JHCC Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 Tractor's Supply Co. may not have their coal out on display, but call your local store to see if they have it in stock. It's a seasonal product, so they tend to put it away in the stock room when the weather is warm and no-one has their coal stove going. Also, the stuff comes in two sizes: nut coal and rice coal. The nut coal is too big and will need some banging with a hammer; you want pieces no bigger than the first joint of your thumb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Meyer Posted April 22, 2016 Author Share Posted April 22, 2016 Finally able to get ahold of tractor supply they do have several bags of it. But its nut coal. I'll ask when I get there about the other. I figure I'll try it and get a sideblast together. I eventually want to make my own charcoal with pecan wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 Don't worry if they only have nut coal. Seize the opportunity to practice hammer control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Meyer Posted April 22, 2016 Author Share Posted April 22, 2016 I definitely need, mostly I do ok but I get some random hammer swings sometimes, especially on hard swings with the 3lb cross peen :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Meyer Posted April 23, 2016 Author Share Posted April 23, 2016 I bought 4, 40 pound bags of nut coal for $23 at tractor supply. Makes it much cheaper for more than the charcoal, and its in smaller chunks as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted April 23, 2016 Share Posted April 23, 2016 Steve, glad you were finally able to get your hands on some coal!! BTW, when TSC says "nut size", how big are the pieces and do they have much fines in the coal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Meyer Posted April 23, 2016 Author Share Posted April 23, 2016 fines? Not sure I'm familiar with the term. The pieces I pulled out were very small. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted April 23, 2016 Share Posted April 23, 2016 Steve, thanks for the size info and picture. That's a nice size to forge with. "Fines" are the sand and dust size coal. Fines are OK to forge with. The fines in bituminous coal clump together well and can coke just like larger pieces. Anthracite coal like you have doesn't coke like bituminous, but they will still burn. (I understand the TSC coal is anthracite...please correct me if I'm wrong.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Meyer Posted April 23, 2016 Author Share Posted April 23, 2016 Yea at the end of work today I actually got to talk to a local farrier. Luckily he came in right before we locked up for the day. He said he uses the stuff from tractor supply when he needs it. He's supposed to be seeing about extra tongs and what not as well. EDIT: Also I have tiny hands so about that size comparison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted April 23, 2016 Share Posted April 23, 2016 The nut coal I got was about the size of a golf ball to a ping pong ball, about twice as big as one needs, but once you have a good fire going you don't need to break it up, just use it as is, it will break down in the fire. wouldnt say coal was better than charcoal, just different, you certainly make more sparklers, but the dosility, and lack of a raw trought are advantages of charcoal (not to mention that construction scrapes and yard waste find their way into my forges on a regular basis) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrDarkNebulah Posted April 29, 2016 Share Posted April 29, 2016 If you are looking for bituminous still, Penn coal has some. Im not sure about shipping to you, but its $15 for 50 lbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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