wetting coal/ coke?

[joshua.M]

so i have been doing more reading (yes i know how lol) and i have seen lots about wetting your coal/coke while the fire is burning to control it. What i am wondering is, when i got my first forge it's firepot was only about 1/4" thick, when it got hot i would wet it to cool it off... it cracked. so now i am on my 3rd forge (cast iron canadian forge co round firepot) and i was thinking about wetting the coke i burn to control it, but i am worried about cracking it.

So my question is, how do you wet coal/ coke without ruining your forge? because wouldn't a cast pot crack, and a fabbed one's welds pop from cooling too rapidly?

quite a novice question but i want to know what i am missing.

[John B]

You damp it as opposed to wetting it,

Use a Sprinkle can or wet rag/straw mop (we use to call them a "swab") on a handle to dip into your water bucket, then just dribble a small amount of water around where needed, as opposed to pouring water directly onto the fire which can run through and affect the firepot base/sides/welds

Little and when/where needed

Delicacy is an essential blacksmithing skill in many areas.

I would add generally it is coked coal you need to use this method on rather than when using straight forging coke

[Larry H]

Why would you put water on to cool it ? If you want to keep the edges of the fire cool use a sprinkler can, or keep some coal in a bucket with water to add to the sides of the fire. ( it's just my old school way ).

[Gayle Brooks]

I put my coal in a bucket and add the water there. After I get a the consistency I want I put it to work. I haven't actually put water on / near my forge in a long time doing it this way. Some guys I have seen actually poor water down the middle of their fire which does absolutely no good and thus busting the pot.

If your pot is getting "hot" then look at whats going on in there:

Klinker blocking the air causing some extra insulation and the pot absorbing the heat? The klinker breaker can cause the same problem the way it directs the air. I drilled 6 holes in mine so that air can still get to the fire and not get so constricted by the kilnker breaker.

To big of a fire for a little pot can also do it.

This opens the discussion for fire management, which Im not sure if there is already a topic about. A lot to consider and the better you understand that fire and how to control the more control of that tool.

[Backwoods Blacksmith]

I use a standard vegtable can with 6 1/8 in holes drilled in the bottom. I cut off the upper 2/3 of the can and attach a handle. This way I cannot use too much water and then I only sprinkle the outer edges to keep the fire from spreading. When I add green coal I sprinkle it to aid in the coaking effect. The idea is to sprinkle not quench.

[Glenn]

If you have coal fines, dust, etc. put them in a bucket of water. To control the size of the fire, scoop out a handful of the black mud and put it on the fire.



These are suggestions for different types of watering cans.
BP0157 Watering Can
BP0160 Watering Can
BP0162 Watering Can
The idea is to sprinkle the fire not drown it.

The fire ball is controlled by the amount of air you pump into the forge. During a long forge session or working larger stock the fire can fill the forge pot. This is because you have added enough air to build this size fire and needed that much heat for your project.

Another situation where the fire pot gets hot is when the ash builds up in the air tube and you have a fire below the grate as well as above the grate. Dump the ash early and often to prevent this problem.

[HWooldridge]

I discovered that the wet fines method was an absolute requirement for the coal I bought in Oklahoma. It was good hot coal - mostly pieces an 1/8 to 1/4 inch in size with a few fist sized chunks - but would not coke worth a flip unless it was soaked in water. Subsequently, I pour about a gallon of water into about 4 gallons of coal and let it soak. I start the fire with leftover coal then pile the wet stuff around the fire. It cokes up quickly and can be fed with more of the same as I work - I seldom use the sprinkle can since it's easier to just apply wet coal.

[JerryCarroll]

I have a 1914 sears farm forge I use for demo's with a cast pan that I will not light a fire in without a couple of inches of ash from previous fires in the bottom. There has been several discussions about lining cast pans to protect them over time here and on other sites. Some folks have a special way of lining the pan but I just use the ash and mine hasn't cracked yet even with using a sprinkleing can.

[Private Entrance]

I use a spray bottle set on stream for hitting spots that are burning where I don't want them to. Doesn't quite do the job as easily as I'd like it, but it does work. I'm going to make a sprinkling can this coming week, I'm thinking.

[Countryforge]

I use my daughters toy steel watering can its pink with flowers we fight over it all the time.

[David Einhorn]

The purpose of using water is simply to limit the area of the coal/coke fire. With that in mind, you only sprinkle water **outside** of the area of the firepot, and **never** pour water on the firepot especially a cast iron firepot. When you are ready to douse the fire at the end of the day, shovel the coal away from the firepot either to the outskirts of your forge table where there is no cast iron, or shovel the coal into a steel bucket.... then douse the coal with water. Let the firepot cool slowly exposed to the air. Ideally when you are finished for the day shovel the wet coal into a bucket and clean the forge, because the liquid seeping through the coal tends to be corrosive and destructive to metal.

[ThomasPowers]

Some coal *needs* soaking to coke well. Others I never touch water when I'm using it and fire control is handled by the rake and slice.

Training my students that coal is not a unified item and they will have to experiment and judge what works for a new batch of coal from a new source is part of the "joy" of working with the coal forge.