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

[Mike Linn]

PS be very careful about adding water to the coal in your firepot, esp. if 
it is cast iron, Too much water, too quick, can crack your pot if it gets 
too hot. I usually mix my coal to the side and add it as a paste, or if I 
need to add water I use my swab, a piece of rag attached to a handle. Get 
the rag sopping and pat it over the coal on the fire. Repeat as 
necessary... I just keep my swab in the slack tub so it stays soppy.

mike


At 11:59 PM 7/7/02 -0700, you wrote:
>I use water also, (most of the time). But what it does is help the coke 
>stick together. I prefer fines and thumb nail sized coal, the water helps 
>all this stick together. I use the finer coal because the coke is not a 
>hard and can be busted up easier when placing work in the fire.
>
>The key to firepot protection (and general fire tending) is to keep green 
>coal on the sides of the pot. You should feed new coal from the sides and 
>in to the center. I use a poker to keep green coal pushed down along the 
>sides and that pushes the newly made coke to the center of the fire.
>
>With proper fire maintenance a firepot should last many lifetimes. I've 
>even found unburned newspaper in the corner of my firepot after an all day 
>forging marathon.
>
>mike
>
>         Michael Linn
>       Artist Blacksmith
>      McCalla, Alabama
>       AFC Webmaster
>http://afc.abana-chapter.com
>
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         Michael Linn
       Artist Blacksmith
      McCalla, Alabama
       AFC Webmaster
http://afc.abana-chapter.com