[TheForge] Water on your coal forge fire?

[Bob Rackers]

I agree that other than using water to contain the size of the fire, the
working characteristics of a particular type of coal determine if I use water
to help it to coke. The amount of water I use is as little as possible, but as
much is required.

I've used several types of coal and some require water constantly and some
require none.

Bob

-----Original Message-----
From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net]On Behalf Of Mike Spencer
Sent: Sunday, May 30, 2004 1:37 AM
To: theforge at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [TheForge] Re: Water on your coal forge fire?



With the coal I'm using now (which is quite good) I just use water
from a long-handled dipper occasionally to put damp the fire along the
edge when it's getting too big.

Some coal I've used -- I think I have several bags of it somewhere --
wouldn't coke up into a solid dome or even large, easily managed
chunks if used dry.  For that coal, which was pea size with lots of
fines and dust, I mixed water into the coal to make a slurry and added
that to the edge of the fire.  I don't know that it made more or
better coke, just coke that held together better.

So I'd say:

    1. Keeping fire within bounds

    2. Dealing with lots of fines and dust

    3. May depend on the quality of the coal

I don't have any theoretical basis for any of that.

- Mike

--
Michael Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada       .~.
                                                           /V\
mspencer at tallships.ca                                     /( )\
http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/                        ^^-^^