Mike R Posted December 16, 2011 Posted December 16, 2011 the new forge is just about done. it is a brake drum off a 1 ton pick up. About 4 inch deep. 2 inch pide with a T out to fan. Fan is an exhaust fan off a gas furnace. Best guess will this work with coke? Guy locally has some coke I can get started with but he said it needs lots of air. I post some pics once I get back up to the shop where the forge being assembled. Quote
Rich Hale Posted December 16, 2011 Posted December 16, 2011 You will need a air control. a way to allow some air to leak out of the tee is fine, There are times you want more and times you want less air. Quote
Mike R Posted December 16, 2011 Author Posted December 16, 2011 Rich I have a damper on the intake side of the fan to control the air flow. My concern is do you think this set up will supply enough air to burn coke properly? Quote
pkrankow Posted December 16, 2011 Posted December 16, 2011 There is an easy way to find out! How much is a bag? I am expecting a furnace exhaust fan will do the job. Phil Quote
Phil H Posted December 16, 2011 Posted December 16, 2011 Phil, I use coke in a small forge (about 2' dia), and my blower is just a 12V converted auto heater blower. Most of the time it's turned down low, and it seems to work fine. Quote
Drewed Posted December 16, 2011 Posted December 16, 2011 You will be just fine. Coke doesn't need any more air than coal. Quote
Woody Posted December 16, 2011 Posted December 16, 2011 Our Blacksmith Association as well as the local Blacksmith converted to coke due to the unavailabilityof a supply of good coal. The results have been very favorable, it does take more air to keep the fire going. It works equally as well with powered and hand crank blowers. I am out of coal and I purchased 100 lbs from the club for my forge at home. One nice thing, it produces a lot less smoke which I am sure my neighbors will be thankful for. Quote
Mike R Posted December 16, 2011 Author Posted December 16, 2011 I will go ahead and buy it and give it a try. I am shure my neighbors will appreciate the less smoke part. Thanks for the help. Mike Quote
ThomasPowers Posted December 16, 2011 Posted December 16, 2011 It's not so much *more* air as *constant* air. Coke has been know to go out between heats if it doesn't have some airflow through it. (Type makes a big difference with breeze from a previous fire being fairly stable and coke from a steel mill preferring to go OUT if you blink.) Quote
Drewed Posted December 16, 2011 Posted December 16, 2011 Doesn't all coal burn into coke? In effect are we not all ( who use coal ) using coke? I have used both, and have not found any difference between them. Quote
ThomasPowers Posted December 16, 2011 Posted December 16, 2011 Yes it's all coke however the density of commercially made coke is several times that of what we form in our forges when we burn coal. Sawdust is just wood right? Have you noticed a difference in burning it vs logs? Quote
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