[TheForge] water on the fire and how much fuel?

Sun Jul 7 19:03:01 2002

I don't use water either, except very rarely.  I probably waste a little
coal as my fire always manages to get to be the size of the fire pot.  I use
washed (typical) Pocahontas #3 coal with very little in fines.  I use the
Centaur fire pot and have seen a few crack from having water poured on the
coal and obviously the fire pot.  I'm sure there are those that use water
with the same
set up, but they must be being careful not to put too much cold water on the
fire
pot.  Either that or they have a thick fire pot.  I've considered a thicker
fire pot but
my forge table is fixed for the Centaur and I've not change it, yet.  There
have been a dozen nationally know blacksmiths that have used my set up and
did not use water on the fire.  Around here we used to use Colorado coal.
It had considerable fines and water was then a necessity.  At that time
everyone had a 3 ft. long trough, as wide as a shovel, that held water.  All
coal was mixed with water in the trough before it was used.  Now since we
can't get Colorado coal, unless we have coal which is mostly fines, we don't
use water (well most of us anyway, but there are some old diehards).  Most
of the smiths I know would rather not go back to using Colorado coal and
mixing water with it even though it was just as good if not better than what
we now use.  Pocahontas cokes up and sticks together well without
water.  I always make enough coke at the end of the day to start my fire the
next day and with enough coke that I can begin forging right away (not
having to burn green coal to make coke first).  Beginning with a coke fire,
the fire starts easily and there is little smoke.  After my fire is going I
pile green coal approx. 6" high on either side of the coke and fire.  As the
coke is burned, the green coal is pushed toward the fire trough and the fire
is making coke continually.  I like a trough of coke where the fire and iron
is and with green coal on either side.  I do know smiths who use less coal
than I.  They make coke extra in their spare time and keep it in a bucket to
use when needed such as when forge welding.  I do not keep extra coke since
the fire I use makes plenty
of coke.  Often when I am finishing a project and need to heat it over a
clean fire in order to get that nice blue or black color (with heat and not
soot), and when I'm putting an oil/wax finish on it; I push any green coal
away or anticipate not wanting green coal and do not add the green coal so
that I have only a clean coke fire.  That's my 2 cents worth, hope it helps.

Dick Nietfeld
Shady Grove Blacksmith Shop
Grand Island, Nebraska

----- Original Message -----
From: "northwoods" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, July 07, 2002 2:54 PM
Subject: [TheForge] water on the fire and how much fuel?

> How many of you regularly use water on you fire when working? Another
thing
> I have been wondering is how much fuel do you use when building a fire. Do
> you have lots and just keep the fire contained with water, or just use
> enough fuel to get done what you need to do?
>
> Thank for any comments,
> T. Clark
>
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