My first time trying a coal forge vs propane was a total disaster

So I been using a propane forge for like 2 years now, and last weekend a buddy let me try his old coal forge. I thought how hard could it be? Well, I spent the first 45 minutes just getting a fire that would actually heat steel, and when I finally got a piece in, it got way too hot way too fast and I melted a chunk off. Propane is just so much easier to control, I don't know how you coal guys do it. Has anyone else switched between the two and had a rough time adjusting?

2 comments

2 Comments

casey84323d ago

Man coal forges have a STEEP learning curve for sure.

burns.richard23d ago

I've been running a coal forge for about three years now and honestly I don't get the whole steep learning curve thing. The first time I lit mine up I had a decent fire going in under ten minutes. You just pile the coal in a cone shape around a little kindling, light it, and wait for the smoke to clear. Once you see that orange glow you can start working metal right away. The trick is keeping the fire clean and not smothering it with too much coal at once. If you can build a campfire you can run a coal forge.