lump charcoal or blacksmith coal

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Dadmode24_7

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I recently built my own forge (nothing fancy) and used it on my first knife. I don't have an anvil so i have just been doing stock removal blades and using the forge for the quench. i have been using lump charcoal only because that is what is available for me. Does blacksmith coal work/heat better or am i good to keep working with my lump charcoal. Would adding dry wood help or hinder the lump charcoal.


Here is the link to the forge that i built. so you can see how it looks burning the lump charcoal.

 
Charcoal briquettes are not good for forging. You can use them but they have sand and other impurities that will limit how hot the forge gets and produce too many clinkers. Anthracite coal is better. It's more dense so it burns longer and is cleaner but your forge will still get its airflow cut down by clinkers after an hour or so and you'll need to stop and dig out the firepot to remove the clinkers, then start up the forge again. I would suggest trying hardwood charcoal. You can find bags in the store by other grilling supplies. Dry wood also won't work, it needs to burn down into charcoal before it will produce forging temps. If you have any heavy and flattish lump of steel laying around you can use that as an impromptu anvil. Something as small as a 10lb cutoff from a machining company will work for small knives.
 
In the video i posted i was just using briquettes for the initial burn and just to make sure that my pipework was solid. I use the pure lump now.
 
If you want coal, smithing coal is bituminous, not anthracite. And tending a coal forge properly is a whole skill in itself. Especially for working with tool steel (such as knives) you really need to keep a steady stream of coke forming, and absolutely no green coal in the actual fire.
Coal is definitely preferably if you have good coal and know how to use it. Otherwise stick to charcoal.
Of course gas is nicer to use, more controllable, and cheaper to run than anything else
 
As far as solidfuel, They each have advantage. Coal has lots more energy density, (higher carbon per volume) I prefer always coal. Charcoal is much cleaner, no silica, sulphur, etc. Either can take about the same amount of fire tending, Its just slightly different procedure.

Oil is another good fuel, some guys burn wasteoil at a hobby level. I doubt industry burns much oil in a production capacity. Plenty of oilforges exist in shops for occasional low volume work.
My Welldriller neighbor burns oil to gauge his drillpoints for example.
 
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