[TheForge] question regarding depth of charcoal forge

[David Seigrist]

Hello Grant,

Here in Oklahoma the mesquite tree is more like a plague.  It overtakes
pastures and is hard to eradicate.  I know tons of ranchers with hundreds of
square miles of mesquite who would be more than thrilled for someone to take
them out(for free).  A fairly large bulldozer is needed to uproot them or an
aggressive chemical program.

David

-----Original Message-----
From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net]On Behalf Of Saint Phlip
Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2007 6:38 PM
To: Sponsored by ABANA
Subject: Re: [TheForge] question regarding depth of charcoal forge

Umm, my charcoal isn't made from mesquite plants. Generally it's from
northern hardwoods.

On 7/11/07, Grant Marcoux <gblacksmith at alamedanet.net> wrote:
> 4" deep is good....you need to be able to maintain a proper neutral layer
> for good welding.  I have found that a 4" deep firepot is fine for
charcoal
> fires in this regard as the air blast, properly managed, is far enough
from
> the work piece to prevent oxidation.  Tis a great fuel for welding...I
have
> gotten good results in shallow pots with it.
>
> I have also been told that charcoal is not an eco-friendly fuel; not
because
> of the way it burns, but that the Mexican mesquite/chaparral plant
community
> it is made from is basically forcibly uprooted in the desert environments
it
> grows in by vehicles towing big plows/rakes of a sort.  It is said that
many
> animals are displaced and killed by this harvest method.  I have not seen
> this first hand, but have been told of it by folks in a position to know.
>
> Maybe someone out there knows more about this than I do.  I would like to
> know the truth of the issue, as I have minimized my purchases of charcoal
> for this reason.
>
> Grant
>

--
Saint Phlip

Heat it up
Hit it hard
Repent as necessary.

Priorities:

It's the smith who makes the tools, not the tools which make the smith.

Blessed be the self-righteous, for they shall inherit themselves.
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