Are there any Aussie blacksmiths out there who can tell me where I could buy coke in Sydney. I've been using a gas forge for a few years but want to forge weld, so need a coke forge.

Thanks in advance,
Gadge

Gadge,

I use coal from the Clarence Colliery. I just rang and followed the recorded prompts and finally got onto a human.

Got a trailer load, normally they sell by the truck load at least but they were really helpful.

Not much help if you really want coke but you sure can coke this stuff and it burns REALLY clean.

Good luck

G'day Gadge,
The only place I know of to get coke in NSW is Wollongong. The Illawarra Coke Co. is their name. I got a trailer load from them in May. Like everything else the price keeps going up, last time I checked it was $520+gst a tonne & you want to get "pebble" coke (under 25mm). Hope this helps!
Wayne

Welcome aboard Gadge.

Can't forge weld with propane? Do you know what the problem is? I have no or I should say, minimum problems welding with propane.

If you'll click on "User CP" at the top of the page and edit your profile to show your location you won't have to keep reminding us old farts, we forget most things pretty quickly you know.

Frosty

Thanks Frosty,

I've edited my User CP. It now says Sydney, Australia. As for propane, I suppose I don't get enough heat inside my single burner forge. I might make a smaller forge and experiment.

Gadge

Thank you Gadge, my brain is too old and ossified to strain if I can prevent it.

If you were to describe your forge and burner maybe we could help remedy the problem.

Volume, refractory type, general shape, burner size and type are good for a start.

The things aren't very complicated but there are some basics that have to be right.

Frosty

For comparison I paid $132 inc GST for a tonne of coal.

Charcoal appears to be available.Have a look at yellow.com.au - Keyword Search type in
Charcoal NSW, phoned two places that came up, said they sell to blacksmiths, it is
expensive.

If you don't mind a drive there is a landscape/building supplies place just outside Lithgow on the road to Mudgee that sells coal. Next time i am out that way i will get the name and number of the place

If you don't want to buy a whole trailer load there is a firewood seller in Canyonleigh in the Southern Highlands who sells coke by the bag. Last time I bought some it was About $16 a 30Kg bag It's a smaller size coke suitable for forging.

Thanks very much all who have given information. I will follow up some of your leads.

Thanks again,
Gadget

G'day all'

Just an update on this thread, the price of the bagged coke I mentioned in an earlier post has doubled and is now uneconomical. I made some inquiries at Illawarra Coke and was able to get some there this month. My ute was playing up so I took the family station wagon with a shovel and some chaff bags and was able to get 1/4 tonne. their current price is $255 a tonne plus GST. I hope this helps anyone in NSW looking for coke.

Cheers Ian Ross

I have just read that Illawarra coke shuts down its corrimal site mid next year and coalcliff is already shut.Looks like a source for coke near Sydney has gone. Does anybody know of

another source that I am unaware of? Also is coal for forging available at any of the mines in the Sydney basin?

I've got 3 tonne of peanut which is bagged up and I can ship to Sydney.  I bag it up into either 30kg which I charge AU$40 for or bulka bags which hold around 800kg for which I charge AU$750 per bag. The coke is bagged into bulka bags when I get it, weighed, and then stored under cover.  The reason being I buy it by weight and some shipments have rolled up absolutely soaking wet, others have been bone dry and dusty, so I bag it and sell it as weighed. Not sure of the freight to Sydney would be but I can shop around if anyone is interested.

 

Just looking at the replies above I can tell you that since 2009 coke has about doubled in price and my contact tells me that it varies on a monthly basis in response to world demand.  I'm looking at getting another truckload in but a semi-tipper at a time stretches the budget a bit until most of it is gone, and it's uneconomical to get it in smaller loads.

 

Anyone interested can contact me through our website (see my profile)

 

Regards

Andrew

Ilawarra is  closing , not too happy but not much we can do .

Chris

Corrimal Cokeworks to close after 100 years of production | Mining ...

Coke is still available in Newcastle, place is called Pacific Carbon, young Mr William Maguire uses it with success.  Their No was and maybe still is 02 4928 4155.  They have a website www.pacificcarbon.com.au .They are on Kooragang Island.

ye i looked in to them it might be the only thing to get Pacific Carbon  ,Thanks Pill 

 but i do get good coking coal a make coke out of it  i put it around the fire wet it cokes up as the day runs  on, but it is a bit dirty you get a bit of clinders 

 moony 

Gunnedah use to have coking coal with 6% ash content! I burnt it for year prior to using Illawarra coke. Only problem if you live in a residential area it can be a bit smokie for your neighbors. This coal was the hottest stuff I've ever used. Will check out if still available.

What I'm trying to figure out is why would a topic about where can coal be sourced from in Sydney get moved to the Brisbane Blacksmith section of the forum,  Oh I get it its because they (Brissy and Sydeney) are right next to each other, (approx 924Kms apart).  Tamworth group is closer to Sydney then Brissy,,,,,, just saying.

Phil          and one also could carry coal to Newcastle B)

HJP, you do not take coal to Newcastle!!!! not ever!!!!!! its just not the done thing.    It would be like taking pineapples to Qld,,,,,,,, its just not a done thing!

Yeah, isn't there some kind of quarantine?  Like border fruit inspection, only for coal.

(image search 'wa sa border quarantine')

hee hee

a.

when i worked at appin colliery they used to cart coal to newcastle continuously by way of 2 semi trailers. steel making is a science and a big part is blending coal to obtain the required result. i have phoned bhp to try to get hold of coal from appin and the best i could get out of them was see the loader driver but don't say i sent you. apparently in the old days the miners were allowed 1 ton per week for free.

On 11/25/2008 at 8:54 PM, tex said:

If you don't mind a drive there is a landscape/building supplies place just outside Lithgow on the road to Mudgee that sells coal. Next time i am out that way i will get the name and number of the place

hi a  do you know how much looking at thankyou need to get some very soon too thankyou ?

 

Burnie, the place outside of (west of) Lithgow on the way to Mudgee is called (google) Goodearth Lithgow. You may also try Clarence Colliery, which is east of Lithgow. Perhaps give either a call.