Why I Prefer Charcoal Forges

2024 ж. 22 Мам.
42 234 Рет қаралды

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Пікірлер
  • Finally someone who works full-time with charcoal. I'm hoping to learn quite a bit from your channel. You have been very helpful showing your fire in this video. I would love to see your bottom draft firepot and compare it to my side draft insulated firebrick pot. I'm loving my charcoal forge.

    @thewirerabbit@thewirerabbit3 жыл бұрын
  • I really like working with charcoal too. I switched to coke the last few years for the price but now that I don't forge fulltime anymore, I will switch back to it. The main reasons are: renewable fuel, easier to find, very easy to light and it is greener than any fuel. It is not true when people say that propane is better for the environment. When you burn it, yes, but to make propane, you need coal. They think that using a gas forge is green because there is not so much emissions, but in reality, it is no better than coal because of the process it needs before you buy the propane. Great vid Btw! :)

    @opforgeron@opforgeron3 жыл бұрын
  • The last 2 weeks I have been using my just completed, home built charcoal forge and agree entirely with everything you just said. My gas forge is going to feel very lonely and neglected in the future! I believe most aspiring blacksmiths watch every utube channel they can find but very few are Aussie, all the american and european smiths only seem to use coke or coal so thats why the mindset is towards those fuels. I want to thank you, not only for confirming my growing opinion of charcoal but also getting the information out for us to think about!

    @paulorchard7960@paulorchard79604 жыл бұрын
    • It is my pleasure Paul!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks4 жыл бұрын
  • 2 years later and here I am picking up awesome tips. Thank you, this channel should be more popular.

    @BluestFalcon@BluestFalcon Жыл бұрын
    • Thank you! I'd like it if it was, too hahaha If you got good tips from this, you might enjoy a recent video of mine, titled "Why your coal forge sucks"

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks Жыл бұрын
    • @@ValhallaIronworks I'll check it out

      @BluestFalcon@BluestFalcon Жыл бұрын
  • Here they sell Royal Oak lump charcoal everywhere. This charcoal is supposed to be pretty good stuff made with 100% hickory. After watching this I’m sure this is the route I need to go for my first forge. Thanks for the helpful info.

    @grasssnake3826@grasssnake3826Ай бұрын
    • Thank you! Best of luck!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworksАй бұрын
    • Red bag culinary charcoal is under-cooked as forge fuel, to leave plenty of flavor. Those volatiles cooking off cools the charcoal, lowering the max potential heat it can generate. That’s been my experience. I use it but the limits are limiting.

      @jrrarglblarg9241@jrrarglblarg9241Ай бұрын
  • I remember being laughed at when speaking about needing more volume as opposed to pressure. In this instance we were making a small cut in a sheet of paper 20 feet wide. the cut is in the middle of a rotating spool which builds diameter then needs to be swapped out. Volume pushes the cut trapped by a nip in the rolls and tears it both ways to it's edges. It also starts the other end on the new spool. These so called educated supervisors could not see the difference. I worked with it daily and agree with you. I look forward to enjoying more of your video's Thank you.

    @stantilton2191@stantilton21913 жыл бұрын
  • I'm very new to forging, but I've been arc welding for 30 years. I can tell you that the smell of burning materials is very important. We need to know when to stop working and put out our burning shoes for instance!

    @tanglediver@tanglediver3 ай бұрын
    • And beards! Don't forget beards!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks3 ай бұрын
  • Finally!Trandional forging explain! Thank you! Greetings from Crete,Greece!

    @chrisVvV1821@chrisVvV18212 жыл бұрын
    • Thank you very much!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks2 жыл бұрын
  • The coal ash is also a toxic mess and really should be disposed of properly. Charcoal ash is actually pretty good for soil (does make it less acidic, which some plants don't like).

    @johnpeters9175@johnpeters91753 жыл бұрын
    • RIP my blueberries

      @esben181@esben1812 жыл бұрын
    • @@esben181 Same here but with my grapes. :(

      @bensartakamcas1n126@bensartakamcas1n1262 жыл бұрын
    • @@esben181 somebody could have told you - NEVER put wood ash on blueberries. They need decidedly acid soil; people usually recommend special acidifiers.

      @philiprutter1@philiprutter12 жыл бұрын
    • ..Or you use it to make gun powder.

      @cristianpopescu78@cristianpopescu782 жыл бұрын
  • Great video Alex!

    @hannemannironworks1651@hannemannironworks16514 жыл бұрын
  • Awesome video very informative, Thank You Wayne.

    @GWIRailroad@GWIRailroad4 жыл бұрын
  • Fantastic tips and info!!!

    @robscott4723@robscott47238 ай бұрын
    • Glad it was helpful!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks8 ай бұрын
  • Thanks for the information! I just started with a charcoal forge myself and after hearing this I think I'll stick to it.

    @Tr1g73ch@Tr1g73ch2 жыл бұрын
  • Excellent video. Thanks Alex

    @rodneylangstroth4577@rodneylangstroth45772 жыл бұрын
    • Glad you liked it!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks2 жыл бұрын
  • Good show thanks

    @allenchancery4847@allenchancery48473 жыл бұрын
  • I used to work at a radiata pine saw mill, got all the offcuts I wanted so I used it to make my own charcoal was awesome, sadly I don’t work there now.

    @FeatherHorseforge@FeatherHorseforge4 жыл бұрын
  • Nice video dude and loads of great info. If I could get the stuff for the right money I would. I think I'll look into it again.

    @danielmoss2089@danielmoss20894 жыл бұрын
  • Awesome video ,so much useful info

    @tobiaspatterson7215@tobiaspatterson7215 Жыл бұрын
    • Glad it was helpful!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks Жыл бұрын
  • That helps man. Thanks a lot.

    @ajsironworks3937@ajsironworks39373 жыл бұрын
    • No problem!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks3 жыл бұрын
  • I've been watching KZhead videos for years, and you covered more material, more clearly, and with less BS than the majority of those I have watched. Well on my way to completing my blade smithing shop. All made by me, with info garnered from knowledgeable men like yourself. Many thanks.

    @breese7488@breese7488 Жыл бұрын
    • That is awesome! Glad you're taking the time to make the tools yourself, too, as no-one is closer with their gear than they who made it themselves! Keep that fire lit!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks Жыл бұрын
    • @@ValhallaIronworks A brief response...I am thankful for your encouragement. I am now planning on modifying my charcoal forge, to the style that you have. Wisdom begs duplication. Best to you Sir. B

      @breese7488@breese7488 Жыл бұрын
  • Thanks so much for making this video! A really great overview on the topic, and great to hear it from someone who has proper experience of using it. I've just started making my own charcoal in a 44 gal retort kiln, having been dissatisfied with the wood fired kiln I built following the Whitlox forge. Charcoal is definitely worth the effort. Really pleased to have discovered your channel- discovered you via Daniel Moss's recent video- YT search algorithm not always that great. I will be working my way through your other videos. Thanks again, and all the best. Sven

    @svenrasmussen3940@svenrasmussen39403 жыл бұрын
    • Thanks for popping by, mate! Welcome!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks3 жыл бұрын
  • From my experience I agree with all you have said. I made my own forges and tools as well as make and use my own charcoal from both a 200 litre drum and a retort that I built. I interchange a manual cranked blower and an electric blower depending on the amount of forging I have planned. I use a 2 litre hand held pump up garden sprayer to apply water around the edges of the fire. It applies an accurate stream of water exactly where it is needed and I prefer it to other methods I have tried. I find you video enjoyable and informative. Subscribed, Thanks

    @michaelmerrigan1064@michaelmerrigan10645 ай бұрын
    • Thanks mate!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks5 ай бұрын
  • I've been told that where I live back in the day if blacksmiths ran out of coal/charcoal they'd use poplar because of how hot it burns

    @shawncawley7164@shawncawley716410 ай бұрын
    • Absolutely - different species all burn with different properties, and are more or less plentiful depending on the locale. It's quite fascinating taking a look back at historical blacksmithing during eras where it was done out of necessity rather than art!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks10 ай бұрын
  • Love your style mate. I too only use charcoal in Qld, make it ourselves in 205l drums. Have you done a video how to do this? Maybe your viewers would like. The alternative fuel they sell up here in Qld is called "Blacksmiths slack". Its a type of coal with its lump size is easy to use BUT it forms plenty of clinkers and gives a dirty fire compared to pure clean heat you get from hardwood charcoal. As you say you use more fuel with charcoal, but once you try its hard to go back to coal/coke!! Cheers mate

    @robynbliss8990@robynbliss89902 жыл бұрын
    • I definitely love it! I have built retorts in the past, but they've always been temporary setups. There are a few videos out on KZhead on how to build and run them, but maybe I'll do one in future when I set up a permanent build! It's a great way to make use of scrap lumber and deadfalls!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks2 жыл бұрын
  • Loved your video. I cook my own charcoal fron acacia in the Central Highlands of Victoria.

    @basaltplainscreationsaustr1194@basaltplainscreationsaustr11943 жыл бұрын
    • That is awesome!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks3 жыл бұрын
  • The first blacksmiths were using charcoal or coal forges to forge, I know that nowadays we have propane forges, but I like the journey in the past a coal or charcoal forge let you have to the roots of blacksmithing, also as a beginner, I agree what you say thank you for sharing your opinion and knowledge

    @dirmusloner7963@dirmusloner7963 Жыл бұрын
  • Very informative; I’ve been using a gas forge that I built, but have been considering a solid fuel. Thanks for the pointers.

    @markcockerham646@markcockerham646 Жыл бұрын
    • Thanks for watching!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks Жыл бұрын
  • Love the smell of charcoal

    @grandadz_forge@grandadz_forge4 жыл бұрын
  • Just bought a small solid fuel forge with a hand blower. Looking forward to learn how to use it.

    @NordicEdge@NordicEdge3 жыл бұрын
    • That is excellent, Bjorn! Please hit me up if you have any questions about it. I'm planning a video soon teaching how to get the most out of them!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks3 жыл бұрын
  • I hated working with charcoal during my lessons. First because I had such a huge piece, that was nearly impossible with my skill to get a even heat in and second as I only head a weekend as total time I was constantly in a rush state and didn't took my time to learn to use it correctly. the most of the time you were fiddling out glass like stuff from the air blowerand had to restart the fire with the charcoal and then add more coke. I was so happy when I was allowed to use the propane forge. But for heating up, just a specific part on a tong for example I would prefer hard fuel forges over a propane.

    @stefanmierke4801@stefanmierke48014 жыл бұрын
  • Thank you for making this video! I've been using a gas forge for about a year. Since I have an abundance of wood on my property, I just purchased a wood fired forge that can also use charcoal. Your input helped make the decision easy. 🙂 ⚒️

    @vedamaritabullockashley2770@vedamaritabullockashley27703 жыл бұрын
    • That is awesome! It sounds like you're really enjoying it, too!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks3 жыл бұрын
  • I love my charcoal forge... I use box bellows in conjunction and that works awesome...

    @kevinmorgan6382@kevinmorgan63822 жыл бұрын
    • Box bellows are wonderful things! I love the breathing sound they make.

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks2 жыл бұрын
  • Learned a lot about solid fuel forge. Thanks a lot. Luckily I didn't attempt forging with coconut fibre brique after listening to your advise that they won't generate enough heat to allow forging.

    @AdamOoi85@AdamOoi85 Жыл бұрын
  • Your videos are great, and the intro music is amazing.

    @michael3573@michael35733 жыл бұрын
    • Glad you like them!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks3 жыл бұрын
  • Wow cool thanks

    @unforkyours3lf730@unforkyours3lf7302 жыл бұрын
    • No problem

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks2 жыл бұрын
  • My favorite thing about using charcoal is the cost. Coal is readily available where I am, but it is more expensive due to the low demand. Charcoal I make on my own, as you say its quite easy. I save old branches and logs and split them to turn them into charcoal. Since I have a manual blower, it costs basically nothing to run, as opposed to my gas forges with electric fans. Great to see a charcoal smith, thanks!!!

    @dtrotteryt@dtrotteryt Жыл бұрын
    • It's very empowering being able to make your own forge fuel in your backyard using scrap!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks Жыл бұрын
  • Well u just finished my 1st pair of tongs and u use oak in my forge. And I feel it works really well😇😁😇

    @bennyhill3642@bennyhill3642 Жыл бұрын
    • Sounds great!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks Жыл бұрын
  • Agreed

    @The_Devil_Nside@The_Devil_Nside4 жыл бұрын
  • Hi my name is John and I like using a propane Forge for most of my knife making because it gives an even Heat oh, but I also like using a charcoal or coal Forge as well.

    @wmcutlery54@wmcutlery542 жыл бұрын
  • Good video, enjoyed as always. Love charcoal, I find it much more enjoyable to use than coal. However where I live in the US I can get a truckload of coal for cheap and easier than charcoal. The smell/smoke makes me wish otherwise.

    @jb8086@jb80864 жыл бұрын
  • My farm land has a lot of unwanted trees and eucalyptus trees, i have made charcoal before but this time I goda make tons of it for supply.

    @WHYNKO@WHYNKO2 жыл бұрын
  • I've been thinking about learning how to do this.

    @honkingdonk3981@honkingdonk39812 жыл бұрын
    • You should! It's amazing fun!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks2 жыл бұрын
  • Thanks so much for all the information. Definitely going to watch this a couple times! Just ordered a hand cranked blower today so I'll have better air control cause while the hair dryer is alright I don't have a good gate system that gives me the control I want.

    @fredbergman6623@fredbergman66234 жыл бұрын
    • Sounds awesome! I do have a video on building your own air gate out of wood that might help! kzhead.info/sun/kpdpctWtiauwfYE/bejne.html

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks4 жыл бұрын
  • Mate I have trying to get information on charcoal . I have a gas forge but you know the problems with them . And if I herd you write you live in Tasmania . Well I live NSW Australia , and you are the only blacksmith channel that I have found down under . Cheers :)

    @douglasfathers4848@douglasfathers48483 жыл бұрын
  • I use a side blast forge when using charcoal fuel. I find it to be easier to maintain and use.

    @gurudasbock@gurudasbock3 жыл бұрын
    • All of the different styles of forge have their pros and cons! It's great you've found what works for your method of forging!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks3 жыл бұрын
  • In last week i atarted makeing a boc bellow for my forge.

    @gebhardt244@gebhardt2443 жыл бұрын
    • Excellent!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks3 жыл бұрын
  • Friend and I are working on making a forge. It's made from cinder blocks and fueled basically by just charcoal. We're working on a lawnmower blade we were given. Our air comes from a leaf blower. Three tries and almost 16 lbs of charcoal and we've not managed to get the blade to go orange even once And I only just found out that the briquettes should absolutely not be used

    @thomass2505@thomass25052 жыл бұрын
    • I think every blacksmith has gone through that saga before! Remember it's not just the speed of the air going through, it's the volume! Think of it like blowing on a fire. If you blow too hard and fast, the fire gets blown out. If you blow too soft and slow, nothing happens. You have to blow at a very specific rate and move a very specific amount of air to make it roar to life!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks2 жыл бұрын
  • I love a charcoal forge. Gets plenty hot to weld, doesn's smoke much, easy to light and very little tending. Few supplies in QLD so thats good

    @Ab0minati0n@Ab0minati0n Жыл бұрын
    • Also, with a trivet thrown on top, you can cook your lunch on it! 😆

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks Жыл бұрын
    • @@ValhallaIronworks now I'm thinking about Sausageman"s sausages

      @Ab0minati0n@Ab0minati0n Жыл бұрын
  • Thank you for your insights, makes a lot of sense! Have you had much formal training in smithing or are you mostly self taught? Thanks again mate!

    @dylanodoherty9702@dylanodoherty97023 жыл бұрын
    • All self taught!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks3 жыл бұрын
  • Great presentation!Very helpfull.My forge doesn't heat enough,no matter how much air blow in, I think my firepot is too small..too.. I was trying to weld ..got nothing but frustration and wasteing my time. I confess: I used charcoal brickets ..I didnt know nothing about,just suspected it would be a problem with...Waching this video is God's response to my prays " please Show me!" Thanks a lot ! Big,big 👍from me

    @cristianpopescu78@cristianpopescu782 жыл бұрын
    • Unfortunately charcoal briquettes won't ever reach those temperatures. Don't forget that it's not just about the speed of the air entering the fire, but the volume as well. Try and keep the air tube nice and wide the entire way. The narrowest part of my air tube is still 2" across!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks2 жыл бұрын
  • Hey! Just stumbled onto your channel. Thanks for taking the time for us viewers. I too am in a pickle over fuel. Here I can get 40# of lump mesquite charcoal cheap, $13 and was striving to use coal - very expensive in California. Now after your clarification I'll be moving forward with charcoal only! I've finished building 3 forges this year - each one with a bigger firebox - until I found a size that works for me. I wanted to share my experience with the size of the tuyere. To get the air sound - blast - my understanding is volume is of prime importance. Avoid restrictions and the speed or blast will take care of itself. So I used 3 1/2" sch. 40 pipe throughout the entire tuyere. This may sound a bit large, but believe me it works. I just went out and started a fire and the blast comes about with less than half a turn of the blower. My blower is an antique of medium size - much smaller than a 400 champion to give you some idea. Also I noticed that you had a piece of metal between the blower and forge. Great idea - actually necessary - because of the heat generated. I don't have that on my forges. An old priest I met from Nicaragua came by and told me as a youngin' he was required to turn the blower and my tuyere was too short - too close to the forge for any extended forging. I'll be building a new tuyere with an extra foot between blower and forge. Thanks again subbed and will be tuning in!

    @davewilson1591@davewilson15913 жыл бұрын
    • Thanks for following, mate! Sounds like you're right into it! I love it!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks3 жыл бұрын
  • Thank you. Fortunately, I'm my own charcoal supplier.

    @richardhawkins2248@richardhawkins22482 жыл бұрын
  • Hey mate I’m starting out and I’m on my third revision of charcoal forges I’ve built I watched tonnes of videos and yours by far is the best set up I’ve seen. Is there any chance you have plans or dimensions of your set up so I can replicate it.

    @jedsoutlook2810@jedsoutlook28107 ай бұрын
    • I can do you one better! Check out a recent video of mine called "Why your coal forge sucks" - It's a super in-depth deep dive on how to get the maximum efficiency out of your solid fuel forge design, regardless of what size or shape it is!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks7 ай бұрын
  • Used charcoal because that all i had but it get the job done well. fond out the hard way. LOL 1 by 1 bar gone in a minute it $8 a bag from the store. I got a air bed blower for air ( loud as hell) My forge kind of look like yours. It version 2. 2-A soon to be 2.2-B Not a weld used to make it. all from trash.

    @blackgriffinxx@blackgriffinxx2 жыл бұрын
  • I prefer solid fuel forges, although I am thinking about getting ahold of a propane forge (one of the Mr. Volcano ones) because of the ready availability of propane. I live in the suburbs and so I don't like using coal since it may result in bad relations with my neighbors. I have been using coke, but it's increasingly harder to get, due to mining it for industrial purposes being uneconomical due to fracking producing such cheap natural gas. I recently purchased 150lbs of the stuff and had to drive 300 miles round trip to get it. Charcoal is relatively easy to get around here (I live in Texas and it's basically always barbecue weather), but it can be expensive. I crunched the numbers and these 34 lb sacks I can get from Costco work out to slightly more than the coke. One of the big reasons I don't like to use it, though, is fire fleas (sparks) which like to land on your arms when forging. It also makes it unsafe to use when in drought conditions. I notice that your fire doesn't seem to spark that much and that it's surrounded by pieces of sheet metal. Is that to contain the sparks? Do you have other tips about dealing with them? I would use wood, but I don't have an adequate supply of it.

    @redrob6331@redrob63314 ай бұрын
    • I find that using hardwood lump charcoal produces far fewer sparks, but you can never fully get rid of them. The sheet metal shield I sometimes put around my fire pot is actually to block the wind! My forge is open-fronted, meaning that when the day is windy enough, and from the wrong direction, it can negatively impact my fire in all kinds of ways, so I have a temporary sheet steel shield I can put up to block it and forge in peace!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks4 ай бұрын
    • @@ValhallaIronworks it’s hardwood charcoal that I have used, and currently use to light the coke. Do you know if it’s resin or moisture which causes the sparks? Often, the species is mesquite.

      @redrob6331@redrob63314 ай бұрын
    • I believe it's just the nature of solid fuel based fires which cause the fire fleas. However, excess moisture certainly does cause more of them

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks4 ай бұрын
  • So glad I found you. I wanna black Smith as primitive and self sufficient as possible

    @unforkyours3lf730@unforkyours3lf7302 жыл бұрын
    • I try to do it that way as often as I can, and hope to do it exclusively that way one day.

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks2 жыл бұрын
  • Great video - thanks! What’s the song played during the intro?

    @HoldFastForge@HoldFastForge2 жыл бұрын
    • It's a song called "Lamp Light" by an Australian artist who goes by the name Old Semiel. His details are in the description!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks2 жыл бұрын
    • @@ValhallaIronworks Oops - missed that. Thanks for the info, and keep up the great content 👍🏻

      @HoldFastForge@HoldFastForge2 жыл бұрын
  • since the war in ukraine, i've found charcoal that's the same cost as forge coal. Except charcoal is already de-gassed and pure, while the coal has to burn its crud and coke up (so you're losing like half the weight just in useless flames). Charcoal makes sparks so it's annoying sometimes, but it has so MANY advantages ! If it's hardwood charcoal (the best fuel i've ever had EVER was homemade oak charcoal), it's gonna burn for reasonably long, so it will keep the heat well, but it won't make any clinkers. It also takes very little oxygen to burn. It will keep its heat for longer when you cut the air, it doesn't make flames so you can see easily into the core of the fire, it doesnt smoke or make me cough black dust at the end of the day, it doesnt have any sulfur so it can't contaminate your steel, and it's closer to the medieval and old ways of forging. It's more expensive than propane tho. But it's renewable so ... i suppose thats good ?

    @jeanladoire4141@jeanladoire4141 Жыл бұрын
  • I am building my first forge and have been looking for supplies of lump hardwood charcoal but unable to find a supplier of good charcoal in Adelaide. You mentioned a business in Tasmania and wondering if they supply under a brand name so I can look into availability in Adelaide.

    @miltonshields6877@miltonshields68773 жыл бұрын
    • Unfortunately they don't ship outside of Tasmania :( but keep looking around! I have used Samba charcoal in the past, and the quality is quite good. My only issue with them is that the size of the pieces can sometimes be quite large, but that's only occasionally. Ideally you want pieces around the size of golf balls.

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks3 жыл бұрын
    • Any tips on how big the chunks should be and how to achieve that size? I just hammer them smaller and that produces quite a lot of dust

      @thomas.thomas@thomas.thomas3 жыл бұрын
  • I use Charcoal in my forge.

    @wolfsforge2@wolfsforge2 Жыл бұрын
  • I have used charcoal from Bunnings and it's not bad but I don't know where to get the good hardwood stuff you talk about. I'm in Brisbane. Thanks for the info.

    @lenblacksmith8559@lenblacksmith85593 жыл бұрын
    • I used Samba charcoal from Bunnings for years and it works ok. Just much more expensive to buy that way. Restaurant grade charcoal I find works best, and Brisbane has plenty of suppliers - www.charcoalbrisbane.com.au/ - www.charcoalbrisbane.com.au/bbq-charcoal/ - www.ironwoodsmokers.com.au/product-page/gidgee-lump-charcoal-8kg-10kg-19kg

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks3 жыл бұрын
    • @@ValhallaIronworks thanks for that wi check them out

      @lenblacksmith8559@lenblacksmith85593 жыл бұрын
    • @@ValhallaIronworks Yeah Bunnings got rid of that Samba Charcoal was good.

      @lenblacksmith8559@lenblacksmith85593 жыл бұрын
  • what kind of crank blower do you have and where did you get it?

    @CChan11@CChan112 жыл бұрын
    • I have a Zomax blower made in Rajkot India, and got it off of eBay!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks2 жыл бұрын
    • @@ValhallaIronworks I just got a similar blower after your suggestion. If you use that forge for forge welding, I’d be really interested to see how you prep your fire, the size of the charcoal pieces you use and other steps you use. I can easily forge weld in my gas forge but am having a very hard time with charcoal.

      @CChan11@CChan112 жыл бұрын
  • How do you keep the spaks from the charcoal to a minimum and do you break up the charcoal into smaller pieces to get a more even heat or does it not really matter

    @mattwyeth3156@mattwyeth31563 жыл бұрын
    • It really doesn't matter, in my opinion! I always wear eye protection while forging, which I recommend. Outside of that, it's not a problem.

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks3 жыл бұрын
  • What are the measurements on your blower? If you were to fit it into a cube? Or if you could just give me the circumference of the outlet, since it different on every size.

    @elektrobear2027@elektrobear20272 жыл бұрын
    • I'd say the outlet is around a 5-6 cm diameter. Not very big. The entire blower could fit inside of a 1 foot cube.

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks2 жыл бұрын
  • How much will the draft of a forge hood increase the amount of fuel consumption in your charcoal forge compared to a set-up similar to what you have

    @mattwyeth3156@mattwyeth31563 жыл бұрын
    • A draft hood doesn't really affect the amount of fuel consumption of a coal forge. Only the amount of air going INTO the forge does, not the amount of air being drawn away from it. So it would be blower power that would be the main thing to look at. A draft hood just draws the smoke away from the top of the forge.

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks3 жыл бұрын
  • What size blower do you have on your forge im also thinking of getting a hand crank blower as the hair dryer that I'm using goes through charcoal way too fast even with an air gate i can't get the control i need and it produces lots of sparks to the point where I've had to cover it to use the forge without setting everything on fire

    @mattwyeth3156@mattwyeth3156 Жыл бұрын
    • That depends on how you measure blower size! I'm not sure what the output rate is of this one, but physically the entire unit would fit inside of a 1ft cube.

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks Жыл бұрын
  • How do you find those zomax blowers? Is that the 25 or 35?

    @nathanbutcher1@nathanbutcher12 жыл бұрын
    • I'm not sure! I got mine on eBay many, many years ago.

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks2 жыл бұрын
    • @@ValhallaIronworks yeh fair enough. The only ones I’ve seen have a 25 Or a 35 number cast into the outlet like the name. Do you find it to be a reasonable blower or better off finding a second hand old one?

      @nathanbutcher1@nathanbutcher12 жыл бұрын
  • I have a question in a charcoal forge are you not adding more carbon to the metal

    @kimsutton2268@kimsutton2268 Жыл бұрын
    • It's a good question! In order to carbeurize steel, however, you need to have an oxygen starved environment and quite substantially long soak times at high heats (many many hours). So while it's possible to do, you'd have to actively be working at it in order to make that happen, and even then it would only add additional carbon to the very outside shell of the steel!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks Жыл бұрын
    • @@ValhallaIronworks I have been told by a black smith instructor that charcoal is better for welding in the forge

      @kimsutton2268@kimsutton2268 Жыл бұрын
    • Fuel type is irrelevant for forge welding - it's all about temperature and atmosphere! Check out the video I did talking about the chemistry of it! kzhead.info/sun/pNx6lL6lpqKJhJE/bejne.html

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks Жыл бұрын
  • Do you need to prepare your charcoal into smaller pieces before you forge with it or do you just forge with it as you take it from the bag

    @mattwyeth3156@mattwyeth3156 Жыл бұрын
    • Depends a lot on the brand you get. Unfortunately most suppliers tend to sell lump charcoal in fairly large chunks. Ideally for forging you want golfball sized bits. So at the start of my day I'll often just grab a hammer and spend a few minutes breaking up the lumps I'll use for the day. You don't go through charcoal as quick as most people think, so a good sized bucket full is enough to do a full day's work for most applications. Doesn't take long to process that up.

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks Жыл бұрын
  • Is it possible to use seasoned or dried hard wood or pine instead of charcoal?

    @donaldweikel2963@donaldweikel29633 жыл бұрын
    • You can indeed. You just will go through a lot more fuel.

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks3 жыл бұрын
    • @@ValhallaIronworks thank you. I am trying to get started coal/coke is very hard to come by and lump charcoal that is not for the grill is also hard to come by. I am a over the road trucker and when I go home I have little time to make my own

      @donaldweikel2963@donaldweikel29633 жыл бұрын
    • Take a look at this! kzhead.info/sun/l8WRgtyCcKmMfo0/bejne.html

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks3 жыл бұрын
    • @@ValhallaIronworks thank you.

      @donaldweikel2963@donaldweikel29633 жыл бұрын
  • How is the smoke from a charcoal forge?

    @thedavidwalker@thedavidwalker3 жыл бұрын
    • It smokes quite a bit when you first start it up as with all solid fuels, but once it's running, it puts out almost no smoke whatsoever! Runs very clean.

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks3 жыл бұрын
  • I know this is an old video by now, but how come you seem to use gas forge instead on your newer projects? Is it convenience or something lacking in the charcoal forge?

    @iprenmannen@iprenmannen2 жыл бұрын
    • Two reasons, actually. My forge is on a large farm, and last summer the farm chose to grow hay in every paddock that surrounds my forge (basically positioning me in the middle of a giant tinder-box) so I switched to gas for safety reasons during that Summer. And during that time the knifemaking side of my business took off massively, so I had to switch to the gas forge for speed of production. I still have the coal forge though, still prefer to use it whenever I can, and still often do for the times that I still do decorative ironwork!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks2 жыл бұрын
    • @@ValhallaIronworks Ahh, that makes sense, I have a gas forge now but I only forge as a hobby and feel that the therapeutic feel of a charcoal/wood fired forge instead of the roraring fire from a gas forge would make me feel more at ease. I'm building a new forge to try to forge with charcoal or wood in the future and stumbled upon your channel and therefore got a bit confused at first. Thanks for the quick reply :)

      @iprenmannen@iprenmannen2 жыл бұрын
  • Some charcoal briquette manufacturers, such as Kingsford, use anthracite or bituminous coal in the ingredients as well as other chemicals. Another reason not to use the charcoal briquettes.

    @mattcruise8894@mattcruise88943 жыл бұрын
    • Not to mention all of the filler and other crap they put in them! Best avoided, absolutely!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks3 жыл бұрын
  • Hos big a fan would you recommend? Im looking at 80-350 watt ones (weird measurement to me), the size of yours might point me in the right direction

    @elektrobear2027@elektrobear20272 жыл бұрын
    • I've never used an electric fan on my forge, only ever hand-crank ones. That being said, a hand cranked blower pushes far less air than even low powered electric fans. So what you're looking for is VOLUME of air moved, rather than speed. A lot of people use things like mattress inflators or hair dryers, since they focus on moving LOTS of air, rather than moving it particularly fast. If you're going to use an electric blower, though, you need to make use of some kind of air gate, to vent off the excess air, otherwise it will cause backflow and burn out your motor. I have a video on a wooden one I made a long while ago, perhaps it will help: kzhead.info/sun/kpdpctWtiauwfYE/bejne.html

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks2 жыл бұрын
    • @@ValhallaIronworks actually these are handcrank fans. It's bloody weird they have the measurements in watts nd not cfm/cmm or similar. That's why I asked about the size of your fan so I might get a pointer as to how big a fan I should buy.

      @elektrobear2027@elektrobear20272 жыл бұрын
  • Coal for general work, charcoal for welding.

    @thewalnutwoodworker6136@thewalnutwoodworker61362 жыл бұрын
    • Both can weld just fine. I would actually say that charcoal's heavy ash production would make it far less ideal for welding than coal.

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks2 жыл бұрын
  • What make is your blower.

    @georgegriffiths2235@georgegriffiths22354 жыл бұрын
    • The green one in this video is Zomax - I also have a Buffalo and a Sharmin

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks4 жыл бұрын
  • Bro I just can't get heat enough to get damascus. Can't get the forge welds to weld..

    @hiramortius2353@hiramortius2353 Жыл бұрын
    • In a solid fuel forge? Or a gas forge? If it's a solid fuel forge, you need to get more air into it. If it's a gas forge, check out my latest video!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks Жыл бұрын
  • I work with 50% charcoal, 25% cokes and 25% anthracite.

    @nielsr.2859@nielsr.28592 жыл бұрын
  • For me It just feels safer when I use coal forges

    @Dustrout@DustroutАй бұрын
    • I actually felt that way too, for the longest time. Now I feel equally comfortable by both, but it took years of full time use to get there.

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworksАй бұрын
  • Back to the roots of blacksmithing before coke or coal were discovered.

    @HighWealder@HighWealder2 жыл бұрын
    • And wouldn't you know, it still works a treat!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks2 жыл бұрын
  • I just use regular wood because you've already gotta burn a bunch to make charcoal. So I just skip all that.

    @jc-rq8or@jc-rq8or2 жыл бұрын
    • Charcoal isn't "burnt wood", though. Charcoal is charred wood. Regular wood can absolutely be used to forge, and in fact a lot of traditional Japanese forges use this. However, it burns MUCH faster than charcoal does, and you have to feed your fire much more often. This is a personal preference of the smith.

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks2 жыл бұрын
  • I always assumed that everyone used charcoal

    @esben181@esben1812 жыл бұрын
    • haha it's actually pretty niche. Most people use coke or coal!

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks2 жыл бұрын
  • I built a coal/charcoal forge and used it for a few months. I built a propane forge and have not used my coal forge since. Propane is cheaper, cleaner, and allows you to do multiples. It is superior to the coal/charcoal forge in every way. The only exception is if you do large decorative pieces that wont fit in a propane forge. Ill pas on dirty, constantly needing attention to maintain fire, burns up steel, cant to multiples coal/charcoal forge. The only reason you dont like propane is because you do not know how to build a forced induction burner setup, if you did I seriously doubt you would use dirty fuel that turns to dirty ashes/clinkers again. Forge On!!!

    @jmbstudio6873@jmbstudio68739 ай бұрын
    • Can you make anything the size of, say, a gate in your propane forge? Can you make your own fuel for your propane forge at home? Can you comfortably work next to your propane forge all day with no hearing protection, or without having to shout to talk to people? These are just a small few of the benefits of solid fuel forges over propane forges. The point of this video is not to convert people away from using gas forges. If you don't like getting your hands a little dirty, that's your choice. I have SEVERAL gas forges, of different sizes and shapes, all for different tasks. I also have several coal forges, as I do this professionally, full time. The fact you feel the need to come onto the comment section of a KZhead video and try and insult someone's setup shows me how thin your grasp of this craft and community are. So - and I mean this with all sincerity - keep your shitty insults to yourself.

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks9 ай бұрын
  • LOL you can also buy bags of charcoal almost anywhere.. coal.. not so much.

    @OuroborosArmory@OuroborosArmory4 жыл бұрын
  • I've seen some hipsters but I've never run into a charcoal snob before now. I had to stop the video in fear that he'd wax over some ethereal charcoal properties after he name dropped. The nose of Jarrah charcoal is unparalleled. You are just a pauper if you use anything else.

    @1pcfred@1pcfred2 жыл бұрын
    • 😂😂😂

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks2 жыл бұрын
  • Great video, but as I'm sure you know,Valhalla is a myth👍🏾

    @andrewdurfee2891@andrewdurfee289110 ай бұрын
    • Just like Heaven. Doesn't stop people referring to it.

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks10 ай бұрын
    • @@ValhallaIronworks Because there is Subjective Truth & Objective Truth ⚖️😉

      @andrewdurfee2891@andrewdurfee289110 ай бұрын
    • @@ValhallaIronworks so many are emersed in fantasy/mythology/theories mostly because they have been indoctrinated by Subjective Truth in government institutions from their adolescence 😖 which has bred the spirit of what we are seeing today... "Do as thou wilt shall be the WHOLE of the law" (⚠️) Subjective Truth is a Dead End road/ hopeless

      @andrewdurfee2891@andrewdurfee289110 ай бұрын
    • @@ValhallaIronworks "Truth is the MOST VALUABLE Thing on earth, SO VALUABLE it's often surrounded by bodyguards of Lies"... The BEST kept secrets are in plain sight

      @andrewdurfee2891@andrewdurfee289110 ай бұрын
    • You're a strange guy, but keep on keeping on.

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks10 ай бұрын
  • Quit babbling and get to the point!!

    @ericsprado4631@ericsprado46312 жыл бұрын
    • If you don't like it, watch someone else's channel. It's my video, I can babble all I want.

      @ValhallaIronworks@ValhallaIronworks2 жыл бұрын
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