clinker problem!

[Ethan the blacksmith]

hello everyone

even though I have good coal, it makes the occasional clinker. and after a day of forging, that ads up! I have a clinker breaker at the bottom of my fire pot that gets rid of the clinkers above the air blast but not around it. I have tried to poke around but it doesn't seen to help. any ideas on how to get the darn things out of my fire is appreciated!

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

In my forge I usually end up raking them out with a poker, and rebuilding the fire when they get so bad they start choking the airflow off.

I think this is one major advantage a side blast forge has, as the airway is not affected by clinkers like a bottom draft is.

[Frosty]

Do you have a fire rake? It's a simple but very useful tool, draw a point on a rod, then flatten it sort of leaf fashion, then bend it 90* with a little curve at the point so it hooks back just a little.

The point will scrape and poke clinker and other junk through the grate or hook it out. The flat part works a treat for hooking and dragging loose or large crud out of the fire. I have one by the wood stove in the living room, it's probably the best fire poker I've ever used, does everything, pushes, pulls and rakes ash off the grate.

Clinker can fool you, it's glowing so bright in the high yellow you'd swear your fire was prime screaming hot and it's NOT, the clinker is so hot because it's sucking all the heat out of the fire. When it starts messing with your fire, hook it and drag it out.

Fire management is one of the more difficult and tricky skills to learn.

Frosty The Lucky.

[ThomasPowers]

turn off the blast for a minute or two to let it harden a bit then hook it out with your fire rake and turn on the air and re-build the fire and get forging!  Learning how to accomplish this without the fire going out is part of the experience

[HWooldridge]

I made a very small poker for the purpose - piece of 1/4" rod with a point that hooks back only about 3/4".  I can reach down into the fire through openings in the coke, find the "clink-clink" piece and usually fish it out without destroying the entire heart of the fire.  Sometimes, only part of it comes out and I simply work a while longer then clean again.

My coal generates a lot of BTU's but will clinker up in short order so regular cleaning is mandatory for me.

[Ethan the blacksmith]

thank you all, i'll try some of the ideas tonight

[turbo7]

Ethan you will know when your poker/rake hits a bit of clinker even if you can't see it, it goes "clink" sounds completly different to coke.

[Ethan the blacksmith]

thanks turbo7, very helpful!