January 13, 201610 yr They planned to settle in California permanently and were in California and are buried there---pretty close in my book...I think "guides" need a lot more than just " " but regulations forbid terms applicable to such a level of criminal idiocy on this website.
January 14, 201610 yr Don't think any of them are alive today; but this is wandering off on a strange path indeed---smithing anyone?
January 14, 201610 yr 3 hours ago, ThomasPowers said: Just google "Donner Party" for the skinny is it ok to laugh at this?
January 14, 201610 yr We might not want to head down this road guys. Be carefulwe don't bite off more than we can chew...
January 14, 201610 yr Thomas: I believe about 2/3-3/4 of the party died in the pass. Some returned for help but they didn't make it back to the camp in time. I know California isn't too picky but I think you have to do more than die there to BE a Californian. The fault wasn't just the guides, the party voted to attempt the pass after everybody who knew the trail said it was too late. They got lost and headed up the wrong valley. IIRC they left for the last push without the one guide who was familiar with the trail. Most of that is from memory but I don't recall who's. I could be way off base. How long are you guys going to stew on this? Frosty The Lucky.
January 14, 201610 yr Were they as picky back then? No wonder hot tubs are so popular out there! Lets start discussing the health benefits of onions, potatoes, carrots and laurel leaves in the hot tub! (yes an old Bugs Bunny cartoon ripoff)
January 15, 201610 yr As much as I would love to (b)eat a dead horse (which is not true because I too bow to horses) I ordered a ton of Kimmel's nut from TSC Yesterday. The fellow was very helpful and said that sometimes "they" turn the goods away at the border of California. So now I don't have to pay till it actually shows up. Talk about customer service! One day those of us who use and or experiment with carbon will be compelled to move to a third world country (Idaho, New Mexico?) to continue our work. My carbon footprint is very small and I can't afford a scrubber. I have been mixing charcoal with coke and will do same with the anthracite.
February 21, 201610 yr I don't know if this helps or if anyone has mentioned it. I believe the bags of rice coal are wet inside is because they spray it with water to keep the dust down. That's what the Amish folks told my Pop. He uses it for heating his house. He purchased four pallets and I think it's 50 bags per pallet. So far everyone is wet.
March 26, 201610 yr On 1/13/2016 at 3:08 AM, Frosty said: And now that spring is here, TSC has their coal on sale: 40# for $4.99!
April 24, 201610 yr Finally got around to trying the rice coal and found it rather strange: it seems not to want to build up a very large or very hot fireball. Time to play with fire management.
April 25, 201610 yr Have you worked with anthracite coal before? Quite different from bituminous coal!
April 25, 201610 yr 19 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said: Have you worked with anthracite coal before? Quite different from bituminous coal! Yes, I've been using the TSC nut coal. The rice coal seems to require somewhat different air management.
April 25, 201610 yr On 9/29/2015 at 9:28 AM, JHCC said: best luck so far in getting it lit with a little newspaper, some slivers of pine The first 5 day class I took the instructor watched us struggle try to start the forges, after a few minutes he took us next door to the boat building barn and he picked up shavings off the floor, stuck them in a coffee can and put paint thinner in the can and let them set for 15 min. took newspaper and the shavings stuck it in the forge covered lightly with coal and in no time they were going. He said the boat instructor loved when he had a class as his shop was clean as a whistle when everyone went home we all left with bags of shaving we had swept up. My buddy who does wood working gave me a grain bag of shavings at Christmas, now if Santa had shown up with coal for my stocking I'd been all set. Previously I had struggled to get it going for a long time with just paper and kindling. Shavings Works for me. I keep an old wooden plane in the shop for emergencies.
April 25, 201610 yr Ive just finished learning it somewhat difficult to start. The top parts of the bag were all dry. So I was working on that. I set some of the damp stuff to the sides of the barrel my brake drum is in to dry in the heat. Which may have worked had I ever gotten any heat.
May 1, 201610 yr I'm using this stuff and so far think its pretty good. I've a novice beginner so don't rely on my words pat say. I have been able to melt 2 out of the three projects I have started so far so I know it will get up to very hot temps. The price by me is 4.99 per 40 lb bag. Hopefully I'll get a better grasp on this soon and stop melting all my projects into clinker.
May 1, 201610 yr I melted one project last night, I knew it was happening, but was to late. After I just lowered the air a lot and all was fine.
July 22, 20169 yr Has anyone gotten a bag that just won't burn? I got a couple bags lst fall that were great then got a couple more this spring, I'm still on the first bag but can't get anything done because it just will not catch. The only part of the process that's changed is the coal.
July 22, 20169 yr Is it out of warranty? Haven't we gone through lighting coal once already this week? What's it's size, how are you kindling it, etc. etc? I don't burn coal but I can get black coal shale to burn well enough to work with. It just really REALLY sucks. I light it just like I light any coal in a forge. Frosty The Lucky.
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