Coal, coke, and charcoal, anyone else using all three together

[bluesman7]

The title  say's it all.

I recently obtained a lot of coke at an auction. I like burning it because it is very hot, clean, and long lasting, but since I have a hand cranked blower I like having a bit of breeze coke from coal in the fire to keep things going. I've been feeding in the breeze from the sides and adding coke to the fire right on top. I've thought that at times it may be advantageous to add charcoal straight on top too, like when I want to build a fast clean heat for welding. Anyone else using coal , hard coke, and charcoal together? 

[Daswulf]

I have tossed all three in at one time before. More like adding one on top of the other just because. More often I'll add a bit of pea sized coke my brother got me for a " cleaner" fire. I have also messed around with making charcoal and added it to coal in my fire. But I have had all three. With bituminous as my main forge fuel I haven't seen any real benefit other then getting a bit cleaner burning fire adding the coke. 

[ThomasPowers]

When I'm welding I have sometimes tossed coke in the cave fire opening to extend it's uselife before rebuilding.

[Mark Ling]

I have a friend who uses a 50/50 mix of green coal and coke, he likes it, all I know about it though.

                                                                                                                                                 Littleblacksmith

[Will W.]

I used to use anthracite and charcoal to get the best of both worlds. Nice quick heat from the charcoal, and longevity of the coal, but ive since moved exclusively to charcoal. Ive found it to be much cleaner, hotter, quicker, etc. Charcoal also has no problem with a hand crank blower. Its an uphill battle using one with anthracite. Plus, i have a VERY hard time making my own coal, an issue charcoal does not give me .

[ThomasPowers]

Please edit that to say "using one with anthracite coal" as I've never had any problem with bituminous coal and a hand crank blower or even bellows.

[Will W.]

Noted, and edited. One of those cases where i knew exactly what i meant, but it could be misconstrued by others. 

Apologies. 

[TwistedCustoms]

I keep a ton of coke in the big bin and a few hundred pounds of soft coal in bags. I have some anthracite in five gallon buckets and a bag of store bought hardwood charcoal. Mix and match as needed! Soft coal is great to keep coke lit with a hand crank set up. I mostly cook burgers with the wood charcoal but I have forged with it. My main solid fuel forge is set up for coke, deep pot, electric fan etc. With a portable rivet forge I will mix coal and coke. I set up a 55 gal drum wood stove this Fall to clean up some brush around the shop. One of those cast iron door/leg/stack kits you bolt onto a drum. If I ever set up a dedicated side blast forge I'll have a way to burn fire wood into something usable to forge with. I like propane too! Fire is awesome!

[ThomasPowers]

I knew you knew and suspected you would know I knew or suspected. You had mentioned anthracite earlier; but to many people coal is coal; just like wool is wool (which can range from scouring pad harsh to wear against baby skin soft...).  So thanks for the edit!  

BTW making coal is easy it just takes a couple hundred million years...

[TwistedCustoms]

2 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said:

 

BTW making coal is easy it just takes a couple hundred million years...

Who has the time!

[ThomasPowers]

If you don't start now; you can't expect to have it ready to use later!

[Will W.]

9 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said:

I knew you knew and suspected you would know I knew or suspected.

I... umm... yes? 

This sounds like something straight out of Monty Python lol. 

[bluesman7]

I've been very happy lately banking the sides of the fire with coal and adding Charcoal and Coke directly to the top of the fire. It seems to work best to add the Charcoal at the beginning of the heat and a bit of Coke just before removing the steel from the fire. By the time I'm coming back to the fire the Coke is ready to go. YMMV

[Lou L]

I’m perplexed as to,how people are acquiring coke.  I can’t find it.  I’ve tried.  It is my desired fuel for my setup and I’ve been settling for anthracite.  I really have enjoyed using bituminous and a hand blower but I love just having the fire sit and wait for me regardless of what I’m doing and changing its characteristics with a flick of the air gate.

[Charles R. Stevens]

I know Steve buys petroleum coke and Glenn has made at least one ilisit shipment threw the post office...

[wpearson]

 

[JustAnotherViking]

4 hours ago, Lou L said:

I’m perplexed as to,how people are acquiring coke.  I can’t find it.  I’ve tried.  It is my desired fuel for my setup and I’ve been settling for anthracite.  I really have enjoyed using bituminous and a hand blower but I love just having the fire sit and wait for me regardless of what I’m doing and changing its characteristics with a flick of the air gate.

Have you tried a farrier supplier?

According to your profile location, and a quick google maps search 'Northeast Farrier Supply' is about 25 miles away from you.
Might be worth giving them a call.. if they don't have it, it's likely they'll know who does.

[Lou L]

15 hours ago, JustAnotherViking said:

Have you tried a farrier supplier?

According to your profile location, and a quick google maps search 'Northeast Farrier Supply' is about 25 miles away from you.
Might be worth giving them a call.. if they don't have it, it's likely they'll know who does.

Thanks, I’ll give it a try for sure.  Hi 3stly, I’ve just been going it on my own and didn’t think to contact NEB members near me.

[jlpservicesinc]

Coke around here is hard to come by as there were no steel mills and no real use for it..  Gas furnaces won out... 

I know a few people who stumbled into a coke supply but they refuse to give out any contact info..    I think the suppliers are smiths who passed away and they ran into it when looking at equipment.. 

[Michael Cochran]

I am fortunate enough to have a large coke making plant less than an hour away. It’s supplied by one of the largest coal mining companies in the area (Drummond). I suspect they have enough coke laying around ground into dust as the equipment moves it around that could have supplied me for the rest of my life and then some. Every time I go by I can see the large mountains of coke and can’t help but think of all the fires I can build with it. 

[Will W.]

10 minutes ago, Michael Cochran said:

Every time I go by I can see the large mountains of coke and can’t help but think of all the fires I can build with it.

Why plural? Think of the fire you could build with it. We could all probably forge out of that fire at the same time!

We would need one heck of a blower though... any volunteers to crank it?

[Michael Cochran]

With the piles as large as they are we need more than a simple blower providing air. Something that blows like a jet engine would probably work for one pile.  

[jlpservicesinc]

Big fan of saving the pile for shop use.. do they sell to the public?  

most of the cost with Coke around here is the shipping.. 

 

[Will W.]

2 hours ago, Michael Cochran said:

we need more than a simple blower

Well, when i say a blower, i pictured something like a hydroelectric power plant turbine adapted to blow air. Hand crank, of course! 

[Michael Cochran]

I am definitely not cranking that thing.