[TheForge] coal or charcoal

[Mitchell P Widham]

Can you tell me more about the "Frying oil for lamps", I also illuminate
my shop with oil lamps but burn kerosene, it now cost about $7.00 a gal
at Lowes. 


Mitch Widham
Operations Supervisor
Campus Safety Department
v: 7580
f: 4932
mitchell.widham at erau.edu
-----Original Message-----
From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Peter Hirst
Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2008 10:42 AM
To: Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA
Subject: Re: [TheForge] coal or charcoal

2 times the charcoal?  By volume, maybe, not by weight.  Same is true
for
coke:  its less dense.  But weight --i.e., mass -- is the critical
comparison.

A couple of other things to condier about charcoal.  Think of it as
bio-fuel. It outs to use energy that would otherwise be wasted in the
natural process of decomposition.  And it returns carbon to the
atmosphere that (1) was rcently captured, and (2) would also have gone
back in decomposition, largely as CO2.  By virtue of these facts, its
carbon impact on the environment is zero.  Add to that the fact that
every joule of energy used from charcoal displaces one from a fossil
fuel, and you have a net negative carbon impact.  The more efficiently
the charcoal is produced (i.e. 
by retort rather than coal mound) the greater this gain.  Add to THAT,
if your wood source is a properly managed wood lot, you are increasing
the health, vigor and growth rate of the lot, sucking still MORE carbon
out of the atmosphere.

In restoring the historic shop I am working on, I am including a
proposal for woodlot management as the sole source of fuel (aside from
the frying oil for the lamps).  With a system that includes a properly
managed retort, I can heat the shop, light the fires, brew the coffee,
and enjoy an unlimited supply of free fuel.  While flipping  Exxon-Mobil
and Nstar the bird.

I plan to be selling carbon credits from free charcoal to anyone who
needs them to burn five-hundred-dollar coal.

Keziah

----- Original Message -----
From: "Allen Ortery" <bluestoneforge at gmail.com>
To: <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2008 10:21 AM
Subject: [TheForge] coal or charcoal


> Elmer roush uses charcoal for everything,also uses gas. I have seen
> him forge broad axes in charcoal so if you have a sorce for the wood
> to make your own it will work well. i think you will use 2x the
> charcoal as you would use coal
> Allen
> _______________________________________________
> Manage membership or unsubscribe at:
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge
> theforge mail list group photo site is
> http://www.photoaccess.com
> Login:  blacksmithblacksmith at hotmail.com
> password:  anvil
> ___________
>
>
> 

_______________________________________________
Manage membership or unsubscribe at:
http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge
theforge mail list group photo site is
http://www.photoaccess.com
Login:  blacksmithblacksmith at hotmail.com
password:  anvil
___________