Coal Report

[Old N Rusty]

Glenn sent me a five gallon bucket of some BIG lump coal. Lumps as big as a five pound bag of sugar or bigger! What a laugh! I burned the " fines" he filled the spaces between the lumps ,some bits were as big as a golf ball and most were walnut to pecan size. For the test I emptied the Centaur cast iron fire pot in my forge . With some cardboard and hardwood pieces of broken hammer handles to cover the chip breaker and a large hand full of sawdust . I got a fire started with one match. I can't stress how use full sawdust is in starting and re-lighting a fire that has almost gone out.I t will bring back a fire fast if there is the least bit of smoke .

This coal is very black and shiney , it fractures into layers like shale rock, some of which I saw in the fire. Shale will POP and send sparks flying, but there is not a whole lot of it in this sample . Not enough to worry about. I am sure this coal is bituminous , but close to anthracite in the smell and the sparks flying. It is a a good coal and cokes well.

This fire lasted a long time without adding any more coal It feels sorta "sticky" on the poker. I was very satisfied how fast it will bring up a welding heat on a 1/2 " round bar . For the welding test I folded back 3" of that bar and brought it up to fluxing temp . it was clean coming out of the fire with no ash or clinker sticking to it, it wire brushed easily ,and fluxed with borax i placed it back into the "cave fire".The coke burned at a nearly white heat and I could feel a good amount of radiant heat from the forge. When the lap was at welding heat it was easy to sling off the excess flux and start the weld. The fire stayed very hot and returned the piece to welding heat quickly.

I forged some other pieces and let the fire burn up to ash. After there was no more fire to be had from this test I dug out a small amount of a silvery metallic clinker and small bits of shale rock. I am pleased with this coal , it is not the very best I have ever burned , That honor, "THE BEST COAL" is ,in my opinion the coal that another supplier sells.

[SReynolds]

I'd be interested in some of their coal. I could alsways order some from them I supose..........Do suppose it's that real good quality Southern WVA (Pocahantas) ??

I use stuff from PA and it is met. coal. However, it makes a LOAD of ash and much clinker and much shale. I'd hate to see what "bad coal" would be like to use.............Makes me want to go back to the hard coal. Well, not really, but I do mis the cleanliness of hard coal. Now,I get covered in ash. Have to wear a very large brimmed hat to keep it out of my ears and off the neck, yuck!!

[Glenn]

Danny, thank you for the report.

That coal is available at a good price. There is no minimum purchase so I can pick it up what I need in the van, or the wife's car (for small quantities). I have my choice between fines, small lumps the size of marbles to baseballs, and lumps the size of a 5 pound bag of flower or larger. The larger lumps are easily broken up with a hammer. I will try to get photos of the sample coal and post them so you can see the difference.

There is another coal available at some distance away, and is sold by the ton. Shipping to my location would mean buying several tons to make it cost effective. The higher price for the coal, purchasing several tons at a time, and delivery would increase the price.

I choose the better price for the sample sent to you for this report.

[Glenn]

place holder again