How do you light your forge?

[SReynolds]

The Youtube videos give some interesting entertainment. I especially enjoy the example of wadding up several balls of news print and the building of the cave and all the smoke from the green coal.

 

Also seen the demo of soaking your fuel in water. Making a slurry and forming it around a coffee can.

 

What the hey. I guess if that is what you like.............

 

It cant get any eassier than a simle fire starter (sawdust and wax). You light that and scoop some of the left over coke around that. Or a plummer torch. That too will light-off coke. When lighting the coke,,,it makes almost zero smoke and lights quite easily. A few sticks from the lawn or your wood shop scrap...... Makes a real quick ,hot, smoke free fire. 

[SReynolds]

Upon watching the video posted I thought that was a load of smoke. Probably would have about 80/85% less smoke if there isn't green coal added to an already smoldering fire. But hey...to each his own really. "It's going to start smoking when I add the green coal" Well.....yea. You never want to add green coal right into/onto a fire. The GREEN COAL sets along side of said ESTABLISHED fire. No need to dump coal onto a fire, to make coke.

 

I also didn't understand the theory behind statement ;When I  put the fire out I allow the coal to coke up so there is coke to start the next fire" 

 

What WAS the fire?? Was it not coke??? How could you burn green coal and NOT have coke?

 

Thinking perhaps he meant something else and it didn't come out correctly........??

 

I'm not critical. I just see folks complaining about a smoke show/commenting on how much smoke there is to starting a coke fire. Coke has very little to no smoke. Why MAKE a mess of smoke of you don't want that?

 

I was informed by a master smith to never ever add coal to a fire except when you get folks in the shop who are a bit sinister. Then you dump a heap of green stuff right on top the established coke fire. No air. They leave.

[Glenn]

To break all this down to the basics:

 

You have a fuel that is difficult to burn in its present condition. This could be a 4 x 4 wooden post or a lump of coal. Both will need to be made smaller so it can easily be caught on fire. You then need a heat source to raise the temperature of the material to the ignition point and start it to burning.  The more difficult the material is to be ignited, the more heat you will need.  Rubbing two sticks together is good, a bow saw is better, and putting one of the sticks in a electric drill to turn faster and with more pressure is even better.

 

The same is true for coal. A lump of coal the size of a brick will not light from the heat of a match. Coal dust when airborne can be explosive. Fine coal such as can be put through a window screen will ignite with little heat. I am not talking about  massive amounts of the fine coal, just a sprinkle until it gets started. Once started it will generate enough heat to ignite more coal fines or larger (yet small) pieces of coal. As more heat is generated, add more coal.

 

As was said before, build a boy scout type fire, build up some amount of embers and it will generate enough heat to ignite the coal.

 

To avoid a lot of the smoke, poke a hole in the top of the fuel to let the smoke and fire escape. It should look like a volcano with fire coming out the top. The fire then burns the smoke creating heat that will increase the draft in the chimney causing more air to be drawn into area above the fire diluting any smoke that does not burn. 

 

Many ways  to skin a cat, choose which works best for you.

[SReynolds]

Someone dropped off a mess of INDUSTRIAL coke. It was a nightmare.

 

What's it made from...iron????

 

it is garbage for my forge. Like a volcanic stone. I can then see having a problem starting a coke fire. My coke is PA coal. It turns to coke faster than I like it to and use water sprinkles to slow it down. It lights off with just a pine cone or wax fire starter.

 

I operate a public forge (State Historical Society) you simply *cannot* have a building with smoke. Makes folk really mad and they have to pay to be there whether a visitsor or a student in my class. There is no option for exhaust fan in a 1830's building.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

I use kindling and old cooking grease. I have a tin can next to the stove that I pour the excess grease and oils into. When I do I will also take and push in a few old paper towels to soak it up. They make good fire starters, and smell better than other starting fluids. Mmmmmmm bacon.

They loved getting industrial coke at the college smithy. Burned clean, and easy to start with an OA rosebud.

[SReynolds]

Yea??? Bacon soaked towels?

 

Cool.  not tried anything like that, myself.  Who don't love bacon?

 

I don't have a set of torches in the Society Shop. That would be a hoot. I catch holy heck for a hack saw and vice grips if they happen to be out in the open!! LOL However, I can see that would be a requirement to ignite that industrial coal I once had. I donated the entire five gallon bucket-full to the groundhog out back the shop.

 

There is a local wood carver. He operates out of our historic village wagon shop. TONS of little curly pieces of wood. Got baggs o that stuff. And obviously the endles supply of  dead tree branches I collect time to time.

 

Once bought some baggs of that hickory chips sold @ walmart for the meat smokers. I don't smoke meat. Just wanted to smell the stuff while lighting up the forge.

 

Never quite understood how you "smoke" a steak anyhow........

[Glenn]

Bacon will will add flavor but will not disguise the distinct aroma of coal smoke. LOL

[anvil]

as long as you use traditional kerosene, it will work fine. ;)

[SReynolds]

What about a road flare??? Anyone try that?? It has a self contained striker. Pull of the end cap. Reverse said cap and cap it off with the ignitor.

 

Don't use the old style w/that steel spike. It will burn up and you'll see sparklers.

 

Not quite sure who had their head screwed on wrong that thought up the idea of a steel spike inside a road flare. never occured to said person that said spike remains ON THE ROAD once flare is spent.........

 

"Huh.....we are seeing an abundance of flate tires with the use of our road flares?"...............  "Never seen **that** comming."

[ThomasPowers]

So make a period hacksaw; shoot vikings had them after all.

[Charles R. Stevens]

Beat me to it, TP. I actually have a Chinese saw, that exept for the wing nut to tension as opposed to a tap on the spine to tighten, looks remarkably like the mystermer saw frame. Might consider using a mechanical hacksaw blade with the paint striped off, as its 1" wide, as opposed to 1/2" so it wont be so glaringly obvious as to what it is, also look into hand vises as they are period as well.

[SReynolds]

To avoid a lot of the smoke, poke a hole in the top of the fuel to let the smoke and fire escape. It should look like a volcano with fire coming out the top. The fire then burns the smoke creating heat that will increase the draft in the chimney causing more air to be drawn into area above the fire diluting any smoke that does not burn.

 
exactly....Works wonders untill oneone determines that in order to ignite this stuff the flame must be inside the heep of coal/coke.  I can shovel quite a bit of coke arround the small fire and place a few larger clumps right on top . The flames jets out the top. There is only a whisper of smoke. No green coal is needed to start a coke fire.
 
If you dump a few shovel fulls right on top that small kindling fire, then yeah.....there will be smoke untill the coke ignites cuz you just smothered the fire.

[ThomasPowers]

Or you can take a piece of bandsaw blade and use it for your hacksaw blade---get a wider one and cut the ends rounded and do a bit of filework on the backside and throw them all off!

[SmoothBore]

Everybody has a fire starting system that works for them, ... so nobody needs my advice in the matter.

My only comment, ... is that it takes but a very few minutes to get a coal fire lit, and ready to use.

 

If I light the Forge first, ... by the time I've organized material and tools, ... the fire is ready to rock & roll.

I dump green coal right on the fire while it's getting started, and turn the blower on low.

By the time the fire's hot, the smoke is gone, ... with no waiting around.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Working for a living trains you to do things in an efficient fashion, ... and there's a certain satisfaction in that.

 

But, ... that being said .....

 

It's my opinion, that fewer than 1% of the members on this Forum make a living at their Forge.

So, ... what's the hurry ?

Personally, ... putzing around the Forge is recreational, ... and I'm realistic enough to recognize that it's a xxxxxx good thing that it is.

When you start having to make a profit, ... you end up having to compromize on quality.

Where's the fun in that ?

[ianinsa]

Anyone drink tea? Keep you old teabags in a small jar of paraffin(kerosene) they make great(cheap in blacksmith) firelighters  both in the forge and BBQ.

[mtforge]

When you start having to make a profit, ... you end up having to compromize on quality.

Since I have to make a profit I can't compromise on quality or I'll lose my customers. And I don't want to be a starving artist blacksmith.

[Charles R. Stevens]

Starving builds character ;-)

[njanvilman]

I never understood the mystery of lighting a coal/coke fire.  A few balls of newspaper in the pot first, and lots of coke/coal mix around it.  One match, a few minutes with a light draft, and its ready to heat.  No mystery.

[mtforge]

Starving builds character ;-)

My mom taught me to eat a long time ago. I took to it right away and didn't want to disappoint her so I've gotten very good at it.

[L Smith]

I love the smell of green coal when lighting the forge.   Not as good as bacon.  but is a close  second. but I don't stand near the smoke  Just smell it from a distance.

[Charles R. Stevens]

Mt, looks like you have mised about as many as I have.

[mtforge]

Mt, looks like you have mised about as many as I have.

 

I feel I need to keep a reserve just in case. :D

[Michael]

Following a losing sports team builds character! I got to use a can of bacon grease as coolant/lube for a hammer eye punch a few weeks ago, burning coal AND bacon smells, that was a good day!

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Another use for bacon grease. My Dad went on a week long deep sea fishing trip, and they had everyone dip their pilers, and other steel tools in the bacon grease to stop them from rusting tight. They tried an experiment, and didn't do one set. After a couple of days the one was locked up, and the others were fine.

[Francis Trez Cole]

Here is how I do it it is very easy try not to over think it

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBNMM4zTuRc