greensngravy Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 The closest I've found is for anthracite in Fond du Lac, about 100 miles from my home in Waukesha. I'm about 15 miles west of Milwaukee. Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob S Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 http://www.centaurforge.com/Coal-Coke/products/277/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlyGeorge Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 Hey Scott. I live in East Central ILL and I have the same problem. I travel about 100 miles north of me to get coal. Just haven't been able to find anything closer, since the old supplier quit carrying it down in Terre Haute, Indiana. Buy it bulk and you will pay for your trip with the savings over buying in 50# bags. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chichi Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 Scott, If you continue north to Green Bay there is a coal yard under the bridge next to the power plant that sells decent coal for $200 ton. It is not Pochahontas quality but I have welded hundreds if not thousands of times using this coal. It will teach you how to remove clinkers every hour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drewed Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 Hey Scott! Where in Waukesha are you? I also live in 'da Shaw! Coal arround her is tuff to get. Centuar in Burling has the best I've found, but it is pretty expensive. The stuff from Buds in FDL is ok, but the bags I from there were pretty big lumps. But I may have gotten the wrong stuff. It also had a ton of kinker in it. The stuff from Green Bay is good, but I can't haul a ton in my mini van! They did give me a bucket full one to try it out. Centuar has great coal, but it kind of expensive. The stuff from Bud's in FDL is way cheaper ( by about a 2/3!) but I have found it to be inferior. However, I think he got me the wrong bags last time, as the stuff was all 2" to 3" in size. I too am in "da-shaw" ( town of!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jd350c Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 scott you should be able to get coal from centaur forge ot off burlington wi about 10 miles from waukesha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greensngravy Posted April 16, 2012 Author Share Posted April 16, 2012 Drewed: I just found a guy in Columbus, WI (about 40 miles north of the 'Sha) who is getting rid of a room-ful of heating coal for free. I checked it out on Saturday and it looks like bituminous - a little larger than needed (it's large nut to baseball size) so I brought home about 300 lbs. of it. I'm gonna try to burn some this weekend and see if its any good. If it is, I'll make another run up there. Let me know if you want to meet and you can give some of this a try. I'm a real newbie so I am taking any kind of coal when I can get it. Or just email him from his Craigslist ad: http://madison.craigslist.org/zip/2941719615.html Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob S Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Drewed: I just found a guy in Columbus, WI (about 40 miles north of the 'Sha) who is getting rid of a room-ful of heating coal for free. I checked it out on Saturday and it looks like bituminous - a little larger than needed (it's large nut to baseball size) so I brought home about 300 lbs. of it. I'm gonna try to burn some this weekend and see if its any good. If it is, I'll make another run up there. Let me know if you want to meet and you can give some of this a try. I'm a real newbie so I am taking any kind of coal when I can get it. Or just email him from his Craigslist ad: http://madison.craig...2941719615.html Scott Scott. If you're a 'real newbie' how will you know if the free coal is any good or not? It takes some experience to manage a forging fire. Better idea to go over to Centaur Forge in Burlington, WI and bite the bullet on a bag or two of good coal. Then at least you will have some idea on what is going on. Good coal is worth the price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ric Furrer Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Scott, If you continue north to Green Bay there is a coal yard under the bridge next to the power plant that sells decent coal for $200 ton. It is not Pochahontas quality but I have welded hundreds if not thousands of times using this coal. It will teach you how to remove clinkers every hour. Do you have a chem report on the Green Bay coal?..any info on its source? I have heard of a few who have tried it, but none that said it was good. What is its sulphur level? Ric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greensngravy Posted April 19, 2012 Author Share Posted April 19, 2012 Scott, If you continue north to Green Bay there is a coal yard under the bridge next to the power plant that sells decent coal for $200 ton. It is not Pochahontas quality but I have welded hundreds if not thousands of times using this coal. It will teach you how to remove clinkers every hour. I still haven't fired up the free Columbus coal, but I plan to this weekend. I brought home about 300 lbs of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chichi Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 Ric, You asked if I had a chemical analysis of the coal from Green Bay. I dont but you could call and get that info. If I had it, I would not know what it meant. Does the sulphur limit its use for smithing? As I said, it is not Pochahontas but it heats steel and is not smokey after it is heated. I have used coke for about 20 years and went to this coal because it was available and reasonably priced. I get done what I want and I am satisfied. Do you know of any other sources beside Centaur that has good coal in or near Wi.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greensngravy Posted April 19, 2012 Author Share Posted April 19, 2012 I may just take a run down to Centaur today just to see the place. I'll bring some of my coal and compare it to theirs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drewed Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 Well I stopped in at Bud's soil and grading on 151 in Fond Du Lac today and picked up 150lbs of coal for 27$ Thats the cost of one 50lb bag at centuar. They have 2 types of coal up there. One for smithing ( nut ) and one for heating. I found out the guy sold me the wrong stuff last time. The smithing coal seams better, well at least it is smaller in size. Still seams to have about twice the clinker of the centuar stuff, but for 1/3 the price... I think I'll keep running the cheaper stuff at home, and save the centuar coal for when I'm demoing on the porta-forge. Be prepard to spend some money at centuar. That is a fun place. Lots of tools and tongs! Nice people too, but you may have to wander around to find someone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greensngravy Posted April 19, 2012 Author Share Posted April 19, 2012 I'm already bushed today - I spent the lat 3 days trying to pass a kidney stone! Perhaps this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greensngravy Posted April 20, 2012 Author Share Posted April 20, 2012 Went to Centaur Forge yesterday with my son. Wow!! What a place. Drooling over their extra heavy-duty coke firepots. And being the cheapskate that I am managed to leave with only a piece of mild steel bar stock and a bag of rivets!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drewed Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 They have bar stock!?!? Dang, some place else to look for metal.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greensngravy Posted April 23, 2012 Author Share Posted April 23, 2012 Well, I tried the bituminous home heating coal in my Champion forge today and the forge works great - much hotter fire than my other small rivet hand-pump forge because of the recessed 13" round firepot. But the coal SMOKES LIKE HECK!! If I continue to use this coal I will need a different setup for the forge. Perhaps now is the time to make an outdoor forge area in my backyard!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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