[TheForge] Coal Forges & water

[wmullett at bright.net]

I've had a portable forge that I've used for years and all it has is a sheet metal pan and that has worked well.  My permanent forge is cast and not lined and it too is holding up fine.  I use water with both forges.

I don't have electric blowers and that may be where some of the differences are between my experience and others.  My forges never get really hot.  I have a old Round Oak stove to heat my shop because, unlike a gas forge, my forge doesn't seem to give off any heat in the winter.  You can almost touch the bottom of the cast forge at the tuyere and not get burned.

When I'm working with smaller items, I like to build a coke cave which I keep small by using water from a can.  This process holds my temperature with very little air needed to bring it back up to forging heat.  (When sharing a fire at demonstrations, I always seem to get stuck with somebody who is used to electric blowers and the first thing they do is break down my coke cave.  They just don't seem to know how to control a fire. )

I use water for control and also to extinguish my fire when finished but in both cases I don't drown the coal/coke.  When I extinguish my fire, I only add water enough to drop the temperature down to where it will go out and most red is gone.  I want enough heat remaining so the coal/coke will dry.   I think excessive water will develop or leach out acids that rot the pan.

BTW - an advantage of less air and lower forge temperature is that I seem to develop a whole lot less clinkers than those that use powered blowers.