coal vs propain

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Nathan B.

Joined
Jan 19, 2006
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4
Wich is more cost effeciant to use? Which is faster to get up to forging temp?
I ask theese questions because I am wanting to get into forging knifes, I have chunks of free time at work but often only one to two hours at a time.Is it possible to work on a knife in this limited time? I would also like to be able to forge and weld butplates and trigger guards for long rifles with this forge.
I apreciate your help.

Nathan B. West Texas
 
Depends a great deal on the design of the individual forge and the skill of the person using it. I've seen propane forges that take five or more minutes to come to usability, others ready in as little as two minutes. I can get my coal forge up and running in about two minutes. Used to take me ten when I was first starting out.

Knifemaking can indeed be done in several one or two hour sessions. Knives don't come with expiration dates, so you can indeed work a little at a time on them.
 
There are a lot of things to consider.
Where you will be forging - in the city of in a rural area.Coal burning is not the best for the city.
Availability - The right kind of Coal can be harder to get in some areas.
Portability,type of forging,and budget are some more.
I started with coal 45 years ago because it was free and propane was very expensive.Now I use only propane.I think propane is cleaner and less smelly,faster in the start-up/shut-down,easier to regulate the heat,and much better for damascus.
Coal has that nostalgic feeling,is cheaper (especially the forge itself),and can do some things that propane forges can't.
 
Nathan B. said:
What can coal forges do that propane cant?
Click to expand...
I find my coal forge provides two advantages over my propane forge:
  • Better control. I can heat a very small and localized area with the coal fire. Also, my coal forge is more open allowing longer pieces to be more easily moved around to different orientations.

  • Higher heat. This is a limitation of my particular propane forge, but I can get my coal fire significantly above welding heat if I want to.
That said, I prefer to use propane when possible because it is cleaner and much faster and easier to start (for me).

Most responders here will have more experience than me. I just wanted to throw in my 2 cents worth based on my particular setup.

--SAK
 
Nathan B. said:
What can coal forges do that propane cant?
Click to expand...

Heat a 2" square area without having to heat the entire work piece up to the same temp.

Charcoal is the fastest, as soon as the match is put to it you can start forging, neighbors will not know you are not barbecuing, if they notice anything at all. It is the cleanest; you can weld in it with virtually no flux at all, it creates a very rich oxygen free atmosphere with no silicates and other crap. You can make your own or buy a big bag of lump hardwood stuff (real charcoal, not the brickettes) at Lowes or Walmart. For banging out small hunters for a hobby it should work, but it does burn up very fast compared to the others and because of this could be more expensive unless you make your own.

The problem with coal forges is that you don't use coal for forging, you use coke, and it will take a few minutes to convert your coal to coke before you can start forging in it without a serious mucked up mess. Finding a source for good coal could be a problem- stoker coal will not work well. Let us not forget those annoying black boogers.

A wool lined gas forge will heat up in about 5 minutes, a refractory shelled gas forge will take longer. Some gas forges are noisier, some are quieter. All the ones that I have seen that were worth a hoot for welding were noisier. Gas forges are notorious handle heaters, i.e. the workpiece tends to get hot so far out from the fire that you may not want to grab it with your hand- I have never had this problem with coal or charcoal. With fuel costs doing what they are doing these days propane may end up being the most expensive route, I know I am lighting my coal forge a lot more these days when I have a quick job to do.

Just a few of my experiences and observations;)
 
When you can only work for an hour or two how do you go about turning off a coal forge when you are through? Just let it burn out? Is this still more cost effective than using a propane forge? Is coal hard to get in west Texas, Odessa to be exact? Sorry for all the questions! I would reather have a coal forge because I plan on using all hand tools for my knife and gun building projects. But I also want to keep costs in mind, mainly just the cost for operating the forge. I have welders and all the tools it takes to build the forge, just want to have a little knowledge about the availability of coal and cost to use it before I jump in up to my neck as my wife would say! She just dont understand the simple things in life. Thanks
Nathan
 
I have started making my own charcoal and am loving it.This is due to the cost of propane now and lack of decent coal in my area.Scrap wood can be found all over and can be had for free,old pallets work great you just have to get the nails out after you burn it or before,constuction sites are a good source,the dumpster at the local lumber yard,wood is all over the place if you look.otherwisw it is just a little time picking it up and burning it.

When you are done with a coal or charcoal forge yu can just scoop the hot coals out of the duck nest and put them out with some water and use them again when you forge the next time.

Bruce
 
I've got plans for a solar forge once the rain leaves the northwest. I forged for a number of years with coal and then built a propane forge and never used coal again. Propane prices have gone up 25% but I still feel its still worth it. I had gone to a blacksmith hammerin a few years ago where coal was being used. I had to leave because I was getting sick from the smoke.
 
I have both, but for most work I prefer my coke forge because of the control. I use a mix of charcoal and coke instead of coal. The charcoal lights quick, and the coke burns longer, but will go out quickly if not tended to. Both are very clean fuels with little to no sulphur to get in the way. The only drawback I have is taking the time to crush the coke into useable pieces.

forging in short bursts, you may want to consider shut down, a gas forge can be shut down faster, and would be less of a fire hazzard. Coal, coke, and charcoal can be "banked" by placing a log in the pot, covering it with fresh fuel, and then shutting off the blast. When you come back, it usually only takes turning on the air again to re-light the fire. With practice you can get a fire back up after 4 hours or longer.
 
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