Coke

[philip in china]

I can forge with smithing coal. It works best.

I can forge with low quality coal but that isn't too good.

I have forged with charcoal and even animal dung but not very often.

The one fuel I cannot get to burn is coke. This is particularly annoying as I have an abundant supply of free coke here. So what is the secret please?

I have even considered keeping a few buckets of coke to use as fire extinguishers since evry time I put any on a fire the fire is out within minutes.

[John B]

Bottom blast or side blast forge?

But as a general guide; Loads of kindling and paper, light a good wood fire with it and when it is going, add the coke on to it. Gentle blast at first until it gets going. It takes a longer period to get to a settled woking temperature

What blower are you using?
Coke seems to need a constant air blast or it will go out, and some cokes are more difficult to sustain and use than others.

Turn off the air blast and it will go out PDQ

Some spit, others are not too bad. Fumes seem more toxic if inhaled.

Consider mixing some other fuel in with the coke, charcoal works well as it tends to keep the fire in longer when the air is shut down.

[rusty_iron]

Gday Philip,

Coke is what I use most of the time. Nomally I start the fire with wadded up paper and some charcoal or a large handful of kindling. I add the charcoal and a little coke, then as it gets going I pull more coke around the fire and into it, till its going properly. It does take a little while to get going, but far less smoke than coal - I've used both so i know. Check the size of your coke,
I sift out the fines, as they blow out of the fire and spark a lot, also large chunks are hard to get alight. so bits no smaller than about 1/4 inch across and up to 1 & 1/2 inches or at the outside 2 inches, but thats pretty big. if its around 1 inch its a good size. If its damp, its hard to light, and if you add damp coke to a going fire it will spit and pop bits out of the fire. Dry it out first. Think of it like a sponge structure, its got holes in it and it holds water. Most of the impurities have been cooked out of it, so the smoke is not too bad, but I avoid it as much as I can anyway.

Hope this helps,
Regards
Rusty_iron,
Brisbane, Oz.

[dablacksmith]

Ive been useing coke for a long wile now and it has its quirks ... get a real good fire going with wood ( up to 2 in x2 in pieces) get it makeing charcoal then add coak a little at a time .. eventually it will burn but different cokeing temps can have different temps to get it to burn ( the temp it was coaked at ) so it might need to get real hot before it burns... you might try getting a lousy coal fire going then add the coke...At first its tough but it will burn eventually........Good Luck!

[philip in china]

John B- it is a bottom blast forge.

Thanks for your thoughts everybody. I think I am adding it too early from what you have said so I will go back and try again.

It is annoying to have free fuel and be unable to make use of it!

[Glenn]

Philip, can you provide us with some photos of the process?

[Phil Dwyer]

All I burn is coke as we're in a suburban neighborhood, so it's nice not to have too much smoke. Getting it started is the real trick. I've seen different folks do it different ways. Most of them usually involve lots and lots of tightly wadded newspaper. I do one or two very densely rolled up donuts and add a handful or two of some wood kindling. A friend just makes a big solid ball (about 6-8" diameter) of newspaper and that's pretty much it. But it burns long enough, with the help of the blower, to get the coke lit. I usually start about 20-30 minutes before class starts and the high school student show up raring to go. Anyway, once its going it burns nice and clean. Still get clinkers though (darn). I kind of like that it goes out after a while without air. That way it's easier to save fuel for the next time.

[philip in china]

Glenn, So you want photos of me not being able to light a fire? OK I suppose I can manage those. I am sure they will be instructive.

Farmer Phil, I think from what everybody has said I am just being too hasty and expecting results too quickly. What sort of size do you use for your pieces of coke?

[Dan P.]

I use my oxy-propane torch to light my coke. Recently I have been lighting a small charcoal fire to get the coke going, as the charcoal lights more or less instantaneously, while coke takes a little while, even using the torch. Otherwise a good solid kindling fire and a slowly intoduced blast should get it going, as others have said.
I use coke beans, which is a size no bigger than 20mm. I'm not sure I would use anything over about 30mm, and i understand some grades of coke come pretty big (boiler coke etc.). Good luck.

[Phil Dwyer]

Farmer Phil, I think from what everybody has said I am just being too hasty and expecting results too quickly. What sort of size do you use for your pieces of coke?

It does take a little while. Lighting it is the only time its smoky for me. The pieces of coke are under a cubic inch. Probably roughly around the size of grapes.

[Glenn]

Philip, photos of the process many times exposes the problems you encounter. For instance, you never mentioned how deep the coke was over the fire or the style of forge you were using. Both influence the process of getting the fire started.

[Thomas Dean]

Not real sure if this is significant but what type of coke are you using? I work in a chemical plant and we crack gas to get, well a BUNCH of stuff to make other products. The heaters have to be 'decoked' on occasion but I don't think the stuff is good as a forge fuel. hmmmm....I need to check on that.... Anywho, just a thought. When I save back coke form previous fires to do demos with, I have no problem starting my fire or keeping it lit. I have even left my fire alone for as long as 2 hrs and still had fire deep in the firepoot. Just a few cranks of the blower and it's up hot again. FWIW...

[Dan P.]

-Thomas,
Coke that you buy as such is a rather different beast than that which forms from burning coal.

[Thomas Dean]

Thanks Dan....been a few years since I burn that type of coke and yeah I remember it now that you mentioned that. Had forgotten that. Does take more effort to start and as mentioned above I remember having to keep the airgate open just a tad.

[BORZ]

that it is mpossible to get good coal,i use coke also(sometimes charcoal.but it costs too much).To ignite it i put paper,piece of charcoal igniter (kind of compressed oily sawdust), 2 handful of charcoal on top,and lightly cover with coke. start with strong blast1and in 15 min. the fire is ok.

[BORZ]

and forgot- the fire is buning at least 2 hours,with a good blast i have it in 2-3 min. again

[philip in china]

I got a delivery of my favourite smithing coal. In the new little forge this burns very hot and has no difficulty igniting the coke. I had a wonderful fire going in there on Sunday. As the coke and the electricity are both free I don't mind just leaving the blower on all the time.

Thanks for all your help everybody. This site is great.

[chainsaw]

Philip, glad you have solved the problem. One thing that I think works pretty well when the firegods are in a bad mood, is to toss a couple of pinecones in with the wadded up paper. those things ignite quickly and burn hot..