Starting a Coal Forge Fire // Starting a Coal Fire in a Blacksmith Coal Forge

I walk you through the steps for starting a coal forge fire. Starting a coal fire in a forge can be a bit tricky when you are first learning. You can purchase blacksmith coal forge for forging, or there are designs where you could build your own. In my case, I show you how to start a coal forge with my own antique coal forge that my wife purchased when I first started blacksmithing.

In this video not only do I discuss coal forge basics, but I also delve into the different stages the coal goes through during the process... from green coal, to coke, clanker (the byproduct).

I personally use Pocahantas coal (soft bimitious coal) that I purchased from my local blacksmith club, SOFA (Southern Ohio Forge and Anvil) in Troy, OH.

How to start a coal forge:
To start your fire, you will wad up some paper in the bottom of the fire pot, and lite it on fire. You will increase the airflow, then smother it with coal. In essence, you are "insulating" fire so that it can build that hot heat you are looking for. Also, you can start your draft with a bit of burning paper. It will get smokier and smokier. As the green coal catches, it will turn from white smoke to a dirty yellowish color (coal is getting hot). Then you know its okay to poke around with the fire. Don't overdo the airflow, you can puff it out. Shimmy the clanker breaker to make sure airways are open.

It takes 45 minutes to get a really good forging fire (green coal turning to coke). In the meanwhile, you can prep workspace, or bend some little s hooks or something.

If you have tall flames, you are wasting coal. You only need intense heat on the bar just where you are working. Use a coal swab to cool off edges of fire. We want to develop a good localized heat. We don't want the flames going all over the place and half baking us. I didn't cool off the inside of the fire pot… it's still glowing hot. This allows you to heat things, such as a railroad spike, efficiently. Proper fire maintenance boils down to this: keeping as small a fire as is useful. You are trying to heat the metal and not yourself. Also, when I take something out or put something in, it moves the fire around on us. We will need to readjust our fire to keep it condensed.
You can get a quicker heat with a coal fire than what someone with a gas forge can.

Last tip, when you are working in a coal forge, it is not constant. It is burning down. Last but not least, don't stick your metal down into the firepot.

If you enjoyed this video, please check out my video on forging a coal swab, and what is it used for here:    • Coal Swab VS Dipper Can for Maintaini...  

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