New to knife making

[Eddie b]

I am trying to build a coal fordge was wondering if some one could tell me the supplies I will need to make it and where to get cole 

[Daswulf]

let me save you the trouble and state that you should post your location (and mainly in your profile for future posts reference) as buying coal in different parts of the United States is way different let alone the world that this forum covers. what kind of forge would you like to build? an bottom blast or side blast? indoors or outdoors? what do you plan to be making?  yeah details really help.  help us help you. the possibilities are endless even with details so imagine them without. welcome to the forum. 

[JHCC]

Hi, Eddie b, and welcome to IFI. You will find that there is a HUGE amount of information already here, and almost any basic question you can think of (and a lot of the advanced ones) has been asked and answered a few dozen times already. Pull up a chair, get some snacks and a beverage of your choice, and start reading. If you don't find the answer you need, at very least you'll know enough to ask well-informed questions. There's a whole section on solid-fuel forges -- start there.

For example, we don't know a single thing about what kind of shop you have (if any), whether you want something permanent or mobile, what kind of work you plan to be doing, etc, etc, etc. As for your question about where to get coal, without knowing where you are, that's impossible to answer. We have members all over the world, and an answer that suits a smith in Poland isn't going to help someone in South Africa. 

So, details! Help us help you!

 

[the iron dwarf]

you could get it from me if you are local

[Eddie b]

Thanks everyone who responded I'm in Arizona and I would like to build a small portable bottom air cole fordge I have an old leaf blower I will be using to supply my air I have an old iron Dutch oven I'll be using as my pot unless someone thinks I should go another way with it ...... what kind of plumbing should I use to supply the air and I also see I need to have a way to let ash out I was thinking ball valves but again this is my first fordge so any advice will help 

[ThomasPowers]

First thing before you start building a forge!  Hook up with the AZ Abana Affiliate, http://azblacksmiths.org/   and get some hands on information on what works and what doesn't..

If no meetings are near you you may still be able to find a smith close to you through them.

[Buzzkill]

Eddie b, welcome aboard.  It would be better if you would read up on some topics where these things have already been discussed in detail rather than have us repeat them all again.

Here's a couple I highly recommend you read through to get a handle on things:

http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/30887-forges-and-fires/

http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/44842-just-a-box-of-dirt-or-a-simple-side-blast-forge/

 

[Latticino]

Leaf blower most likely is huge overkill for the air requirement for a coal forge.  You will have to dump most of the air and put up with the scream of that blower. I recommend looking for an alternate.

Ball valves won't work well as an ash dump.  The ash will get into the mechanism and clog it up.  Ideally a flapper type valve with a counterweight works really well.  I suggest you do some more research into coal forge design (stickies on this site, Anvilfire, old FABA articles...)

[Frosty]

Welcome aboard Eddie, glad to have you. If you put your general location in the header it'll do a lot more good than just telling us in one post. We aren't going to remember where you are once we open a different post and if folk don't know you're around you'll miss out on invites to hammer ins, tools, opportunities to work with experienced smiths, etc. It makes a huge difference every hour working with an experienced smith is worth days maybe weeks of trying to figure it out yourself. Honest, I know I'm largely self taught, was anyway.

You really need to do some reading in the solid fuel forge section. The components you mention can be MADE to work but hardly for knives a leaf blower will supply air for a bunch of forges, say 6+ forges. A blow drier supplies more air than you'll need to forge big blades and they're cheap at garage, etc. sales.

Check out Charles Stevens' posts about horizontal  blast forges, "box of dirt forges" or something like that. He also has excellent posts about making vertical RR rail anvils.

Frosty The Lucky.