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ROI used to have a masonry bin behind the shop that held about a ton and a half. In the mid 90s I got away from burning coal and the coal pit got torn down and its bricks comited to flowerbeds or something. Now I am back to burning coal. I have a trash can I am currently keeping it in, but would like to get a ton or two. I would like to find some sort of container for it. Billy Merrit used an old oil tank. I am curious what everyone uses. I will be moving the shop soon so may just build a cinder block bin at the new place...

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I use some heavy duty plastic bins but my future plan is to get a 55 gallon barrel with a removable top then mount it on some legs so i can get a bucket under it then make a door in the side. That way I could store it outside and free some space in my shop.

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I use an old wrecked truck bed that was replaced. Its up off the ground a bit and I can just shovel what I need to use into a metal can for in the shop. Ask around at body shops. Possibly might come across one or a plastic bed liner someone wants rid of. Just make a bit of a wood or metal framing to keep the tailgate end sides upright on the plastic liner. 

 

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I used a out 8- 55 gal drums for years. Lids mostly. Nothing fancy

 All were top loaders. And the coal came out the top as well. When they got down to half, they were not hard to tip. Cheap and no moving parts.

I have another system planned for my new shop.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

A 4x4 pallet 4 feet tall holds about ton, a 55 gallon drum about 500 pounds, and a 5 gallon bucket about 35 pounds. 

 

coal storage 1.jpg

I would strongly suggest plastic barrels or plastic tubs, as the coal may eat the metal drums given time. 

Coal mines, power plants, and river barges store coal outside in the weather. 

 

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If you have coal dust or fines, put then in a 5 gallon bucket and add water.

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To use the fines, coal dust, just scoop out a hand full of the black mud and put it on the fire.

 

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7 hours ago, Glenn said:

To use the fines, coal dust, just scoop out a hand full of the black mud and put it on the fire.

Works better for bituminous than for anthracite: bituminous fines coke; anthracite fines just turn into a shower of glowing shards.

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  • 2 months later...

I was thinking coal (our main solid fuel now). Charcoal is a lot lighter and although I don't use much charcoal (buy bags of lump) it would be perfect. I currently use a fiberglass home made barrel that is about 100 gallons (to keep the rats from getting into it). When I get our side blast charcoal forge built, I will probably start making my own charcoal and would love a bin like yours.

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It is always a good idea to keep rain and snow away from your coal because besides the problems of trying to burn a wet fuel some types of coal can "slake," that is, deteriorate mechanically into smaller pieces in the presence of water.  If you have ever seen an old coal pile it may well have slaked down to fragments the size of pea gravel or smaller.  The very first fuel I used in a forge was some nasty old slaked sub-bituminous coal.  Very unpleasant.  Little coking and lots of burning bits flying around plus lots of clinker.

This can be a problem in open pit mines or road cuts which cut through coal seams.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

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Funny when we burn the fines sold as smithing coal out here we store it in a bucket of water and add it wet to the fire. (Which my Father told me that also did back when he was in engineering school in the early 1950's and had to forge and design a steam engine as part of the basics classes.)

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  • 9 months later...

I am going to pick up my first ever load of coal this week. It just occurred to me that I don’t have any idea how I’m going to store it. The coal supplier near me (in South Eastern Ohio) sells bituminous coal in bulk. I can have them load my truck with a skid loader or I can bag it up myself by hand. I’m curious to see how you guys are storing it. In a pile on the ground? In barrels? In bags? In a purpose built bin? Anyone with photos of their storage would be greatly appreciated. 
Thanks

 

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First of all how are you going to UNLOAD it?   I like the 55 gallon plastic barrels for bulk storage and for small storage I like the square cat litter buckets with the metal bail.---they stack neater in the shop/pickup bed.  However  a 55 gallon barrel full of coal is HEAVY (400 pounds+ for just water...)

Bags rot to fast in the UV out here for my tastes and so need to be transferred to something stable fast.

Now one smith I know has the bed of a pickup with liner by his shop and he transfer the coal from the picking up pickup bed  to the storage pickup bed and throws a tarp over it.

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