Jonah Lee Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 Hey guys, I have been using anthricite coal to heat stock and i really like it! Except for the fact that when i add new coal, the stuff pops and crackles and throws bits everywhere, and leaves a bit of a mess. Is there any way to avoid this from happening? I can manage the clinkers and avoid hollow fires, But does anyone know how to "safely" add new anthricite to stop or reduce the popping?? Thanks for any input! Jonah Lee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 Anthracite doesn’t coke like bituminous, but it does like to “cook” a bit before burning. If you add it directly to the top of the fire, it will definitely spit and crackle, but if you add it around the outside of the fire and push it in as needed, that will help keep it quiet. Be careful with that spitting: I was once bending over to pick something off the floor, when a glowing shard of rice coal popped out of the fire and into the gap between my shirt and the waistband of my jeans, right down the center of my extreme lower back, if you know what I mean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonah Lee Posted November 4, 2017 Author Share Posted November 4, 2017 So if you dont mind me asking, can you go more in depth on this concept of "pushing it in"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 Photos of your forge and set up would help a lot, otherwise we are guessing. The anthracite may be poping due to moisture in the coal. If you surround the fire with new coal, the heat of the fire will slowly drive off the moisture with a steam explosion. Move the coal from the outside ring to the top of the fire as the fuel is consumed. Photos shown are of bituminous coal as fuel. You can add more depth to a fire by adding bricks to the outside of the area of the fire pot. Think of it as a short wall around the fire pot. One row at a time should do until you get the proper depth for the fuel for your set up. There are two rows of bricks shown to make a small but deeper fire for the project I was working on at the time. As has been said before, fuel does not make a fire hot, air makes a fire hot. You can put a 5 gallon bucket of coal on a fire and with only a small amount of air (just enough to establish a fire ball and heat the metal) you can forge a long time. That is a 55 Forge which is 24 inches in diameter. Notice the bricks to control and shape the size of the fire. Notice also the extra fuel around the forge that is NOT on burning, but ready to be moved into the fire as fuel is consumed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 Adrocite cracks and pops like charcoal, try backing off the air, make sure you have sufficient deapth and a bit more piled on top. Like Glenn said, give us a picture and specks on your forge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 1 hour ago, Jonah Lee said: So if you dont mind me asking, can you go more in depth on this concept of "pushing it in"? Basically what Glenn said. When I say “pushing it in”, what I mean is that you can bring more “cooked” fuel to the center of the fire by pushing the outside of the fire in towards the middle (kind of like packing a snowball), not just by raking more coal over the top. In either case, never add raw coal to the top of the fire, but always put it around the outside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonah Lee Posted November 4, 2017 Author Share Posted November 4, 2017 Got it thanks, this definitly help when i went out to the anvil just now, less burns on my arms now thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 Hi Jonah and welcome to ifi... If you will go to your profile and edit it to show your location you may be surprised how many of the gang are near you and some answers are location dependent. I have found that weather permitting (temp wise) long sleeves help with the burns from stuff spitting (technical term) from the fire and scale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonah Lee Posted November 4, 2017 Author Share Posted November 4, 2017 Yep, thanks i truly appreciate it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonah Lee Posted November 5, 2017 Author Share Posted November 5, 2017 21 hours ago, Charles R. Stevens said: Adrocite cracks and pops like charcoal, try backing off the air, make sure you have sufficient deapth and a bit more piled on top. Like Glenn said, give us a picture and specks on your forge Sure thing, i have a bottom blast forge that is lined with fire brick that has an 8"x10" top tapering to the air inlet, 4 inches deep and all attached to a table with castors (just a note: i dont know how to post pictures on here yet so a description is the only thing i can give at the moment). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 5, 2017 Share Posted November 5, 2017 What platform are you using? With my I phone and I pad it's just a mater of clicking the "Choose files" next to the paper clip icon. But a description with mesurments would be helpful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonah Lee Posted November 5, 2017 Author Share Posted November 5, 2017 As i said before, its 8x10" and its 4 inches deep. Its also lined with fire brick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted November 5, 2017 Share Posted November 5, 2017 Keep the bed of the forge covered with a layer of coal.. This layering should be piled up about 10" back from the center of the fire with it sloping down into the firepot.. Next year I will be fabricating 2 hard coal forges for the upcoming school this will show a neat design.. The popping is kind of standard but having the coal being fed in slowly from the outer ring will help to cut back on it.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonah Lee Posted November 5, 2017 Author Share Posted November 5, 2017 Thanks ill keep this in mind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 5, 2017 Share Posted November 5, 2017 I must be getting old, I reread it and I still didn't see your discripion. I assume bottom blast. unlike soft coal, hard coal doesn't stick together so you either root threw at the center of the fire (about table hight if you are giving it the right amount of air blast), dig a trench and then pull the fuel back round the stock or lift the top with your shovel and set it back down on the stock. It's better to heat slow. Better than heating fast. Less scale and less burt steel. Also leave some ash in the fire bowl to keep clinker from sticking to the clay brick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonah Lee Posted November 5, 2017 Author Share Posted November 5, 2017 Thank you so much! And thanks to all who replied, i definitly learned something more valuable than whats taught in schools. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 5, 2017 Share Posted November 5, 2017 The curmudgians will make sure you get an old school education. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted November 6, 2017 Share Posted November 6, 2017 Now go add your location to your profile settings! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonah Lee Posted November 6, 2017 Author Share Posted November 6, 2017 Done! I just finished. 12 hours ago, Charles R. Stevens said: The curmudgians will make sure you get an old school education. Yeah the stuff i find here will be applied atleast haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 6, 2017 Share Posted November 6, 2017 If you haven't descoverd yet, we have folks from all walks of life, some are working smiths and knife makers, others are talented hobiests, some new to the art and everywhere in-between. But like you they have a back story. Be it lawyer, electrition, computer programmer, geologist, rocket scientist, Doctor... ask a question in "everything else" and be amazed at what you can learn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonah Lee Posted November 7, 2017 Author Share Posted November 7, 2017 So should i be pushing the coal down. Towards the air inlet or just to to middle of the pile of burning coal? I found i had the coal fly apart when i tried pushing it near the middle of the pile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 28 minutes ago, Jonah Lee said: So should i be pushing the coal down. Towards the air inlet or just to to middle of the pile of burning coal? I found i had the coal fly apart when i tried pushing it near the middle of the pile. You are pushing the coal horizontally, from outside the fire towards the middle. Do this regularly and incrementally, so that the fire is constantly being replenished from the outside, rather than letting it die down too much (hollow out) and trying to rebuild it dramatically all at once. So, when you put your workpiece back in the fire, push a little more coal in from around the outside of the fireball, rake a little cooked coal over the top to keep the fire black, and add some fresh coal around the outside. Rinse, repeat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 Push the coal in AND down. You want to collapse any air pockets or caves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 "flying apart" sounds like way too strong an air blast! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 Fire up your forge at night, adjust your sir so is glowing bright yellow at the table top. If you look down below that it should be bright enugh to hurt your eyes. Don't do that to often as you can cause cateracts. I suggest backing the air way down, just to keep the coal lit and then ease it up a little at a time. This will get you hot enugh right at the table hearth, more air will only oxidase your steel and burn off carbon. You need to let steel soak on the first heat. It's like a perfectly rested marshmelow, tyou want the inside nice and hot, whit hot will do it faster but it will also burn the outside. Most new guys run way to hot of a fire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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