[TheForge] Re: Charcoal

[schade at acegroup.cc]

I always pretty much discounted charcoal as forge fuel till I saw Tim 
and Marian Livelys video on knifemaking

http://www.livelyknives.com/knifemakingvideo.htm

http://www.livelyknives.com/

Tim starts out the video by making a fire out of scrub wood and the 
separating out the charcoal. Then he makes a little forge out of a 
washtub. Then he forges a large chunk of leaf spring into a very nice 
"camp knife". He uses a piece of 3" square bar embedded in a plastic 
five gallon bucket of cement for his anvil. Very minimal tools.

Marian casts and then forges the handle hardware out of brass. Very 
nice.

They end up with a great looking knife that Tim is able to shave with.

The video is well worth the $$. A good message for those who absolutely 
need a Nazel to blacksmith.

Bob





On Jan 11, 2006, at 6:09 AM, Ron Childers wrote:

> Re: charcoal. Dr. Prather, the blacksmith at San Louis Mission, lines 
> his
> clay side draft fire pot with pieces of hardwood, mostly oak. As the
> charcoal in the forge heats the metal, more charcoal is produced. The 
> forge
> doesn't care if the charcoal is made yesterday or made as you go. Some 
> blade
> smiths swear by charcoal, especially in making Damascus- its cleaner 
> and it
> doesn't scale as bad as propane.
>