i found an old oil drum outside it doesn't have a cover so i was wondering how can i make charcoal with it can you put it out with water? ill post pictures in a little bit

my dad says i cant make any charcoal "it will be another chore for you, anyways u can just buy coal"
perfect when i have no money :|

Edited September 11, 200817 yr by buddy215216

Maybe he meant he would give you the $$ for some coal.

welder19

Good point, you gotta stay positive.

Frosty

what give me money for coal yeah right

Buddy,you can make charcoal in a 55 gal. drum. You can use any handy piece of flat sheet metal that will cover the top of the barrel to seal out air.

But first, there's much to think about before you try to make it. Can you build a fire SAFELY in your back yard? Do you have a location that's away from your home,garage, or any other buildings?
What about under ground gas lines? Large propane tanks?
Making charcoal in a 55 gal. drum makes for very hot fire. The green grass around the burning barrel will dry from the intense heat and may begin to burn,,,possibly starting a grass or forest fire.

See what I mean? There's a lot to think about as to the safety issues involved.

I would strongly reccomend that you get your dad to be 'safety adviser' on making your charcoal.

If you decide to put a sheetmetal 'lid' on your barrel, be sure to put some bricks or something heavy on the lid to keep the wind from blowing it off.
It may take 12 hours or more to complete that kind of burn, and I would not recomend leaving the barrel unattended.

You can just build a fire in the barrel(filled with wood), and after about an hour drown it with water to put the fire out. but remember, a large charcoal fire is ridiculously hard to put out. I have dowsed a pile of burning charcoal for full 15 minutes(with a garden hose), only to have it spring back to life later........

Good luck to you on this project...hope this helps........and.........BE CAREFUL!!

One thing I forgot to include in the above post is that if you put the charcoal out with water, it will take some time to get it dry enough to use in the forge effectively.
I have spread wet charcoal on a tarp for a day or so to dry.

Another thought is that you could just use small pieces of wood in your forge, if you have no solid fuels available to you. The wood well burn and turn into charcoal. It's not the easiest fuel to use.......lots of radiant heat in your face and considerable smoke........but better than nothing.