[TheForge] Do clinkers and coal ashes help a dirt floor?

Thu Apr 15 12:47:00 2004

I worked for a smith after school when I was a kid.  He had a wooden floor in 
the shop (then about 125 years old)(the shop that is, I wasn't nearly that 
old when I graduated high school), and over time the floor was so saturated with 
ash and cinder that you could drop a piece of hot iron right from the forge 
and it would smoke but wouldn't kindle the wood floor.  I think you are right 
about dirt floors and ash; it just depends on whether you want to track ash or 
dirt into your house at the end of the day.
Michael

In a message dated 4/15/2004 9:59:13 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
[email protected] writes:
Someone reminded me that blacksmiths traditionally sprinkle the clinkers
and coal ash from the forge onto the floor before wetting it down. Does
this work better than just wetting down the dirt? Or does it just give
black dust instead of brown dust? I remember sprinkling the forge waste
on the floor of the shop at the Folk School, but I don't remember if it
really helped much. 

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