[TheForge] Coal fire starter

[theforge@mailman.qth.net]

That is in fact the trick.  I have done this little trick regularily 
when instructing boy scouts.    You can't light the coal directly 
though, but paper  is easy.   I have not ever gotten it to a red heat 
either, just a black heat , but enough ( 450 degrees or so) to ignite 
paper.   I use a small rod, 1/4 or smaller, and whale on it with a 
medium ball pein hammer.  Short, fast stokes on the edge of the anvil ( 
as in tapering) do the job.   The bpm is probably the key, but you still 
have to hit as hard as the stroke allows.  Heavy slow blows allows the 
heat to slip away, and overly deforms the metal.   Heavy slow blows work 
the core, light fast blows work the surface.  It is the surface that 
matters here.  Also don't expect it to retain its heat for long.   You 
need to have the paper right there on the anvil pr really near.

Charles


Bruce Freeman wrote:

>I'll bet there's some trick to it that you just didn't see.  There's no
>question you can get steel hot from hammering if you hammer fast enough.
>
>
>  
>