rdennett Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 I recently purchased 50lbs. of metallurgical coke from Centaur Forge. I am just about out of the blacksmithing coal I used to use, and so today I tried to light the coke the way I used to do it with coal. I had heard that coke is hard to light and now I believe it. I normally collect some yard waste and light that, put the air on medium and push a little coal around it and it goes up in about 5 minutes. This time the yard waste burned out before any of the coke lit. Should I use a piece of lump charcoal or something? Thanks, Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the iron dwarf Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 I use a firelighter first, then add charcoal then turn the air on slow, add the coke a few pieces at a time till it starts going and gradually turn up the air, 10 mins and I have a good fire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmccustomknives Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Got any open pine cones? 5 or 6 will have your fire going in no time flat. Arrange them in the bottom of the fire pot, light them then turn on your air flow. When the cones get going good cover with the coke. B) happy forging! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Or just make a small wood fire with small pieces of hardwood. Give it a few minutes to burn to coals, then add the coke around the fire, slowly building it up onto the fire. Take it easy on the air till it catches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdennett Posted February 17, 2014 Author Share Posted February 17, 2014 Turns out I just needed more of the same. I used more wood and that gave me enough heat to get the coke going. Thanks, Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Coke Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Just get me angry... lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yahoo2 Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 No boy scout badges for me, handful of coarse wood-chips and the biggest propane torch I own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNewman Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 I often cheat as well. I clean the firepot out refill it with clean coke and hit it with the rosebud or cutting tip. I then turn off the fuel gas, feeding straight Oxygen into the fire for 30 seconds to a minute gets the fire going fairly quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SReynolds Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 I use PA soft coal and it cokes real nice and sweet-like Very low clinker. At days end, I have a huge amount of coke remaining. I move it off the fire and dump the trash. The next time I need a forge fire, I use a 1" square fire starter with a VERY small amount of kindling, such as some stickc gathered from the lawn. That is all I'd ever hope to need. The coke lights right off in NO-Time and I add some green coal around the O.D. of that fire to make more coke. I have tried some so called "industrial coke" It is like lava rock. Pure garbage for a forge fire. You likely have that same stuff I have tried, no doubt. You should zero problems lighting coke. It light off like wood. Get the real thing. Or get some quality smithing coal and make the coke w/your forge fire. There really isn't any secret to this. Trust me when I tell you. I teach blacksmithing and I have to use quality stuff or I'd be out of business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNewman Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 I slightly prefer soft coal to met coke but I can get the met coke for less than 1/4 the price of good smithing coal. More importantly I am in the city and running a commercial shop, If I ever get a ministry of environment visit things will be much easier for me burning the met coke which has virtually no smoke and far fewer pollutants. Ironically the steel mills here in town burn more coal in a few minutes than I will in a lifetime but burning coal rather than coke can introduce all sorts of regulatory hoops to jump through. In a residential neighbourhood soft coal smoke can introduce all sorts of hassles from neighbours. I do have professional smith friends who far prefer coke to coal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SReynolds Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 If you manage the fire well, in terms of burning the coke/making your own from quality coal, you will not have a problem with any neighbor. I can't, for the life of me, imagine why anyone would balk at an ocassional smokey fire, but then there are al kinds out there.............. I see very very little smoke buring the coke I make. I never burn the coal. It simply heats up from the coke fire and turns into coke. I rake it into the coke fire. Very little smoke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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