Coal/Coke supply

Metalhead0483

Metalhead0483

Joined
Jan 17, 2008
Messages
539
Hey all, it's been a while since I've been on. It's been a busy year.

I've been using a homemade gas forge for the past couple of years and have decided it's not really my cup of tea. I stumbled uppon a really nice coal forge for sale here in Haines (which in itself is nothing short of miraculous) this week and snapped it right up. Now I'm trying to figure out a coal supply. It's a bear up here. All the suppliers I used back east only ship UPS, which would cost about twice as much as the coal itself. Does anyone know of a coal supplier who will ship smaller ammounts through the mail?

Thanks a bunch.

Oh, and the best part about the whole forge deal? The add in the classifieds said it came with an anvil and 13 tongs, so I'm expecting a cheap ASO and some rusty old tongs. Nope! The anvil's a vulcan, about 100 pounds and in great shape, and the tongs are a nicly assorted lot and also in great shape. Price for the whole setup? Three hundred bucks. God loves me today :D
 
Metalhead0483 said:
Hey all, it's been a while since I've been on. It's been a busy year.

I've been using a homemade gas forge for the past couple of years and have decided it's not really my cup of tea. I stumbled uppon a really nice coal forge for sale here in Haines (which in itself is nothing short of miraculous) this week and snapped it right up. Now I'm trying to figure out a coal supply. It's a bear up here. All the suppliers I used back east only ship UPS, which would cost about twice as much as the coal itself. Does anyone know of a coal supplier who will ship smaller ammounts through the mail?

Thanks a bunch.

Oh, and the best part about the whole forge deal? The add in the classifieds said it came with an anvil and 13 tongs, so I'm expecting a cheap ASO and some rusty old tongs. Nope! The anvil's a vulcan, about 100 pounds and in great shape, and the tongs are a nicly assorted lot and also in great shape. Price for the whole setup? Three hundred bucks. God loves me today :D
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That is a good deal :thumbup: I have a hand-crank Buffalo forge and for a while I was buying anthracite coal through our local Agway farm supply store. They also sell bags of wood charcoal (not barbecue briquets) which is an old time traditional fuel. But then I'm an amateur and inconsistent smith, I use whatever I get my hands on :D
 
Are there no local coal mines near you.I can buy direct from a mine less than 10 miles away.

Talk to some truckers too.I shoveled a ton off the side of a road where a trucker friend of mine saw another trucker dump because he was afraid he was overloaded and heard there was a check ahead.
 
R.H.Clark said:
Are there no local coal mines near you.I can buy direct from a mine less than 10 miles away.
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Unfortunatly the only thing that gets mined around here is gold and other metals. Not so much with the coal. I can only wish coal was that easy around here...

I just found a guy on ebey who sells soft coal and coke by the flat-rate box. Price is fairly decent too. Score :)
 
Coldwood said:
That is a good deal :thumbup: I have a hand-crank Buffalo forge and for a while I was buying anthracite coal through our local Agway farm supply store. They also sell bags of wood charcoal (not barbecue briquets) which is an old time traditional fuel. But then I'm an amateur and inconsistent smith, I use whatever I get my hands on :D
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I've made charcoal for forges in the past. Easy, cheap, clean, functional, and very traditional. But we don't have any good hardwoods here to make it out of and I find that softwoods make pretty poor forging charcoal.
 
You want forging coal ,not heating coal. Pocahontas #3 is the one most preferred, but any low volatile soft coal (Bituminous) will work.It comes from VA/WV.
Lump charcoal ( natural wood, not briquettes) is another good alternative. It can be found at many home centers and supermarkets.
Coke is made in the forge as the coals burn ( by "coking" off the volatiles), and not normally purchased.

Anvilfire has a lot of coal/charcoal and other great info. http://www.anvilfire.com/index.htm

Charcoal is easy to make in a 55 gallon drum or a pit, and is generally the easiest fuel to use in areas like yours.

Check the phone book ( or Google) under blacksmith, farm supply, charcoal, and coal.

Also, some blacksmith societies/guilds/clubs purchase several tons of coal ( a truck load), and bag it up to be sold to the members cheaply.

Besides the nostalgia, there is little advantage to a coal forge over a gas forge. What is the problem you have been having?
 
A little closer to you is the fact that the air force station at Clear, AK is powered by a fairly large coal fired plant. Don't know where they get the coal, but I *think* it comes from train from Fairbanks. So someone in AK has coal.

Perhaps try to find an AK blacksmith and ask them where they get their coal?

Good luck. And congrats on the score too!

Al
 
Oh, I'm very familiar with anthracite, soft coal, coke, and the differences between the lot. I've worked at several forges in the past down in the lower 48. And I could make charcoal very easily, but the types of wood around here don't make very good charcoal. The BTU output would be too low.

I've been told by many people that gas is better, and I get their arguments, but I just don't care for it. I suspect I'll still use my homemade gas forge for some things, but I'm going back to coal for my primary forging. I guess I'm a bit old-fashoned that way :o ;)

I got that new anvil mounted today. Damn it's got nice rebound. I think I did rather well :D
 
Albin said:
A little closer to you is the fact that the air force station at Clear, AK is powered by a fairly large coal fired plant. Don't know where they get the coal, but I *think* it comes from train from Fairbanks. So someone in AK has coal.

Al
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For the most part the coal used in heating and power stations is anthracite, which isn't ideal for forge fuel. And I happen to know that that's what is used up there. There are huge piles of it up there. Of course, that's also in excess of 600 miles away from me. Alaska's biiiig... ;)
 
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