New to coke

[flux_lalonde]

I'm a lightweight hobbyist who has mainly burned coal in the past.  I'm now getting a chance to do more serious work, and wound up with a lift of coke that I've just started working with.

This week I decided it was time to get in some forge welding practice, and I'm impressed by the heat I'm getting (except for the sunburn...I've moved my anvil further from the fire now). I've been setting flux-less faggot welds in it - my welding is still xxxx-poor, so this was unexpected.  But the fire often feels really mushy - I'm pulling clinker out at an astounding rate, much more than I ever noticed with coal.

So questions:

1. Is it this particular coke making so much clinker?
2. It it because in the coal I have a nice little cave and I don't disturb the fire as much when welding?
3. It it because I'm not managing my coke properly when I stuff my bars in it?

Thanks!

 

[Glenn]

Clinker is the stuff in the fuel that does not burn, dirt, debris, etc.  They may have scooped up the bottom of the pile and dirt when they loaded  the coke.

Coke likes a gentle air.  Fuel does not make the fire hot, air makes the fire hot.    The metal goes in 1/2 to 2/3 of the way up the fireball. You may want a deeper fire. 

One fuel does not behave like any other fuel so you need to learn to use the fuel at hand.  One batch of fuel does not behave like the next batch some times.  It is a learning process.

[flux_lalonde]

Ok, going to be gentler on the air pressure, and see about working a deeper fire.  It does feel very pancake-like in my current incarnation.  Time to track down the firebricks I have somewhere around here...

[anvil]

I need more info. You were burning coal. What kind? Simply said there is blacksmithing coal and anthracite. If you were burning blacksmith coal, it turns to coke and you should have had no coal around your work. If you did, then your fire control needs work. If not then its a pretty simple change to pure coke. If You were burning Anth, then you are in a new world. 

No matter the coke, you need 4" of coke under your work and two inches on the top. This will consume all the oxygen around your work and create either a neutral or reducing fire. If you have ash and stuff blowing out the top of your fire, decrease the air flow. If your iron is not getting hot, you need more air. Experience will quickly fill in between those two extremes. When that happens, you are well on the way to good fire management. 

With my Centaur Forge rectangular firepot, 4" deep, I would put fire brick on each side of my firepot. This would contain the coke over and above the fire and give me the extra two or so inches I needed on the top.

[JHCC]

17 hours ago, anvil said:

Simply said there is blacksmithing coal and anthracite.

There are actually a lot more types than just those two. However, those two are (in the US, anyway) the most commonly available to the retail consumer.

[Frosty]

If you're getting "sunburned" by your fire you have the blast turned up WAY TOO HIGH! Your coke fire should be a warm mound you have to look along your work or open slightly to see the heart (fireball). If you can see flames or the whole pile is glowing you're blasting it TOO HARD. 

You might just have such a big fire you're extracting way more clinker for the amount of work done than you should.

It's a learning curve and like Glenn says it sounds like they scraped the ground loading you. OR this batch came from a dirty spot in the coal seam, it happens, even the best seams have lenses of stone, shale, clay, fossils, etc. it happens.

Have you looked at it closely? Try laying a piece of plywood or similar at a slope and spread the coke at the top. Slowly rake or brush it down the slope. Rocks are heavier than coke and you'll be able to tell the difference if you can't see it. If it's dirt you can wash it on a shallower slope with a spray nozzle. If the water runs muddy it's working if it stays clear that isn't working.

Lots of ways to approach the clinkery coke thing. Maybe specify they NOT bring you dirty coke next time?

Frosty The Lucky.

[swedefiddle]

Good Morning, Flux

Send me a PM to let me know where you are. I can come by and see what is going on, to rectify your problem.

Thanks, Neil

[Frf]

Please post pictures of your firepot, blower setup, and the coke. Do you sift out the breeze and fines? 

[anvil]

I saw this and the same pic in another thread, so, I'll answer here.

Thats a nice setup. Mine, no pics, is not to different. It looks like you are burning coke in a flat bottomed forge, no firepot and perhaps a circular grate.

I have a 14" champion 400 blower and my forge table is an old 3"x5" or so cast ranch type forge. I got rid of the small stock blower and cut a rectangular opening where the old flat bottomed grate used to live. I use the same firepot for both coke and coking coal. Its the basic rectangular firepot at Centaur forge. Somewhere around 10"x14"x4" deep with a triangular clinker ball and slopped walls. This gives me 4" of coke under my work and with similar refractory blocks like yours  i can easily maintain any size{width} fire I want and height fore 2" of coke above. My blocks are different. They are about 5" tall, slightly wider than half the width of my forge, and just a little longer. The 5" height enables me to easily heat 2" square stock and have 2" of coke on the top. The width of the blocks allows me to be able to move them close together so I can have say a 1\2" trench for heat treating or working small pieces. Opened up all the way, I can heat 3-4 pieces of 2" square at the same time. The extra length just keeps the castable refractory blocks from falling into the firepot. Basically the blocks serve one of the functions of green coal,,, to maintain fire width and height above my work for 2" of coke.

[Frf]

Our firepots are about 4” deep with sloped sides. We make these firepots in house and teach professional firepot making as a 2 day workshop. 
 

-Josh

 

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Edited April 22, 2022 by Mod30
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