Frustrating First Fire

[Rojo Pedro]

I lit my first fire in my new to me coal forge and found 2 main things:

1. This thing is a beast! Even at the slowest speed and the air gate mostly closed my fire seemed huge. I had choked down the fire pan in my rivet forge with fire bricks and was used to a small fire. Turn it up a bit and and its out of control. 

2. I have no idea what im doing. I think I had a huge hollow in the middle after ahile and I then I broke the knob off the the reostat switch and the plastic shaft. 

We did have some fun and I found that it indeed made a nice table for the propane forge. I will have to study a bit and try again after I replace the switch. It fits nice in the forge and im going to get some vent pipe and elbows and exhaust out the back

My 11 year old, half hearted striker :-)

[ThomasPowers]

Did you try opening the ash dump to waste more air?   What kind of coal are you using?   Think about using a foot switch that turns the blower off when you go to the anvil. (SOFA uses ones where you have to stand on it for it to be on---saves a lot of coal and steel when you are just getting started using coal.) Are you watering the fire to control it?

[Rojo Pedro]

Thanks Mr. Powers

I like the foot switch idea. I watched a couple vids this morning re fire management and I am anxious to replace the switch and try again

i will try water to control. I wss being cautious due to fear of cracking the pot

[ThomasPowers]

Don't flood it, sprinkel it.

[JHCC]

A tin can with a few holes punched in the bottom and a handle added should work well.