Solid fuel forge without Smoke issues

[kraythe]

I would love to be able to use a solid fuel forge but the problem is that I live in a residential community and if I start spewing out coal smoke, my neighbors will flip and shut me down. What I am wondering is if there is any forge design, fuel or other method I can use to create a forge that has very low emissions but uses solid fuel. I had thought of perhaps something like a gassifier design or something that would reburn the exhaust fumes.

 

Any advice is appreciated.

[C.D. Mitchell]

If you're wanting to burn solid fuel, look into charcoal or pure coke.  Both of those burn very clean with almost no smoke or smell.  Charcoal is especially easy to get away with because it will smell like you're just having a cookout.  If you wanted to be really covert you could make a forge out of an old grill, that way no one would suspect anything.  If you can't find any pure coke, look into building a charcoal retort and making your own charcoal.  The retort method is also very clean and doesn't require anything more than a standard firepit to make your own solid fuel.

 

Either way, be sure to respect your neighbors.

[Ridgewayforge]

Also, have a chiminey that sucks the fumes up and burns them away. Look up rocket stove or kelly kettle designs. There is little to no smoke, and charcoal is probably your best bet. Big restaurant supply stores and other chain stores carry bbq charcoal, which is perfect! Just watch out for the fire fleas that fly up. Again, a hood and chiminey will help. (burning charcoal is much more fun in my opinion. It is faster than coal but puts out more radient energy. Keep that in mind)

[ThomasPowers]

Depends a lot what country you are in, in the UK coke is a common and available fuel for forges; much more so than in the USA.  So my advice is to tell us where you are at!

[rockstar.esq]

I don't get noxious smoke with a coke only forge but it's different to work with.  It's been my experience that coke makes the firepot hotter.  Coke also goes out much faster than coal.  I use a box bellows so whenever I'm not pumping, there's no air flow.  More than once it's gone out on me while I was filing a part. I've taken to mixing it with some coal to keep it kindling.  Also, the coal helps to form a better beehive than I can get with straight coke.  It's a trade off since coke gives very little in the way of clinkers.

 

This summer I'm going to try to make a chimney.  The smoke getting it lit is terrible.

[Glenn]

Good fire maintenance will minimize the smoke.

[kraythe]

Problem is minimizing smoke is not what i need, I need smoke elimination (at least smoke that has any odor or visibility) I dont mind if CO comes out the chmimney or oher invis gasses but if there is anything like real smoke comming out it is a no starter. That is why I am currently working with a propane forge and dealing with the extra scale as best I can.

[Glenn]

You can burn smoke, or dilute the remaining smoke, but there will still be the aroma and some smoke from burning solid fuels such as bituminous coal.

 

Your other choices would be coke (coal with the volatiles burned off), charcoal (wood with the volatiles burned off) and gases such as propane. Or you could go with an induction heater (electric).

[kraythe]

How is the emissions from a Coke based forge? If that is an option then I might go with that. Charcoal might work if I could find it in sufficient enough quantities. Buying it by the bag from the hardware store can get expensive. Also is there any special fire tending procedures for using charcoal? I know for sure that it can get hot enough because i saw a video about smelting pig iron in africa using charcoal (impressive vid by the way).

[ThomasPowers]

If you have extra scale from a propane forge then it's designed or tuned wrong!

 

If you have extra scale from a propane forge then it's designed or tuned wrong!

 

If you have extra scale from a propane forge then it's designed or tuned wrong!

 

You should be able to tune your burner to produce less scale.

 

I can tune mine to pretty much produce no scale until the piece come out into the air all the way up to producing revoltingly thich scale---dis-tuned it one time to get a warty surface arter I chipped the heavy scale off when doing a dragon.