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I've heated my house with coal, but never burned it to get me anywhere.
LoL
When I watched the video earlier it made me think of a time when Oldsguy and I went to the railroad tracks in Parkville, MO to get 3 or 4 bags (yard waste bags) of coal from a derailed train. Yeah, it was probably theft, either that or we were helping with waste clean up.
At the time we were volunteering at the Ft. Osage historical site and used it for blacksmithing. It turned out the coal wasn't well suited for smithing. It burned real smelly and didn't get hot enough in the forge.
I've mostly burned anthracite, which is hard to start and hard to keep burning, but I've burned some soft coal a few times, and it was much easier, though smellier and less hot.
I've gone to a couple of yard sales and found that the houses had coal in the basement, and "volunteered" to help clean them up by filling my pickup bed.
Free is free.
Of course, my grandfather used to tell stories of walking along the tracks with his brothers, collecting pieces of coal that fell from the trains, so they could keep warm at night...
When I watched the video earlier it made me think of a time when Oldsguy and I went to the railroad tracks in Parkville, MO to get 3 or 4 bags (yard waste bags) of coal from a derailed train. Yeah, it was probably theft, either that or we were helping with waste clean up.
At the time we were volunteering at the Ft. Osage historical site and used it for blacksmithing. It turned out the coal wasn't well suited for smithing. It burned real smelly and didn't get hot enough in the forge.
It was a 19th century forge with a bellows. The coal we got from the railroad tracks was bound for a power plant. It was bituminous coal. As Eric said, anthracite coal is what we needed. It burns hotter and cleaner.
It was a 19th century forge with a bellows. The coal we got from the railroad tracks was bound for a power plant. It was bituminous coal. As Eric said, anthracite coal is what we needed. It burns hotter and cleaner.
Mabe but i was a furnace operator at a foundry and i know that coke is what foundry's used.
Mabe but i was a furnace operator at a foundry and i know that coke is what foundry's used.
Could be that because it was a small historical site, and not a real production forge, that they used coal because it was easier to get in smaller quantities.
Could be that because it was a small historical site, and not a real production forge, that they used coal because it was easier to get in smaller quantities.
- Eric
Yeah right! Better look it up! Google is your friend.When was you last into melting iron before the switch to gas?Mine was not a forge because it was a foundry.The furnace was a cupola. Used for melting iron in large quanity. Now they use mainly electric.
Last edited by wr1970; January 11th, 2017 at 11:31 AM.
Yeah right! Better look it up! Google is your friend.When was you last into melting iron before the switch to gas?Mine was not a forge because it was a foundry.The furnace was a cupola. Used for melting iron in large quanity. Now they use mainly electric.
Hard coal plus air is perfectly adequate to heat iron bright red for blacksmithing.
- Eric
I know but coke will do the same thing you don't have to get it hot to the melting point.I am sure you know this. The air is the what super heats coke or coal. It seems like you know some of what is needed. I was making a suggestion and your making it seem like i don't know what i am talking about. For a fact coke is as good as coal maybe better for a forge. Don't discount what you haven't tried. I have seen blacksmiths work with iron several times.
You clearly know what you're talking about. Much more than I do.
And of course coke is a much better fuel for any sort of forging or smelting.
You seemed to be taking Olds64 to task for not using coke.
I was pointing out that for a historic demonstration shop, hard coal would work just fine.
- Eric
Now don't twist what i was saying that they were doing anything wrong. I only said you need coke and that was all there is to it.I wasn't suggesting anything about 64 being capable to handle the job with coal. I just know coke works good and fast at heating. Over and out back to the thread enough on coke.
I'm pretty certain industrial methods of heating iron weren't in use yet in the beginning of the 19th century when Ft. Osage was occupied on the Lewis and Clark trail. You would have to bicker back and forth with my dad; Oldsguy, about the specifics of it. He did the forging and I worked the bellows and brain tanned hides.
BTW, thanks for posting the link and the pic Eric. That is the forge I helped my dad work so many years ago.
My dad actually got an award from Jackson County in 1999 or 2000 for being a "Most Valuable" volunteer. It was just a plaque the director presented at a dinner, but it was very cool.
Also sorry to everyone else for hi-jacking a thread.
Interesting thread. Love the car. Have to mess with a few people I know with that video. LOL
Where I hike is old coal mining ghost towns and out in the middle of nowhere is the brick coke ovens. Pretty cool to see a row of dome shaped ovens covered in moss and ferns. One of the towns I frequent all that is left is rusty metal and concrete or bricks, nature, fire and salvage has taken everything else.
Swimming pool from the old school.
Sorry about the side track just find coal interesting.
January 9th, 2017, 08:14 PM
