hey guys,

in the process of building a forge just wondering how much charcoal ill be going through in about an hour, Im gonna be using a 10x8 inch fire pot thats 6 inched deep and mostly working with 1/2 inch stock at regular forging heat and Im using homemade pine charcoal. just thought I would get this up here seeing as I couldnt find much on this topic.

If anybody can help it would be much appreciated 

 

thanks,

sam

I find 5 gal pail of coal equals at least 30 gal of home made charcoal or about two handfuls every time the piece goes back into the fire from the anvil and that is with the blast off

^{I think there has been quite a few threads in the forges section on this site speaking of using charcoal...was any of it helpful?}

Each forge is different, the set up, the size, the blower, size twyere, etc. If you are playing on the weekend, or putting in a 60 hour work week at the forge, you charcoal consumption will differ even on a per hour rate. If you are working with small material vs 1-2-3 inch material your charcoal consumption will differ. As you researched the use of charcoal, have you found the difference between soft wood charcoal and hard wood charcoal?  What was the suggested depth of a charcoal fire in a forge?  Is charcoal the best fuel in YOUR LOCATION or for the work YOU will be doing?

 

Bottom line?

If you are not satisfied with the consumption of charcoal, are you willing to change fuels and rebuild the forge to use coal, coke, or induction heating? 

Charcoal and coal contain about the same BTUs per *pound*  so you could get some date by looking a coal forge usage.

 

HOWEVER if your forge and work habits are not set up for charcoal you will most likely be quite inefficient!

As a hobby smith messing around with charcoal, rarely working more than 1/2 inch stock, I'd go thru a 5 gallon bucket of Cowboy Brand hardwood lump charcoal in about 2 hours, give or take.  

 

Variables as per Glenn's post above, so YMMV (your mileage may vary).

 

Less than a gallon bucket of coal for the same amount of time and work, not sure yet about propane

Sam: You're falling into a typical beginner's mistake, expecting experienced folk to be able to lay specific numbers to a very individualistic craft. Nobody here is going to be able to tell you how much fuel YOU will go through per hour or how long it will take YOU to make a THING. etc. As you gain experience, skill and knowledge you will be able to squeeze more from everything, your tools, materials, consumables and time.

 

I've been smithing mostly for fun for a going on 50 years and still can't do a good one heat nail. When I'm showing a new guy the craft I typically spend more time telling him/er to think IN the fire not after the steel's hot and they've pulled it out. It's normal for folk to draw the steel from the fire THEN try deciding what to do with it. I also have to keep reminding them to NOT stand there watching the fire. All normal stuff. Getting a good rhythm and procedure going will really speed things up and reduce materials and consumable's us.

 

Frosty The Lucky.