[TheForge] Making a Charcoal Kiln

[Dave Bendall]

     Hi! Oh yeah, made a bunch of charcoal that way. And still make coke
out of coal that way, too. The ony change I would suggest is to pack
your drum as full of wood as you can. That way you will just have more
charcoal when you're done. 
     If your drum is 'air tight' enough, punch a hole for the gas to
escape and it will be like having a jet engine in the fire. Or perhaps a
blowtorch. Wrap a wire around a stick with an end sticking out, so if
the hole gets clogged with wood tar, you can poke it open again.
Otherwise your lid might pop off. Then you have a red hot drum with
partially charcoaled firewood on your hands, and pretty much the only
thing you can do then is cuss a little, watch all the wood burn, and try
it again later.<G>
     Back when I was a bachelor, this was a great excuse to invite my
buds and some girls over, get a case of beer and some marshmallows, and
spend an evening poking at a bonfire in the back yard. Nowadays I have a
small woodstove out in my shop, and retire there in the evening once in
a while to coke up a coffee can of coal and smoke a cigar where my wife
can't complain about the stink and the smoke. Hah, unlike 'way back
when...
     Happy charcoaling!
     Dave Bendall



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