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Shoutout to the smithy at the Living History Museum in Williamsburg, I used to think coal was just coal | Blacksmiths - Guest Forum

the_ray•6mo ago

Shoutout to the smithy at the Living History Museum in Williamsburg, I used to think coal was just coal

I was there last weekend and got to watch them work for a good hour. The smith was using this super clean, dense anthracite, and the fire was so much more steady and hot than the bituminous stuff I usually get from the local supplier. He said it burns cleaner with less smoke and clinker, which honestly, I never really considered. I've always just bought whatever bag was cheapest. Has anyone else made a switch like that and noticed a real difference in their forge work? I'm thinking of hunting down a source, even if it costs a bit more.

4 comments

4 Comments

wade7804mo ago

Totally get what you're saying about the steady heat. I switched last year and the biggest change for me was working on longer pieces. The heat zone is so even, I don't get those cold spots that mess up a weld when I'm drawing out a bar. It just feels more predictable, like the fire does what I tell it to instead of fighting me.

aaron8454mo ago

Forget the fire for a second. The real game changer for me was the cleanup. With my old soft coal, I'd spend twenty minutes after every session just breaking up clinker and digging out the firepot. Now I just tap it once and a solid little puck of ash falls out. It saves so much time and mess, I actually forge more often because the setup and teardown isn't such a chore anymore.