Mixing Coal and Lump Charcoal

[Mark G]

I know most everyone uses coal. For me where I live, lump charcoal is alot easier to come by. I was also thinking about order regular coal from Centaur forge. I wanted to check to see if there was any problem if I mix using lump charcoal and blacksmith's coal in a forge. ( I doubt it but thought I needed to ask)

Thanks, Mark

[Don A]

No problem at all (I have done it in the past), but you are going to loose the benefits of each to some degree.

When coal "cokes out", it kinda sticks together and serves to insulate itself. The charcoal will open up space and allow the coke to burn faster and prevent the "igloo" effect.

Charcoal is wonderfully clean and smoke free. Add coal to it and it smokes and smells like coal.

I tend to reserve the charcoal for smaller jobs, like blades and firesteels, and use the coal for all around iron work.

My $.02,

Don

[Max Mulholland - Tetnum]

i have used the two in a mix and you will have to decide what mix works best % wise

and i second dons responce

[hibjib10987]

IF charcoal is so abundant why not just burn that soley? It smells better doesn't hav toxic gass, and gets plenty hot to forge weld. I have mixed charcoal and coal and liked it ( there was more charcoal less coal it was a one hand full of coal to about 2-2 1/2 hand fulls of charcoal.

[ertwdan]

I tend to use charcoal to light the fire then bleed in the coal to prevent the start-up 'smokies' that could offend my neighbours.

[David Einhorn]

Well actually if a person moves the coal in from the sides, so that the coal has a chance to coke as it gradually moves towards the center of the forge, there will be very little if any smoke. It is only when a person throws raw coal onto the center of the pile that the volatiles put out a lot of smoke. This is why you need a coal forge that has a table that is at least 2 foot square, so that you can have enough area to control the fire with water, limiting the area that is burning, and gradually move the coal inwards as it cokes to replace the material in the center of the forge that has burned out.