Hi everybody! Just signed up, seems like alot of people here know what they are talking about :D

 

So a friend of mine had the idea to make a forge in our metal shop class, after we got tired of using the OA torch to heat up horseshoes to make a few hoof picks. So... after looking around online we made a coal forge (have no idea if we did it right!) but now we are kind of stuck.. we cant seem to find any coal around central new mexico! All the stuff we can find online charges around 30 or 40$ to ship it here. So any advice on where we could find some?

 

Thanks in advance!

I buy my coal from Robb Gunter. He lives in Moriarty....well, just east of there. You can contact him through one of the SWABA officers. check out their site here  http://www.swaba-abana-chapter.org/  This is also an excellent group to hook up with as they are all about helping anyone learn how to mold metal!  Well worth your time to check them out.  I'm about 800 miles east of ABQ. and when I'm in the area I try to get with them if at all possible. Tell em Tommy Dean sent ya.

used to be a lot of coal up around Raton.not been there in a while so not sure

Thanks Thomas! I am going to be going through Moriarty in the next couple of days hopefully so I will try to get ahold of him. Yall all have a Merry Christmas!

If all else fails use lump charcoal.  But not the briquettes.    I used charcoal for a couple of years before switching over to Propane.  Works just fine but is consumed faster than coal.

Alright I will keep that in mind, Thanks!

Where are you located? I'm one of the SWABA officers and I can give you an idea of who to call in your local. I don't use coal, I have enough problems with my next door neighbor, but several members of our group do.

If you are headed to Moriarty call some of the fuel suppliers in Edgewood, a lot of the farriers around here get their coal from a supplier out there.

Fort Sumner, do you know of anytthing around there?

I don't know of anyone closer to you than Moriarty. I suppose you have checked around Portales and Clovis?

You might want to consider building a propane forge. It sure makes life easier.

I have checked around Clovis. Honestly I hadnt thought to check portalles, I never go there it kind of slipped my mind. Could I get some contact information for anyone in Moriarty? Ill look into the propane.

Robb and his two sons run a blacksmithing school in Moriarty http://www.g3blacksmithing.com/ should provide you with all the contact information you need.

I'm currently down near Socorro; give me a shout if you are down this way. (you may profit from a bit of coaching on using a coal fire)

I get my coal from Robb; though I've been hunting down an old cache from when there was a coal mine in Carthage NM. A local rancher gets his smithing coal there...

A propane forge usually ends up easier to fuel in these parts. Even in Socorro I can buy propane locally at 9pm on a Sunday!

Thanks Thomas! I am headed up to moriarty/Abq tomorrow and I will try to get ahold of Them. The contact button on there website gave me an email, so hopefully I get an Email back while I am up there.

 

If I am ever down around there I will definitly look you up! Ill take all the help I can get haha

 

I think Ill start working on a propane forge next, its also really easy to obtain here. But since I already made one I guess I might as well learn how to use coal :D

Robb's address is 13 Imnaha Road, Tijeras, NM. It's in a countryfied area. The last phone contact I had for him was 505-281-8080,

 

I get coal from Monte Vista Fuel & Feed, Santa Fe, NM.

Thanks Mr. Turley! I was able to get that same phone number from Brad Gunter ia email. I went through Moriarty today but was never able to get ahold of him. I have to go through again middle of next week with family, if I cant get ahold of him again maybe I can convice them to make a little day trip to Santa Fe.   

YoungBuck, Robb is pretty well allowing his two boys to run the Moriarty school. I once picked up coal from Robb, and it was at his home/shop in Tijeras, not Moriarty. If you come to Monte Vista Feed, call and come to visit my school. I'm four minutes from Monte Vista.

Alright I will. Thanks Mr. Turley. Also my name is Scott, incase i get a chance to come by!

Some info for those of you within driving range, Hay Gulch Coal Company here in southwest Colorado sells stoker coal for $70 per ton.  They are about 40 minutes north of Farmington NM. on the La Plata highway.  They sell on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  It is loose, they load with a little front end loader, so you need a pickup or a trailer.  They have a recording on their phone telling current status as sometimes they run out.  They also have lump coal for $90 per ton.  Lots of folks around here still heat with it.  I don't know it it is OK to post phone numbers or not, so if anyone wants more info, let me know.

 

On a related note, a cousin by marriage stopped heating with coal, so he is giving me his stock, about 4 tons.  I have to load it, but I'm not complaining.  got the first ton today and going back tomorrow for another.