Blacksmithing Coal - Fines are Just Fine - Thak Ironworks

[@johndondertman1502]

I bought some coal from you a year or so ago, been using coke I had left but will try the coal next.. your shop is incredible. Thanks for the video.

[@scottlanghorst1483]

Canadian Tire flyer I love it.🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦

[@danp3796]

I saw that too LOL

[@bluehill1275]

I’m a hobby guy and I’ve been blacksmithing for over thirty years. Way back in the day our guild brought in a couple of truckloads of fines from Alberta and I bought maybe four tons or so. Almost pure fines, but it was cheap. It’s all I’ve ever used and for me it works great. I smiled at your jellyfish newspaper ball. Years ago I attended a seminar led by the great Frank Turley, who taught us the same method, but being from New Mexico where they used to do the atomic bomb tests, he described the newspaper ball with the tail as a mushroom cloud. I love your videos.

[@scottlanghorst1483]

I put wet coal powder in a big ketchup can. Put the lid on, set it upside down in a fire and coke it. Thanks for the great video, Thak.

[@2hands_and_a_brain917]

I've been using high quality new Zealand coal fines wet to build a 'roof' over the top of my fire when I want to create a cave to see thin pieces color , or for forge welding. I keep it wet with a can with holes in the bottom like a shower. It forms a nice crusty roof that wont collapse. feed the fire by pressing in new coal from the sides in a downwards fashion to keep the fire fed. Always admire your quality intstruction Thak!

[@sheep1ewe]

As i where told whan i was an aprentice long time ago, my master taught the water would also help kepping a concentrated hetspot by adding in generator gas from the water it self, i don't know if this is tru or just s theory, but it seem to work with higer grade coal. (unfortunatly i could only get ceap grade industrial coal where live and it creates tons of dust and does not build up that nice little oven, we used to buy British coal back in the days, maybe one can still got it but it is very expensive where i live nowadays, i guess it is much easier and cheper to obtain good quality grade coal in NZ or if one live in or close to the US, in the south of the US there are also i think great options to make Antracit mixtures in order to adjust the desired burning time and temperature desires). (Sorry for my English it is not my native language.. .)

[@The_Smith]

Couple decades ago our guild brought in a batch of high grade metalurgical coal from Hinton that was a 100% fines mixed with water to the consistancy of wet concrete and coked it up. worked OK, but I don't miss the mess or time spent.

[@MauledByBears]

How do you buy your coal? By the train load? We're having trouble getting it in New England already. The mine that my supplier dealt with for years is closing.

[@patuxentvalleyforge1291]

Green coal when burned mixes with water in the atmosphere and produces sulfuric acid. This is far worse a problem if you keep your coal wet. Maybe not such a problem with a brick chimney as he has, but if you have a steel chimney it will eat through it in short order. I’m using the same coal he does and have a side draft “super sucker” style hood made from 16 gauge. Just a year and a half old and I have severe thinning and several pin holes. I live in a humid environment so I’m sure it doesn’t help. I may make my next one from stainless or significantly heavier material but I believe it will still be a consumable part to some extent.

[@riAN1337]

in germany the general available coal is allready quite pure, some time near to anthrazite. at least thats wat we import from poland. but i really prepare the coal to have a lot of tar and oils in it to build my fire as like you would with charcoal and clay, and i allways wet the outsides. using this my coal cunsumption decreased dramtically and i can controll my fire based on what dimensions i'm working with. note on working with high carbon steel (c45 upwards): i tend to use a mix of charcoal, coke and coal supported on the sides with bricks to have a more uniform fire. this way the piece of steel can be left to fully warm up inside the fire and not only the outside parts of it. there are so many ways to do it, but i deffinitly prefer coal oder gas.

[@jasonscott7803]

👍✌️⚒️

[@W_Bowyer98]

Awesome video Thak, quick question about water content in the coal storage bucket, do you keep your coal paste like in the bin or is it saturated beyond that point?

[@ThakIronworks]

Beyond that...we fill it until the water is same level as coal

[@W_Bowyer98]

@ThakIronworks awesome I'll have to give that a try, thanks Thak!

[@johndondertman1502]

What’s this, you soak the coal?

[@treelore7266]

I half-expected this to be about carbon taxes.