouts Dayton this fellow is? I live between Dayton and Cincinnati, so it'd be great to have a coal supplier near me.