Jump to content
I Forge Iron

A Newbie needs some help!


evbob

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 60
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

WATER ?? Why water ?? You need a tall small diameter fire, not a wet fire.

Put a 6 inch circle of metal over you the area of your forge where the air enters. Or use bricks, mud or what ever is available to make a container for the charcoal. It may be 12-16 inches tall with a versicle slice down one side to allow you to put the metal into the fire.

You can use wood as forge fuel. It has been done for hundreds or even thousands of years.

You control the fire with air, NOT fuel. More fire add more air, less fire add less air. Play with the fire to get it to do what you want.

 

Edited by Glenn
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the help, Glenn the water was just to put a little on the out side so it didn't burn all of it at once just what I wanted. Mr. Stevens I am interested in getting some coal and trying the cave method, as that might suit me alittle better and my forge. What do you think?

Edited by evbob
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bob Im sorry I didnt see this post earlier. It seems I had the same problem the first day or two. The problem I have is too much airflow from a blow dryer even on low. My solution was to start my fire with a nice heaping load of dry charcoal to get everything up to heat. After the first forge full starts to get smaller I add pre wetted charcoal around the outside edge of the pile.as it it moved closer to the actual fire ball it seems to dry out before it actually makes it to the fire. I use a nursery pot with drainage hole in the bottom and pour a load in there and give it water until it starts to flow out of the bottom and stop. I do that 3-4 times before I add more to the OUTSIDE of the fuel pile.

With that said you may want to try what the more experienced smiths suggest first.This is just what has worked for me until I buck up and rig something to restrict my airflow.

BTW I think that 3-4 hours of continuous forging for a small bag of royal oak is about right. I like to pick up a small bag after work every day or so I have 4-5 bags stocked up by the weekend and doesnt seem as painful as buying in bulk even though you are actually getting a better price. YMMV.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Restrict your fire physically, a ring of fire brick is my choice but pile clay or whatever. Sure you CAN control the fire by wetting the charcoal you don't want burning but that's like dragging logs behind your car to keep it from going too fast.

The solution in either case is the same, back off the throttle. Right now your forge pan is like putting a 650cfm Holly 4 barrel on a 67 VW Bug. It's charcoal, it WILL burn if exposed to air and fire. A small fire pot, bowl, duck's nest, etc. to physically keep the charcoal and fire separate works and once you've tried it . . . easily.

Believe me, you could pile charcoal in your forge till it couldn't hold any more and with a bit of air from the blower get it all burning at once. Look at the coals in a camp fire and it doesn't have forced air.

Frosty The Lucky.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

First off I want to say thx to all who helped me! Second I want to say I try ed what you said, I took a pant can and cut it bringin my charcoal closer and I used way less air. When I did this I used one back for 9 hours of forging and made a cool little knife! There's even a little left over. 

 

Thanks for all you help!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry that was a typo for birch ala Frosty and I was not allowed to edit it

Just cause the R&T are right next to each other eh? It would be nice if we had a LITTLE longer to edit, sometimes I don't get a chance to read all the way through before time's up.

At least I have a dent for an excuse.

Frosty The Lucky.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And you can claim that your wife got you at a scratch and dent sale!  (Although I know it was more like she kept you after the fender bender...)  Lately I have tried a short post then edit and had it not allow it within 30 seconds of posting the first part.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is a film of a Japanese Sword Master around using what appears to be charcoal forging a blade using a side draft forge of very narrow dimensions.  I think there is some discussion of charcoal technique in the threads on construction of the Japanese style bellows.

My own experiment with charcoal seemed to give better results with a side draft directed into a shallow bowl with hard fire brick on either side to add depth. 

By the way the late great artist smith Ivan Bailey, in a demonstration that I attended, said that his own forge was a side draft coke forge.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...