[TheForge] Forge explosion

[Bruce Freeman]

When I was volunteering at Historic Allaire Village, I would occassionally =
get these muffled booms from the bellows.  Couldn't do the bellows any =
good.  I finally figured out that when I add water to the coal, for coking =
or for centering the fire, I HAD to have a little air flow through the =
fire.  This habit will also save wear and tear on the firepot, as it helps =
prevent liquid water from hitting the hot pot.

What's going on is the water reacts with the coal and makes coal gas =
(carbon monoxide + hydrogen), which travels the path of least resistance.  =
If it CAN go back into the bellows or blower, it WILL.  Coal gas burns =
fine, and explodes fine if properly mixed with air.

Bruce
NJ

>>> "P. McComb" <fatraccoon@execulink.com> 10/10/02 12:01PM >>>
While working in the forge at Fanshawe Pioneer Village, we had a number of
small bangs like that.  Mostly when I was trying to talk to a school group
and get the fire going (on those mornings when the >&%#@^**&*& fire would
not start properly).  Early in the time I worked at the village, we had to
build a new bellows to replace the old one (hard and cracked leather, =
split
boards).  When we took apart the old bellows to use as a pattern, we found
that the inside of the top chamber was scorched more that half way up from
the blow back of these pops.

  Keep that in mind when next you pour water on top of your fire.   These
bangs can be small or big and do a lot of damage.

Paul McComb
Fat Raccoon Forge
London, Ontario