mandoro Posted July 29, 2007 Share Posted July 29, 2007 Well Ive searched far and wide and I still havent found it. I dont know how to start a charcoal forge fire. I would assume that it would be the same as coal? I got a big piece of my charcoal and tried to light it and it wouldnt light without lighter fluid. I know you arent supposed to use lighter fluid for coal, but does that hold true for charcoal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finnr Posted July 29, 2007 Share Posted July 29, 2007 A wad of crumpled newspaper of handful of shavings and you should be up and running. Finnr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayco Posted July 29, 2007 Share Posted July 29, 2007 Hello, Mandoro......I use charcoal quite a bit and make my own from whatever wood happens to be handy. If the charcoal is good and dry, I think it's easier to light than coal. It takes wet charcoal a day or two to dry out,by the way. It's very absorbent. I start a charcoal fire much as I do a coal fire. I use a match to light one or two balled up sheets of newspaper, a handful of pencil-sized wood kindling sticks, rake in charcoal from the sides of your forge or just sprinkle some on top of the burning kindling. I try to turn the air on gradually,since charcoal is light. A strong air blast will blow your newspaper,kindling, and charcoal right out of the forge. My charcoal is usually in 1/2 inch to 1 inch pieces. It just comes out like that. But it's a good size for use in the forge. Just so you know the scale of what your looking at, that little forge is only 12 inches across. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyler Murch Posted July 29, 2007 Share Posted July 29, 2007 One big piece of charcoal? That is the same as trying to light a log versus trying to light a twig. Put some crumpled up paper down, a little charcoal on top. Light the paper, then turn on the air. Or, the easy way, take one of the small hardware store propane torches, hold it to the charcoal for a few seconds until it lights, then turn the air on and let it spread. This is what I do, because half of the ash in your shop will be from the paper you use to light the charcoal. Charcoal lights easier than coal, and even coke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmy seale Posted July 29, 2007 Share Posted July 29, 2007 use of boy scout water isn't a sin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandoro Posted July 29, 2007 Author Share Posted July 29, 2007 ok thanks yall. I actually have a propane torch here. Its what I use to start my fires for my charcoal making Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladysmith Posted July 29, 2007 Share Posted July 29, 2007 Yeah, I'm lazy. I use a propane torch too. Pam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easilyconfused Posted July 29, 2007 Share Posted July 29, 2007 All I seem to need, when the charcoal is dry, is at tops a couple of pieces of newspaper. Sometimes it doesn't even take air to get it going, although it speeds it up. Just make sure you don't smother the newspaper with the charcoal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennis_hl Posted July 29, 2007 Share Posted July 29, 2007 Yep, propane torch here too. Though I use a wood stick match and paper and twigs when doing a demo. Folks seem to think a torch is cheating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandoro Posted July 29, 2007 Author Share Posted July 29, 2007 Well, despite my doubts the charcoal worked perfectly. It lit the paper, sticsk and got a few peieces hot and then all of a sudden it caight and started burning. I had my entire 14" dia and 7" deep brake drum full of charcoal and I think it only lasted 30-45 minutes. A problem I saw was that it didnt heat up my piece of metal too fast at all. I had a piece of like 1/2" steel pipe about 9" long and I was only able to heat and flatten about an inch of it. What can cause this problem? I think I had my air blowing too hard, but maybe yall know something I dont. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easilyconfused Posted July 29, 2007 Share Posted July 29, 2007 Did you maintain a bed of charcoal beneath the metal? That's a major problem with charcoal. It burns faster than coal so your fire bottoms out faster. Always remember that heat rises so if your fire is above the metal, it won't heat up too much. You need to be in the heart of it, where it is the closest to white for maximum heat. Also, is it true charcoal or charcoal briquettes because the briquettes don't get as hot, or so I've read. I've never used them to compare though. I know that true charcoal though will get up to welding heat and fast. You just need a bigger fire than with coal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandoro Posted July 30, 2007 Author Share Posted July 30, 2007 Yea, I did have a bed of charcoal beneath the metal. It did heat the metal up, just slowly. As far as color of flames, I only saw blue flames and even those were sparse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easilyconfused Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 What did you have for an air supply? I have yet to blow the air too hard and still have a fire in the pot. Also, what type of charcoal, and what size of pieces? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 For starting a charcoal fire, I use a BBQ Chimney, 8 inch sheet metal tube, cone shaped grate at one end, you stuff newspaper in the bottom, charcoal in the top and light the newspaper. Takes about 15 minutes to get a nice glowing stack of charcoal, then dump it into the forge. I usually light the chimney, then go about setting up the smithy, plug in the blower, top off the slack tub, get my tools and stock out and ready. The Chimneys are big sellers here in California, where most lighter fluid is frowned upon if not downright illegal (more in SoCal, than NorCal, where I am). Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandoro Posted July 30, 2007 Author Share Posted July 30, 2007 Well I have a lil squirrel cage fan. The reason i think I had too powerful of an air flow is because near the end when there were just really small pieces the air blew them off the center (where the air was coming from) and to the sides. The type of charcoal was natural charcoal made of cedar logs. pieces ranged from a 1/4" to an inch. Ill rig something up and see if it is the air or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easilyconfused Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 Depending on how big the little pieces at the end were, this may or may not be normal. I have a average size canadian forge and blower hand crank and it lifts pieces about the diameter of a few toothpicks out of my forge bed. Doesn't sound like it's a fuel problem. I think it may be not enough air since you don't have many flames. What did the embers look like in the fire? Was there a lot of white light or more of an orange/red? White means you have air, red like a campfire means you don't have enough for your size of fire. Also, when you find that white core, that's where you want to be with your metal, or just above it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandoro Posted July 30, 2007 Author Share Posted July 30, 2007 Hmm, Im not sure about the embers cause I was running around the dang thing in shorts and a t-shirt trying to rake charcoal on the fire with a piece of brick. The flame on the other hand was orange/red most of the time with a small amount of blue. I thought I had enough air cause when I tried to light the paper/kindley it blew them around. There also were pieces flying up from the forge that were still hot, it looked like orange raindrops. I guess after I light it and get charcoal on it I need to turn the air up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easilyconfused Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 More than likely. Charcoal is bad for throwing those sparks around when it's going. This is about what you should see:Charcoal fireAnother fireCharcoal "fleas" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 I used to problems with "fleas" until I changed two things. One, I switched from Mesquite charcoal to a brand called "Cowboy Brand Charcoal" which appears to be combo of tree wood and woodworking scraps, far fewer fleas than the mesquite. Second, I drilled out the holes in my tuyere, they were 1/4 inch holes and drilling them all out to 3/8 has most of the little sparks and such falling down the ash trap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habu68 Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 Year before last, at the Rusty May annual Hammer-in , at Loveland Colorado. There are two firm rules #1. We have no plan and we are sticking to it. #2 If you know teach, if you don't know learn. To make a long story short, I was starting out with green coal, I forgot my tinder, paper and matches, and I was having a stinker of a time getting a fire started. All this was closely watched by a 6 year old grandson of one of the sponsors of the group. He looked like Huck Finn in his bibs and engineers hat. He was getting quite a kick out of my bumblling. He had enough;"Let me show you how WE DO IT", he said with hands on his hips. Under his Grandfathers bench was a coffee can with both ends cut out, he stuffed two sheets of news paper and a fist full of small sticks from the ground and placed it in the fire pot, lifting one corner of the can lit the paper from the bottom and started the blower and when the paper cought he began to fill the the can with the green coal. As the green smoke filled the tent, he backed off on the blower and blew on the smoke with his breath from above and a flame jumped up from the coal and burned the smoke, he then returned to the blower, removing the can the fire was in full roar. He then looked me straight.in the eye, "if you will save some coke for your next fire this will be a lot easier next time." so now "that's how WE DO IT.. If you know teach if you don't know learn... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rstegman Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 habu68, A popular method of starting charcole files is the chimney which is like the coffee can you discribed. These chimneys have a screen on the bottom, and a handle. You put in some paper and your briquets and light the paper. In a very short time, you have well started coals. I personally have problems trying to get matches lit...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 There are several Blueprints on how to start a fire. BP0036 Fire and Smoke BP0037 Fire and Smoke BP0042 Fire and Smoke BP0045 Fire and Smoke BP0046 Fire and Smoke BP0048 Fire and Smoke BP0137 Fire Starter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 I had my entire 14" dia and 7" deep brake drum full of charcoal and I think it only lasted 30-45 minutes. Could be why you're using so much charcoal. My fire pot is 10"x10" wide x5" deep. I've never used a coal fire(can't get good coal) always charcoal but I think a charcoal fire has to be deeper. Charcoal I use is made from hardwood . An old English blacksmith told me the harder the wood the better the charcoal. I get a nice white flame easily hot enough to forge weld. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mills Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 The little that I used charcoal I went through some of the same gyrations. Sounds as if you have the the right size charcoal. I used frie bricks to channel the heat, made a trough 4-6" wide and had about 12" depth of charcoal. Steel went into the upper center and I constantly fed the fire. Burned up several pieces when I made that improvement as I wasn't ready for the huge jump in performance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfe Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 There are several Blueprints on how to start a fire. BP0036 Fire and Smoke BP0037 Fire and Smoke BP0042 Fire and Smoke BP0045 Fire and Smoke BP0046 Fire and Smoke BP0048 Fire and Smoke BP0137 Fire Starter Got any idea about "How to get into the Blueprints?" Wolfe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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