Using peat to fuel a forge as a cheaper alternative to coke and charcoal?

[mediaevalist]

Charcoal is a bit expensive for the amount that I've been going through as s hobbyist, and worst yet I have to drice quite a way for proper charcoal as well. Coke is even more expensive and I don't like the smell, and I don't like to use propane, so I've got the idea to use peat as fuel. In my area of the UK it is abundant and cheap, my grandparents use peat to heat their home because it had almost no smoke or stench. Can I use it in a forge?

[the iron dwarf]

hi there Medi

I do not know but one of my customers in the shetlands told me his grandfather used peat in his forge, have not heard about how it went and I believe he had coke to use up first

[Smoggy]

If you take the time to add a general location to your profile so we know where abouts in the uk you are, we may be better placed to help you with fuel supplies. As ID has mentioned above a Smith in the Shetlands was considering using peat, and I would have thought that it must surely have been used at times simply due to it being the only fuel available in some of the more remote areas. That doesn't mean it's any good. If you have access to a supply, give it a try and let us  know if it works or not.

[Frosty]

Yes you can, peat works in: forge, bloomery, smelter or various melters. It's more work and smoke as you have to use it in a similar manner as green coal. You have to reduce the peat to charcoal. 

The technique would be similar to burning animal dung in a forge and you can find numerous videos of 3rd. world blacksmiths doing exactly that. 

I've never used dung or peat in a forge so this is speculation but I THINK a side bast forge is what I'd start experimenting with were I learning to use it. Maybe it'd be a good subject for a club, camp out hammer in one of these days. We're having our second this June but it's in a camp ground. Some of the guys have been wanting to go more primitive on a river bar and we're anything but short of peat bogs, heck might even find bog iron. Hmmmm. 

If we do it, I'll let the forum know how it goes.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

11 hours ago, mediaevalist said:

In my area of the UK

We won't remember this after leaving this thread. I always suggest this thread to get the best out of the forum.

 

[Glenn]

 There are several discussions on the site as to making your own charcoal from wood. There are also discussions on using wood as a fuel for the forge. The wood fire has to be deeper so the wood burns down to charcoal and the charcoal then fuels the forge. This is a continuous process and works best with small pieces of wood. The wood can be most any wood available including pallets.