[TheForge] Lighting your forge on purpose.

[Bruce Freeman]

I'm surprized you guys use lighter fluid.  I typically
use newspapers tightly bundled by hand into a couple
balls maybe 5" in diameter, lit, and placed into the
firepot.  Add air blast and coke, if available, or
wood kindling.  Move on to coal when the coke or wood
fire is going.

Bruce
OR/NJ

--- dan at irontreeworks.com wrote:

> I start some charcoal in the middle with kerosene or
> lighter fluid using a
> lighter. Kerosene doesn't go boom like gasoline.  
> Once it is lit, I crank the
> blower a bit and then push the coal toward the
> center. viola
> 
> Dan
> 
>  and Quoting Jerry Frost <frosty at customcpu.com>:
> 
> > It's been quite a while since a thread about
> lighting
> > your coal forge ran on the list. I'll kick it off
> with
> > my favorite method.
> >
> > I cut or tear a strip of cardboard about 1 1/2-2"
> wide
> > a foot or so long and roll it tightly. Then I
> place it
> > over the center of my air grate and allow it to
> spring
> > open a little. Ideally the gaps and cardboard are
> about
> > the same. I make a crater shaped mound of coal
> around
> > the coil to hold it in place then pile smallish
> chunks
> > on the coil. These need to be coarse enough air
> can
> > pass through them but I pile fines on the outside
> of
> > the mound to contain the air.
> >
> > Once I have it laid I drop 2-3 lit wooden matches
> into
> > the coil while giving it a real gentle blast, just
> > enough to keep the matches going but not blow them
> out.
> > This is, believe it or not, the trickiest part of
> the
> > whole process and a few drops of lighter fluid
> (scout
> > water <grin>) are an easy cure. As the cardboard
> coil
> > starts to burn I cover it completely in coarse
> 3/4" +/-
> > coal and increase the blast. Once the coal starts
> to
> > take I cover it with fines and give it the air.
> >
> > It takes longer to describe the technique than it
> takes
> > to start the fire.
> >
> > To get the fire ready for forging is a different
> matter
> > of course and depends entirely on personal
> preference
> > and what you're going to be doing.
> >
> > My like to coke up the day's coal in the morning
> rather
> > than have the smoke and flame with me all day.
> >
> > Frosty
> > -------------------------------
> > If it ain't forged
> > it ain't real.
> > Wrought iron is.
> > The FrostWorks
> >
> > Meadow Lakes, AK.
> >
> > http://www.artmetalradio.com/
> >
> > From: <dann at wctatel.net>
> >
> >
> >
> > >
> > > Bob,
> > >
> > > Sounds fishy to me.  Wet coal, or dry coal, it
> is
> > > takes both heat and air
> > > to get it to burn.  That is the most frustrating
> part
> > > of working a coal
> > > forge.   My hats off to those who usually get
> the
> > > forge fire started with
> > > a single sheet of crumpled newspaper.  More than
> > > once, I resorted to a
> > > handful of match light brick-ets nested in forge
> > > when I needed the coal
> > > forge working without a big loss of time or
> > > embarassment.
> > >
> > > Wet hay can spontaneously combust because it
> gets a
> > > mold kind of reaction
> > > going that eventually heats the and dries the
> core
> > > enough to ignite.  I
> > > wouldn't be surprised to learn that the mold
> decomp
> > > process might even
> > > produce some combustable gasses.
> > >
> > > With coal,  the cellulose -  to - carbon change
> > > occured millions of years
> > > ago.
> > >
> > > Dann
> > >
> >
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> 
> 
> 
> 
>
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