Switched from coke to charcoal and my forge has never run better

For years I used regular coke in my forge because that's what the old timers around here used. I figured it was the only way to get good heat for welding. About 6 months ago I ran out and the supplier in Springfield was out of coke. They had a pallet of hardwood charcoal sitting there from a guy who went out of business. I grabbed a bag for 15 bucks just to keep working. First fire I lit with it I noticed way less smoke and the heat came on faster. My steel seemed to scale less too. Now I'm fully switched over and I save about 40 bucks a month on fuel. Has anyone else had a similar experience moving away from what they were taught?

3 comments

3 Comments

val97416d ago

My buddy runs a horseshoe forge and he tried the same swap. He found his steel actually welded cleaner with charcoal, less inclusions in the billet. He thought it was just his technique at first but after a few weeks he figured out it was the fuel. The lower sulfur content in charcoal makes a real difference for forge welding, something the old timers didn't always account for because they grew up on coke. I wonder how many other smiths are missing out on cleaner welds just because they stick with what they were taught.

adam18616d ago

That's a real good point and it makes me think about how often we just do things the way we were taught without questioning it. In my line of work I see the same thing with guys who insist on using oil-based primers when water-based ones work just as well or better now. We get locked into these habits because "that's how it's always been done" and it takes someone actually testing the old ways against new methods to see the difference. Your buddy's experience with charcoal sounds like one of those cases where going against the grain ended up paying off. It reminds me that most trades and crafts probably have hidden improvements sitting right under our noses that we miss because we're too busy sticking to the routine. Makes you wonder what else we're all missing out on by not being willing to try something different once in a while.

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ruby_bell4716d ago

My buddy swears by it too but I wonder if cleaner welds are really that noticeable for most smiths?