ausfire Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 I have been blacksmithing for only a short while with mixed success. I use a stone forge with a cast iron blower and I always use charcoal for fuel. It's free, clean and easy to get. There are no smiths working around my area of Australia so it's hard to find good information or help. Books I have read all say part of the blacksmiths' equipment required is a can with holes in it for watering the forge. I made one, but am not sure why. I have had no cause to use it and things seem to go well without it. Am I missing something here? Why would you want to sprinkle water on a forge fire??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 Charcoal tends to burn up fast, and a little water around the edges can help slow the spread of combustion outside the working zone. Charcoal can not be made to clump because it has no volatiles left, but if you wet it, you can keep the top of a deep fire from burning up as fast. Raw coal is known as green coal, before it gets made into coke. Dampened green coal can be made to stick together in a beehive shape roof, which helps reflect the radiant heat. The tarry volatiles will boil out, fuse and connect the lumps into a temporary rigid structure. Thus giving you a hollow fire chamber inside the shell in order to get an even soaking heat on a small part. Much like working in a gas forge, even heat on all sides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the iron dwarf Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 there are several members here from down under, moony is the first one that comes to mind. if you add your rough location to your profile it will save others asking whereabouts you are all the time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfootnampa Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 If you are cooking big iron you need a big fire... small irons... small fire! I control my fire size and shape and the overall heat level by adding damp coal or by sprinkling the edges of my fireball. I would call my sprinkler essential, though I use it only once in a while on most days! I use coal and it often has LOTS of dust... which when cooked at the fire edges while wet becomes nice large glowing hunks that can be used to roof a fireball or to spread heat out to heat longer pieces of metal! Without water the dust would just blow up the chimney... WASTED! By keeping my fireball HOT and concentrated while keeping the edges of my fire cooler I am able to get quick heats just where I am working on the metal... this is a big advantage of coal forging that requires skilled fire control... MUCH HARDER to do without a sprinkler can full of water! Charcoal is different but has the disadvantage of putting out much more ambient heat (the heat that cooks the SMITH)! This can be limited a bit by keeping the fireball sized appropriately for the work at hand. Even barbecue grillmasters keep spray bottles handy to manage their charcoal fires! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thingmaker3 Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 Water can be used to isolate heat in a workpiece. Very handy to have a "Tennessee valve." (Can w/ one hole near the top) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Trez Cole Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 If you use a cast iron fire pot you should not use a water can. You should be using a wet mop. a water can can cause the fire pot to crack. You are using charcoal I have never used water while using charcoal. Now on the other hand with green coal it is very handy. but again caution when using a water can with a cast fire pot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted January 11, 2014 Author Share Posted January 11, 2014 Thank you for the advice. My forge is made of stone with an ant-bed base and one of those hand driven blowers, so I have no worries about cracking fire pots. The comment above about charcoal's ambient heat 'cooking the smith' is dead right. In tropical Australia, I often find myself working in 40+ degrees. Perhaps a little water on top of the charcoal would help keep the heat where it belongs and not too much heading in my direction. Thanks again for the information. Much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 Please add your location to your profile. It gets you better answers based on your location. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anachronist58 Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 Another fine lesson for me to add to my Tool Kit - Thanks IFI People! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted January 13, 2014 Author Share Posted January 13, 2014 Please add your location to your profile. It gets you better answers based on your location. OK. Done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iron woodrow Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 hey mate, i'm in gordonvale, i prefer charcoal, rather than coal or coke. i don't work as a blacksmith full time, (i'm a cane train driver), but i did my industrial blacksmith trade in brissie, i'd be happy to come and give you some tips some time, woody. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 I forged with charcoal for years and a watering can was essential to controlling the fire and not burning thru too much fuel too quickly. Switching to coal I find I use the watering can a lot less, but still need to control the fire and often times cool off the end of what I'm working on. especially if the piece is in a long, soaking heat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 When I used charcoal I limited the size of the fire by moving the fire brick I used instead of a fire pot. Fire depth is more important than width, just wide, long enough to heat the iron and deep enough to consume all the oxy is perfect. A potential problem you can run into with a variable fire is if you make it really small. Seriously, I messed with it till I could make a coffee cup size fire and weld. If it gets less than about 3-4" across you have to break the charcoal up more or it won't consume all the oxy without being really deep. Corn kernel size is about as small as I found "practical" but even a little puff of air can blow burning coals out of the fire so be really REALLY careful. (go ahead, ask how I know. <grin>) Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Bill Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 I'd like to see a few images of The watering can, please. They must be an unattractive tool. I NEVER see one. No "Show me your water can" topic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 a soupcan on a handle with some holes punched with a nail on 1/2 the solid bottom---so you scoop water on the un-holy side and apply it by twisting the wrist and shifting it to the holy side...Me I use a ladle I forged but very little as I don't have excess charcoal on the forge---it's all in the raised sided firepot or in the lidded charcoal store or bag away from the forge---or in the campfire till I need it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Bill Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 Sure. An image? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SReynolds Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 I do have a nice looking watering can. The hole size and number of holes is the key. I seldom use it. I don't have to. I use coal and it really doesn't seem to make much difference to me/in my opinion. I can make an oven w/o the water by simply sprinking green coal over the fire. It coaks together right away and creates that dome to hold in heat. That is to say when I feel like I need a dome. I seldom use one. I have used a bit of water to control the size of the fire when I need a real hot fire. It grows in size with a lot of air flow. Thus the water assists me to keep it controlled i.e. smaller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleD Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 I use a dip can to cool part of my project I don’t want twisted. As well as refilling my tool water pot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 BP0162 Watering Can BP0157 Watering Can Some smiths use a small mop dipped into water and let it drip onto the fuel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
will52100 Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 I saw a smith using one at a demonstration years ago and made one for myself. I didn't punch holes in the bottom, but used it to cool the rebar handles I weld to billets in my gas forge. So far I've rusted out two cans, quick and easy to replace. The third one I punched holes in the bottom for use with my new coal forge. With a gas forge you don't heat just one spot, you've got a flame coming out the front that makes your handle hard to hold on to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petere76 Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 You can make one handle, aka Francis Whitaker, with a simple soup can loop. Change out the cans when necessary. Works great for me. Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blakksmyth Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 We had a fellow from the states, called Steve Christiansen, who showed us the water can trick. I use an empty 'homebrew' extract can that holds a litre of water with holes punched through the bottom. I forge with coke, and when forging small items I use the shower can to cool the outside of the fire, as it spreads out wider than I need. I have found that it saves a heck of a lot of coke as well. I like to give the fire a light sprinkle over the top when welding, as it contains the heat, stops excess radiation and saves fuel. The only downside is the intense sulphur smell in the steam. A good flue will help in that department. Rob- A.B.A.S.A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogueRugger Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 My rather humble water can, with apologies to whomever I stole the design from. No holes yet, but holes will eventually go on the 'top' if that makes any sense. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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