rthibeau Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 I can not believe a male has a problem starting a fire. According to mothers and fire departments worldwide, a boy can start a fire with nothing but thin air and a wish to do so.......:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale Russell Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 (edited) WOW , i'm glad i do burn " coke " , coal sounds so hard My way , double hand full of charcoal inta pot , pile 2 x 4 ltr ice cream buckets of coke around charcoal , grab propane torch , lite charcoal , add air , pile up coke over charcaol , go get a BEER , come back ta i nice fire . simple Dale Russell Edited February 11, 2009 by Dale Russell spelling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 I was Kinda expecting Dale to make a comment about only having to lay the iron bar in the front yard to forge this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KELTOI Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Me, I just use kindling and scrap ,paper, plus the pea sized charcoal leftover from my previous fire!works for me...sometimes takes a try or two, but I am usually going in about 5-10 minutes, up to heat in fifteen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philip in china Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 I just love lighting fires and playing with them. Don't we all? Isn't that largely why we do what we do? When I light my little portable forge I have one problem. At present there is no speed control on the blower. It is either on or off. So when I start her I leave the ash dump open which provides a bit of draft and even keep that open when I start the blast as it reduces the amount of the updraft by splitting it. In the big firge I sometimes light the fire on a piece of plywood or thick cardboard. Then put the blower on low. Once the fire has burnt through the card a little it is usually ready for a bit of blast. As it gets better it burns through more sheet material until eventually it is getting 100% of the blast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
781 Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 In the forge I use home made charcoal so that is easy and it takes only a little piece of paper and the charcoal is burning. to light the wood stove I grab a bundle of shreaded paper. I get all I want from various offices around town. I do agree with an earlier post about pine cones. I used to use them when I used coal in the forge. They burn hot and quick. We have ponderosia pines and the cones are fist size or bigger. I have been thinking of switching to induction heater so then you just plug it in and hit the foot switch for heat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tech413 Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 I start my forge with charcoal and paper then switch over to coal. It's well worth buying the charcoal IMO because it makes life much easier! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBrann Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 I guess I am a traditionalist, wood shavings and splinters of wood, start by digging out the clinker from my last session, add 2 hand fulls of shavings, some spilts of whatever is laying around, usually the branches from my GD maple trees.. bank some coke, coal, and fines around the pile, leave a space to touch the shavings off, and put fire to it. After the flame takes, give a little air and a little more, when th eshavnigs burn and blow out the whole thing collapses add more coal and it off to the races in5 minutes or less. I plane my own lumber by hand, so I have old coal bags full of shavings. The maples in question are plain tree maples... not even hardly good for burning. The bark sheds like sycamore or magnolia, and branches break off at the thought of a breeze. I call them Zombie trees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cataulpa_forge1 Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 (edited) To light my coal forge I use about 6 drops of used veggie oil dripped over 3 pine cones, and dried sasafrass root that has been sliced up close to 1/2" x 1/4" discs. After the pine cones light, I usually add alittle coke saved from my last burn. Then I add green coal around the outside and in 10 mins or so she's ready for some work. ED/CAT NJ 08088 Edited February 25, 2009 by cataulpa_forge1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bourne101 Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 i am almost able to light my forge for the first time and i was wondering if there was any technique or certain way for lighting a coal fire in a forge? the air supply for the fire is right under the firepot going straight up if that matters. any help is appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keykeeper Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 LB0010 Building a Fire | Lessons in Blacksmithing Read through this, then come back to the forum if you have further questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 I use coke not coal but the lighting proceedure is the same for me. I screw up a few sheets of newspaper (round half dozen) into balls. I have a few sticks for kindling (about 1'' square say, 6 inches long, about a dozen). Light one ball of paper and toss it into the pot, stack on the others and the kindling. Start the blast on it's lowest setting, wait until the kindlings caught then scatter a few handfulls of fresh coke over the top, up the blast a little more and wait until you can see a few of the coke beans have started to go. Add more coke to cover the fire and up the blast a little more, if needs be open the fire slightly so the smoke catches and burns. Within five minutes you're ready to forge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houaha Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 I take 3-4 pieces of newspaper and lay them in the opposite way then i roll it up into a circle and poke a hole in the center of the circle with my anvil's horn put that in the fire pot and put some coal on it and light the paper with a propane torch, no clue how long I have to wait usually around 15 min Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bourne101 Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 oh cool...didn't even know i was posting in this thread...just thought i was makin a new one. thanks for te help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Borne101 you didn't, I moved it here for you, we try to keep "like things" all in the same place, as its easier for others to find them when they have these questions that way. Just one more service we offer here from the staff of I Forge Iron. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SK-Buckwheat Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Forge lighting is actually pretty darn easy. Just go to my Youtube page and pick that video, easier to see it done than explain it. Hope the link works.YouTube - cussedcreekforge's Channel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bourne101 Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 ok thanks everyone...sk how did you make the hot cutter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SK-Buckwheat Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 ok thanks everyone...sk how did you make the hot cutter? Bourne101, Glad we could help you out. That hot cut I showed is made out of a piece of very high carbon steel. Probably similar to a leaf spring but I think it may be a bit harder. It is a piece of a farm cultivator shank. It is about 1" thick and 2 1/2" wide. I forged out the end to get the taper and upset the sides to straighten them back out. Then annealed it, brought it back up to critical temperature and tempered it to straw colour. After I got that done I bevel ground around the base and arc welded it onto a 3" square 3/8" thick base plate and then bevel ground my hardy shank and welded that to the base plate. I believe in a base plate on any hard tool that you strike because it spreads the force of the blow over the face of the anvil around the hardy hole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SK-Buckwheat Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 Also it would probably be easier for you to find a broken leaf spring from a semi truck or trailer, most of the new leaf springs on them are near 1" thick at the center of the spring and near 4" wide. Should make a killer hot cut too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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