[TheForge] Frustratin first attempt

Sat Jul 26 19:01:01 2003

Sounds like you are using anthracite instead of a good grade of pea sized
bituminous blacksmithing coal.
There is no substitute for good coal or coke. If you can't get any, switch
to propane.
The secret of a good solid fire cave or wall is to wet down the soft coal
mixed with a modest amount of fines in a plastic bucket and then shovel it
into the forge, so that as the volatiles burn off the remaining material
bonds together

If you pour too much water on the coal while it is burning in the forge you
will probably enlarge the crack in the cast iron shell.
Chuck
----- Original Message -----
From: "WinnonaD" <[email protected]>
To: "Blacksmith's I-Forge" <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, July 26, 2003 4:52 PM
Subject: [TheForge] Frustratin first attempt

> I hate ta break up this fist fight over $%&$%#%@
> swearin with smithin talk, but I'z gonna anyway.....
>
> Whal, I guess I gotta find me a local smith who knows
> what he's doin 'n' learn how ta build 'n' manage a
> coal fire!
>
> Had a chance taday ta try out me new/old rivet forge
> 'n' it didn't go so good :-(
>
> I posted up here awhile back that I knew how to LIGHT
> a coal fire but didn't know how to BUILD a smithin
> fire - hell, I been runnin steam engines since I waz a
> wee slip of a girl 'n' kin light up a steamer with one
> paper match, a bit of kindlin, 'n' have a 4x8 foot
> fire 6" deep in an hour!
>
> Anyway, I waz hopin some folks'd give me some pointers
> on how to start with an empty rivet forge, a pail full
> of 3/4" to 2" hard coal 'n' end up with a useable
> smithin fire. (In all fairness, I did get one PM where
> the feller understood the difference between "lighting
> a fire" and "building a fire".) On the Mailing List,
> there waz a gadzillion posts about how to START a fire
> 'n' not a single one on how to "lay-up" or construct a
> fire when you're startin with a empty pan.
>
> Anyhow, since it cooled off a bit taday 'n' the lathe
> waz doin 45 minute passes on the cannon barrel, I
> figgered it waz time Calamity Jane tried 'er hand at
> blacksmithin. I dug out me last washtub full o'
> "Pennsylvania Hard"'n' laid in about 4" in the pan,
> made a little hole over the tuyere 'n' lit 'er up
> (paper 'n' a couppla sticks).
>
> It started out not too bad - nice little round fire
> 'round the tuyere. Kind o' dug a trench inta the fire
> 'cause the first task waz ta put a little spiral on
> the end of a piece of 1/2" square. Didn't take long ta
> get ta dull red but there weren't much coke yet, so it
> didn't get much hotter. Wazn't much I could do to pack
> (or tighten up) the fire 'cause all I got is larger
> chunks.
>
> Then I notice the fire's tryin ta spread out along the
> bottom of the pan. Don't need a whole pan full o'
> fire, burnin up me nice coal to make waste heat, so I
> take me little squirt bottle (like fer waterin plants)
> 'n' rein it in.
>
> Now every time I try movin coal toward the tuyere ta
> keep me fire tight, the whole blessed thang falls
> apart! Chunks of green coal fall in 'n' the good stuff
> at the bottom gets buried - GRRRRRR!
>
> Guess maybe I gonna haffta get meself some fire bricks
> 'n' make a fire pot with 'em ta stop the fire from
> spreading out under the coal bed - watering seemed to
> cool the whole fire too much. Maybe I waz tryin ta run
> too small a fire (about 8" diameter).
>
> Figger I probably also need ta break up me coal into
> smaller chunks - gotta find a way ta do that without
> makin a holy mess!
>
> What else am I doin wrong (other than using coal
> instead of gas) ????
>
> OK, ya kin go back ta talkin 'bout "BS" agin....
>
> Calamity (who's too damned stubborn ta give up) Jane
>
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