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I Forge Iron

Bitluminus and anthracite combination


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I was curious to see if any else used a combination of anthracite and bitluminus coal. I like how I can control the fire when using both kinds (build a fire cave and keep the fire pot stoked). I have noticed that since using both kinds I have had no problem with clinkers and ash I'm not sure what happens to them but they don't build up in the forge. 

Maybe I'm doing something "wrong" 

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Not completely, I use small pieces of coke and anthracite to refill the fire pot. However the fire cave lining still burns just not as quickly. I will take pictures of it before I fire it up to help explain it better. I know I'm not doing the best job of it. 

 

I typically use rice coal anthricite and bits of coke leftover from previous fires when I put it in the fire pit. This is what my forge looks like. 

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I'm not a coal fire guy normally but I've never seen anyone use coal in that way.

Anthracite or bituminous, there is good and poor quality and ash/clinker quantity is a good indicator. Just up the road from me there are a number of old coal mines and depending on which formations you're collecting it's easy to find anthracite that is much better than some of the bituminous seams on the other hill. 

Frosty The Lucky.

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I seriously want to understand more about your forge.  I failed to make my trip out to Morrell Metalsmiths this vacation week to get some bituminous coal so I won’t be able to experiment with this for a while.  Still, I’m highly intrigued with the possibilities of having the best of both worlds.

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  • 5 months later...

It turned out that I didn't have any problems with clinkers was because they were collecting along the sides of the fire pot in a somewhat solid form. 

My best guess as to why I didn't notice was because of the soil I used as fill for the forge. It has a high organic composition and was burning away at a slow rate being replaced with clinkers. 

I recently had to take it all apart because the fire pot got too small and that is when I discovered what happened. I apologise for any misguided attempts at making a clinkerless fire. 

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No worries. 

Now that it's taken apart, can you give us some photos of the interior? Like Frosty, I've never seen a coal forge like that one.

(PS. Had the most hideous time getting my (anthracite nut coal) fire lit yesterday. Forgot how much kindling it takes to get the stuff going.)

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Yup, your fire management is lacking. First thing id do is remove those bricks. 

And, I did mix some really good smithing coal with anthracite. Screwed the good coal totally.

Thanks for bringing back the memory.  ;)

That was long ago.

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