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

Thu Apr 15 18:48:17 2004

Andy,  I see it been a few years since you have been at John C. Campbell
Folk School.  The shop floor has been brick for a least 4 years now.  No
longer are you black from the waist down after a day of forging.  Hey, you
still get dirty, just not so bad.  12 side draft forges helps too.  The
school has 4 power hammers including a brand new Big Blu plus several
treadle hammers and lots of good tooling.  It is a beautiful spring day in
Brasstown, come see us again -- even if it is a long way from the left
coast.

Dave Smucker
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Andy Vida" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, April 15, 2004 4:02 PM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Do clinkers and coal ashes help a dirt floor?

>
>
> Catherine Jo Morgan wrote:
> >
> > 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.
>
> Yeah, basically the entire floor of the shop at Campbell
> is cinder. I think it makes a good floor.  Fire resistant,
> compliant, lower in dust as far as I can see, and seems to
> absorb water more readily than regular dirt floors, probably
> due to wider porosity?  Just a guess.
>
> I like cinder floors for the smithy.
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