February 19, 201412 yr BTU/lb 11,000 Blacksmithing coal is high 13,000 or 14,000 BTU Ash 11.00% That is the stuff left over in the ash dump This is a sample analysis for good blacksmithing coal Seam : Pocahontas No. 3, Type : Low Volitile Bituminous (lvb) State: WV Ash : 7.44% Sulfur: 0.64% BTU :14542 Volitile : 15.70% Carbon: 92.42% Reflectance: 1.85 Pocahontas No. 3 in Virginia has 15,006 BTU. AND another Pocahontas in West Virginia is 13,953. Not all Pocahontas coal is the same. . .. You can see 4% less ash and 3,500 more BTUs per pound. That is more heat per pound. Do not go only by the numbers, you must also understand what the numbers mean.
February 19, 201412 yr Author I want to know what the numbers mean. Is this ok coal? It's $90.00 a ton. I just want to be sure it is not lignite coal.
February 19, 201412 yr Poco's one of the best and folks have used a lot worse; easier to use poorer coal if you haven't beeen exposed to the really good stuff. There is actually a test for coking, the coke button value IIRC. Asking smiths local to the mine might produce answers that are useful; that looks like a largescale operation that might not be interested in small sales; *but* if you woo them as an incipient smith you might be able to arrange a lunchtime buy of small amounts. Generally we suggest you try a 5 gallon bucketful to see if it will work for you before picking up a ton---know one smith who ended up using some "coal like rock" for his gravel driveway as it was too nasty to smith with and he had a couple of tons... OTOH smiths have actually worked with peat in coaless, treeless areas
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