[TheForge] Water on your coal forge fire?

[Carl Tappan]

I water my fire to control the size, in addition to raking around. Also
when adding green coal, the water helps it to stick together which, I
believe, makes it coke better. I know water helps it coke faster, but am
not sure if clumping is the reason.
Carl

On Sat, 2004-05-29 at 17:19, David E. Smucker wrote:
> I am looking for information on the subject of using water on your coal
> forge fire for a future article for the AACB Newsletter.
> 
> 
> 
> Many folks do not use water or at most just a little bit - while others use
> quite a bit.  Why?  In our part of the country smiths who spent time with
> Francis during their formative years seem to use quite a bit of water to
> control their fire while many others I have watch do not.
> 
> 
> 
> I have read statements by some self-appointed blacksmith experts that
> putting water on your fire is stupid because it just wastes BTUs.  Is this
> really the case?  I don't think it is a waste of BTUs because I feel it aids
> in the production of coke.  Coke is what we really want to burn in our forge
> because of its high local BTU output and clean fire.  (If forming coke were
> just a waste of BTUs the steel industry would not go to all of the trouble
> of making coke - they would just use coal.)
> 
> 
> 
> I am also interested in the chemical reaction of water on hot / burning
> coal.  It generates CO as a gas (blue flame) and at one time was used as a
> production method for "town gas" before the wide spread availability of
> natural gas (methane).
> 
> 
> 
> How many of you use water on your fire and how much.  Why?
> 
> 
> 
> And I all ready know that most of you don't use much water in your propane
> forges.
> 
> 
> 
> Dave Smucker
> 
> Editor, AACB newsletter
> 
> 
> 
> 
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