[TheForge] Coal, propane, or charcoal?

[Washington, Aubrey O.]

Brian,

As Phlip and Jonathan have pointed out, you can get plenty of heat from good hardwood charcoal (not briquettes) in a small forge.  I have nothing whatsoever against charcoal as a fuel except that it is more expensive than coal.  Personally, I have both coal and propane forges, and I like them both, for different reasons.  Propane is easy and fast to start up and close down, burns cleanly, and is easy to heat a broader area of steel.  With a good burner and insulation, you can forge weld in a propane forge.  Coal is cheaper and I can focus the heat in a particular area better.  I can also work on larger and oddly shaped pieces easier in a coal forge.  With good fire management you forge weld easily in a coal forge.

Since you already have a coal forge, it should be easy for you to convert to charcoal.  Then build a propane forge and you will have both.

Aubrey

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From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net [theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Brian Reedy [lfpd7311 at gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, September 11, 2008 10:17 AM
To: The Forge
Subject: [TheForge] Coal, propane, or charcoal?

What fuel do you prefer to use; coal, propane, or charcoal?  Something else?!?  Why?  What do you use most often?

I'm in a residential area and I'm not so sure I can get by with using coal for too much longer (at least that's what the kind police officer suggested) and charcoal is like forging with a Zippo in a homemade rivet-style forge.  I'm looking at building a propane forge but venturi burners are rather intimidating and I'm worried about fuel usage and cost.  I only get to fire up the forge 1-2 times a month if I'm lucky but if I switch to propane I'd be out there 3-4 times a week.  Any one else in a similar predicament?  Thanks.


Brian Reedy
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