Pug}{maN Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 I have my table full of coal And I always dig the coke out of the fire pot at the end of the night right on top of the Un burnt Cole. Never had a problem until last night, got to looking outside after I closed the shop for about 3 hours and saw smoke coming out of the forge flu. Went in to the shop in the whole table was on fire. Now I need more water in my quench bucket. So how do you all put your fires out at night? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fe-Wood Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Sometimes I bank it up so I have coke in the morning. Most times I just walk away and leave it as is. I clean up when I start a new fire. I figure the best place for the remaining coal to burn, if its going to is in the firepot.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marksnagel Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 I move all unused coal and coke that is not an active part of the fire away from the front of the forge. Then I rake the burning coke out of the fire to the front which has been cleared of all coke and coal. It goes out within minutes. The next day, all my coke from the previous fire is sitting right there in front waiting for the next fire and unused coal on the sides waiting it's turn to burn. Mark <>< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Olivo Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 The blower is stoped the moment I stop forging for the night. Then I put away all my tools and clean up. The last part is putting the forge away, by then the fire has completely died and is pulled apart and put away. I pull the coke all the way to the end of the table and put it away. Then all the coke burning or not (usually all cold at this point) gets spread out on the table to cool away from the fire pot. Once cool, only a couple of minutes, that is put away in another small square metal pan. The firepot is usually filled all the way up with ash and clinker so that just stays in the fire pot as I remove it from the table and put it away to cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 I shovel everything, fire, ash, coke, coal, EVERYTHING into a 5 gallon bucket of water. Do not forget the ash dump, it goes into the water also. Then I put all the tools away, close down the forge, and do a final inspection of the shop and put my hand on the forge. If It is hot, I find something to clean up, oil or straighten up. When the forge is cool to the touch, I can leave. Oh yes check the Ox/Ac, propane and etc hoses and relieve any pressure. By tearing down the fire first, you have 30 minutes or so to let things settle down before you leave. I sleep very well at night knowing that every thing that used to be hot is now under water. The next day I swirl the water and scoop out everything that floats (by hand) and allow it to air dry. In short order you will have dry coke and coal to add to your next fire. It starts faster and produces less smoke than just coal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pug}{maN Posted January 16, 2013 Author Share Posted January 16, 2013 Thanks guys. I will put some of this to use and hope to keep this from happening again ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale M. Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 I just wet things down and rake coals till there is no heat from coal/coke whatever (hold hand over fire pot area) .... Always dries out and fires up next time I want to use forge....Dale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pug}{maN Posted January 16, 2013 Author Share Posted January 16, 2013 I have a cast iron fire pot, so I can not put water on it when Its hot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edge9001 Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 I do the same as dale, I just soak the fire and allow the residual heat to dry everything. You just have to ensure anough water to put out the fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neg Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 I scoop everything out of my firepot onto the table then sprinkle water over it, but not into the firepot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01tundra Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 I move all the remaining green coal to one side of the hearth, then pull out all the clean coke on top of the fire and put it on the other side of the hearth, sometimes wetting it lightly. Then everything down in the pot goes directly into a bucket of water. Anything that's floating getting put up on the hearth with the coke, the rest gets dumped out in my gravel driveway. The next time I fire up the forge I go out and sift through what came out of the bottom of the bucket to see if there's anything worth keeping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FieryFurnace Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Rake the green, non-burning coal to the sides of the firepot away from the heat. Green coal can ignite and spread flames around quite quickly. Rake everything else towards and away from you, level with the firepot. DO NOT dig down into the firepot. After a day or forging, all that's down there is ash and clinker for the most part. LEAVE IT ALONE! Spread all of the burning material out a little (just don't leave thick clumps piled up.) Your forge will be out in 30 minutes. If you insist on excavating your entire firepot to put your forge out, you will just break up your clinkers into tiny pieces and mix the ash junk in with your good coke. Leave that stuff alone and in the bottom of the firepot. In the morning, you can sift out the good coak that's left in the firepot, and then run your ash and clinker through the clinker breaker into the ash dump. Stay away from pouring water onto your forge. Water, mixed with green coal, equals a rusted out forge in no time at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale M. Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Ahem.... Everybody in local B.S. group uses water to control heat and fire size and to extinguish fire to conserve coal/coke, why is there no admonishment from local group members (collective intelligence) that has a prohibition of using water with green coal and cast iron fire pots.... Even the books I have been reading advise "control" with water.....Dale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FieryFurnace Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 People use water all the time to control fire and put out their fires. If that's your cup of tea, have at it. However, water is not needed to put the fire out if you do it correctly. That prevents the ash sludge and mess caused by extenguishing your forge fire with water. As far as fire control, I have no problem controlling my fire without water. Is that saying you are a bad blacksmith if you can't do that? No, not at all! However, once again, it isn't a good idea to mix water and coal if rust prevention is in your agenda. When I build a forge, I want it to last a long long time. I've been using the forge I just sold for the last two years, and there is no rust on the forge pan. Different story if you are using water. I've worked on both sides of the spectrum here. It doesn't matter what you do as regards using water or not. Whatever floats your boat. However, from my personal experience and from observed experience, I prefer not using water to control and put out my forge fires, having found satisfactory means of doing both without the use of water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Rake the green, non-burning coal to the sides of the firepot away from the heat. Green coal can ignite and spread flames around quite quickly. Rake everything else towards and away from you, level with the firepot. DO NOT dig down into the firepot. After a day or forging, all that's down there is ash and clinker for the most part. LEAVE IT ALONE! Spread all of the burning material out a little (just don't leave thick clumps piled up.) Your forge will be out in 30 minutes. If you insist on excavating your entire firepot to put your forge out, you will just break up your clinkers into tiny pieces and mix the ash junk in with your good coke. Leave that stuff alone and in the bottom of the firepot. In the morning, you can sift out the good coak that's left in the firepot, and then run your ash and clinker through the clinker breaker into the ash dump. Stay away from pouring water onto your forge. Water, mixed with green coal, equals a rusted out forge in no time at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onetreeforge Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 I use to dump some fresh coal onto the fire to smother it but once I did that I came back 2 days later and it was still glowing, I allays use water now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pug}{maN Posted January 17, 2013 Author Share Posted January 17, 2013 What I'm going to do is leave all the green Cole to 1 side of the Forge. Rake the top of the fire pot on to the other side . Then it should all go out. And when I start the next time I can dig all the junk out of the fire pot Then scrape my coke in And start the fire.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfootnampa Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 I use wet coal around my fire when forging and when I am done I turn the blower off and put a sprinkler can full of water on the fire. Most of this water will vaporize immediately and I do not use enough to drench all the coals... just enough to kill the main hot areas. The fire will then go out quickly and I will have coke left for the next one. My firepot is cast iron and I expect it to last a long time! I let the fire cool before I dig it out and remove the clinkers and ash. I guess if I wanted to prevent any rust I would use a propane forge! I like my coal! As a former firefighter I know a lot about water and fires! Water is my friend! I can't think that I would be smarter to work in less effective ways EVERY day in order to avoid replacing my firepot (at a cost of about $150) once every half dozen years (so far I have not ever needed to do this). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pug}{maN Posted January 17, 2013 Author Share Posted January 17, 2013 Cold water on hot cast fire pot = big crack... I have an original champion whirlwind fire pot not looking to break an antique... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SReynolds Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Yes, I don't put the fire out either. If the forge don't burn down to the ground while it contains a 3,000-3,500°F fire for five/six hrs during the day I seriouslly doubt it will burn to the ground during the evenings cool-down. I do however take off the green coal. Thataways.....next day I pull off the coke and set it aside, scoop out all that garbage/trash in the fire pot and lay new fire with the coke. I have at times, covered the coke with a layer of green coal and allow that to coke-up whilst the fire cools, but it don't work out too well. It only cokes about 60-70% and now I have green coal mixed with coke. Just what I don't want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Trez Cole Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Cold water on hot cast fire pot = big crack... I have an original champion whirlwind fire pot not looking to break an antique... Pug an other good tool for protecting you fire pot is a mop. A mop will add a little water instead of a water can. you are then wetting the surface of the fire, at the end of the night I just turn off the blower and leave the fire to burn out the next morning I rake all the coals and coke into a fryer basket and sift out the dust and pick out the clinkers. if you shake the basket all the clinkers come to the top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfootnampa Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Cold water on hot cast fire pot = big crack... I have an original champion whirlwind fire pot not looking to break an antique... Well I don't know about your antique... it's probably even better than mine... but I only sprinkle water on my hot coals. The firepot itself only gets steam. NInety-eight % of my sprinkled water is steam within 3 seconds! Unless it rains I have a dry firepot when I dig it out the next day. I have NO cracks in my firepot! So your equation is only theoretical... my methods are time tested and proven! My firepot gets more moisture from condensation than it does from the water that I use to put my fires out. With my particular coal I can easily extinguish the fire just by turning the blower off... but it takes a while to cool out. I could just spread the coals out and it will cool quicker... so you could do that instead. I like to sprinkle it to cool the main coals instantly and I have never damaged my firepot in any noticeable way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pug}{maN Posted January 21, 2013 Author Share Posted January 21, 2013 not knocking your way im just being 100% shure i dont crack it.. no water at all... last night i just moved all the green cole over out of the way and left the hot stuff in the pot , can out this morning ad dug it out put in new hot coles from the stove coverd it up with the old fire pot cole from the day before and it took right off....so i think i got it now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borntoolate Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Towards the end of this post I have some pics on how I shut mine down. http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/30981-first-time-using-coal-need-help/ I just try to get the coke off the top separated from the coal on the sides. Make sure the Coke is broke up enough so it goes out in minutes. Golf ball size max give or take. Spread thin, not in a mound... Yeah and don't stir up the bottom. Get used to dumping most of that next time you start the forge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FeaxannevaLem Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 · Hidden by Moderator51, January 25, 2013 - Repetative drivvel Hidden by Moderator51, January 25, 2013 - Repetative drivvel I shortfall to creditability stalk of my disparagement replace where it is, unsullied at times, because it slips into the tomorrow's and into the someday accede too quickly. It is a struggle. There is a blending of pain neighbourhood me and in me at the wink of an valuation and I am nonplussed to replacement anything. So I prod pucker note of the birds.You should select no pre-existing medical conditions. If something develops during the labor we contrive greater than you on safety. Yes. It may be depressing on you. That is ok. It is ok to support disappointment. You wanted to be dressed on the agenda c hoax a region starting-point communicate to birth. You wanted to comprise a Nativity Center sales pitch, a not moil descent, to squat kwiaciarnia kraków When were at Bard in search the conjunction we both win absent from exceeding in love. We smash desperately and emotionally in solicitude with the campus, with the loveliness, the abstract stimulation that was poignantly get-at-able at all turns. The trees! The extendible grassy fields. The supervised greater older mountains in the distance. The originative farm. My memories were washing in surfeit of and beyond me in a seminar that I can’t iterate with describe. Chafed, additionally to fully of boldness and sensation. We way-out the campus on a following, reverberate to be serene with an zealous break. I tipsy no circumstances plainly constrain the in all cases to reread any of my posts. My aircraft of fantastic is to systematize this undiminished blog into my own titties journal/book counterpart day. Ditty payment the well-being each of my daughters. A documentation of much of their life. When I do resign oneself to with a view no enterprise down and simplify posts from years gone to, I am overwhelmingly grateful. There are so heterogeneous forgotten moments written go around out of the closet of business past way of and described. I circumstance them again. Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.