Today I acquired...........

[Barking Mat]

I don’t know Mat, I’m very much an amateur, but I know the stuff I’m getting from my steel merchant is not good, poor heat, very dirty. I know of one blacksmith in the UK that has a supply from the Forest of Dean which is interesting, but despite @nickk ’s kind offer getting it from the UK to here will be too expensive, I need to find a decent French supplier.

All I know about anthracite is that it gives off more heat than coal.

I'd reference an episode of 'Ivor the Engine', but I can't find the one.

I was going to post this link, but it took some digging through.

Thé address is there in thé search bar.

Fuels - Higher and Lower Calorific Values

Higher and lower calorific values (heating values) for fuels like coke, oil, wood, hydrogen and others.

www.engineeringtoolbox.com

 

[Blue Chips]

Blacksmiths breeze/coke, it’s doubled in price since my last delivery in July!

I wish I could get some here, the quality of the ‘charbon de forge’ available is woeful.

Is Anthracite any good ? We used to get it over here for our coal Aga, it was a tad expensive, but gave out loads of heat.

Speaking of blacksmithing coal and coke, I haven't fired up my little solid-fuel forge for a while. I still have a few bags of bituminous blacksmithing coal stashed in the garage. I've never used anthracite. Checking around, the price of what they call 'nut-size metallurgical grade bituminous blacksmithing coal' seems to run roughly between 30 and 40 dollars for a 50-pound bag, which is the pick-it-up-yourself price. It's good stuff for smithing...burns pretty clean and cokes well, but it's not cheap. Bags of coke are a bit more expensive...maybe an extra 5+ dollars per bag. I think that volume discounts would probably kick in to get a much better price, but I don't do enough forging (or have enough dry storage space) to justify a large load.

This is the small solid-fuel forge that I built a few years ago. I found an old cast-iron forge pan for 20 bucks and then fabricated the rest of it myself, including the frame, tuyere, clinker breaker, grate, ash dump, ash bin, air control, etc. I found an old blower that I adapted, incorporating a silicone turbocharger tube to connect it to the air gate. Instead of a clay pan lining, I made some molds and cast the liner segments with Kast-O-Lite castable refractory (following the Kast-O-Lite instructions to the letter). I made 'nested' inserts so that one set could be removed to enlarge the bird's nest/fire pot volume. It works well, but I've found that my gas forge is much more convenient to use. I might post some images of their construction when I have some free time. I'm strictly an amateur when it comes to blacksmithing, but when I have the time, and when the weather isn't too hot or too cold for using the forges outside, I enjoy pretending that I'm a blacksmith.

My standard disclaimer: I am not a professional blacksmith. I do not guarantee the safety, efficacy, or applicability of any of my designs or ideas that I have described here in this thread. Any use of my designs or ideas is entirely at your own risk.

 

[Barking Mat]

Speaking of blacksmithing coal and coke, I haven't fired up my little solid-fuel forge for a while. I still have a few bags of bituminous blacksmithing coal stashed in the garage. I've never used anthracite. Checking around, the price of what they call 'nut-size metallurgical grade bituminous blacksmithing coal' seems to run roughly between 30 and 40 dollars for a 50-pound bag, which is the pick-it-up-yourself price. It's good stuff for smithing...burns pretty clean and cokes well, but it's not cheap. Bags of coke are a bit more expensive...maybe an extra 5+ dollars per bag. I think that volume discounts would probably kick in to get a much better price, but I don't do enough forging (or have enough dry storage space) to justify a large load.

This is the small solid-fuel forge that I built a few years ago. I found an old cast-iron forge pan for 20 bucks and then fabricated the rest of it myself, including the frame, tuyere, clinker breaker, grate, ash dump, ash bin, air control, etc. I found an old blower that I adapted, incorporating a silicone turbocharger tube to connect it to the air gate. Instead of a clay pan lining, I made some molds and cast the liner segments with Kast-O-Lite castable refractory (following the Kast-O-Lite instructions to the letter). I made 'nested' inserts so that one set could be removed to enlarge the bird's nest volume. It works well, but I've found that my gas forge is much more convenient to use. I might post some images of their construction when I have some free time. I'm strictly an amateur when it comes to blacksmithing, but when I have the time, and when the weather isn't too hot or too cold for using the forges outside, I enjoy pretending that I'm a blacksmith.

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My standard disclaimer: I am not a professional blacksmith. I do not guarantee the safety, efficacy, or applicability of any of my designs or ideas that I have described here in this thread. Any use of my designs or ideas is entirely at your own risk.

Nice @Blue Chips , I don't think you need the disclaimer, but it's a nice touch.

I burnt myself, I'm going to sue you now ! Ha, ha.

Imagine if the internet worked that way.

 

[Blue Chips]

Nice @Blue Chips , I don't think you need the disclaimer, but it's a nice touch.

Probably not needed, but I'm a bit on the obsessive side when it comes to stuff like that. Ounce of prevention, and all that.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

Probably not needed, but I'm a bit on the obsessive side when it comes to stuff like that

Doesn't hurt to be cautious...I stuck mine in my profile .

Can't be too careful I think these days.

Excellent job on the forge...looks very compact and neat too

 

[julianthegypsy]

Anthracite is great. My parents had a coal fired Aga and I still remember that it needed feeding twice a day, or once a day on Anthracite.
When I started as a farriers apprentice we used Anthracite chips, which my boss preferred to coke. Years later when I returned to bashing metal after many years doing other things, I found that it had got really expensive due to hardly anyone using them. However, thanks to the wonders of modern technology, it's now become really popular for feeding pellet burners so has got relatively cheaper, and a bag of it last aaaages and will heat shed loads of steel.
I don't have a forge anymore though because it's only useful if you want to do a pile of forgework in one hit, then it's brilliant but my old bones don't like several hours of bashing metal these days so for the bits I do it's quicker to use a cutting torch and oxy propane.

 

[northwest]

I had to change loyalties.

Don't you just hate that! I know I do.

 

[dan.taylor.1]

Speaking of blacksmithing coal and coke, I haven't fired up my little solid-fuel forge for a while. I still have a few bags of bituminous blacksmithing coal stashed in the garage. I've never used anthracite. Checking around, the price of what they call 'nut-size metallurgical grade bituminous blacksmithing coal' seems to run roughly between 30 and 40 dollars for a 50-pound bag, which is the pick-it-up-yourself price. It's good stuff for smithing...burns pretty clean and cokes well, but it's not cheap. Bags of coke are a bit more expensive...maybe an extra 5+ dollars per bag. I think that volume discounts would probably kick in to get a much better price, but I don't do enough forging (or have enough dry storage space) to justify a large load.

This is the small solid-fuel forge that I built a few years ago. I found an old cast-iron forge pan for 20 bucks and then fabricated the rest of it myself, including the frame, tuyere, clinker breaker, grate, ash dump, ash bin, air control, etc. I found an old blower that I adapted, incorporating a silicone turbocharger tube to connect it to the air gate. Instead of a clay pan lining, I made some molds and cast the liner segments with Kast-O-Lite castable refractory (following the Kast-O-Lite instructions to the letter). I made 'nested' inserts so that one set could be removed to enlarge the bird's nest/fire pot volume. It works well, but I've found that my gas forge is much more convenient to use. I might post some images of their construction when I have some free time. I'm strictly an amateur when it comes to blacksmithing, but when I have the time, and when the weather isn't too hot or too cold for using the forges outside, I enjoy pretending that I'm a blacksmith.

View attachment 385634

View attachment 385635

View attachment 385636

View attachment 385633

My standard disclaimer: I am not a professional blacksmith. I do not guarantee the safety, efficacy, or applicability of any of my designs or ideas that I have described here in this thread. Any use of my designs or ideas is entirely at your own risk.

That's a lovely portable forge setup!

 

[Rannsachair]

After a few years of watching out for a Hawkeye BA5076 dongle I can know fault find and program my Defender Alarm system:

Also a pair of Goretex leather boots, cheapies compared to my Altbergs, good enough reviews, will give them a try:

 

[Blue Chips]

That's a lovely portable forge setup!

Thanks, Dan. I wish I had more free time to play with it (and some other toys).

 

[lchris21]

...after waiting patiently for 2years while the worldwide chaos has now become yesterday's news. Van prices have seemingly settled back down now that people can finally fly away for two weeks of Irish bars and English breakfasts on the Costas
Still a few dreamers out there though.....they could be holding out forever until their vans become collectors pieces
.... this means I can now go collect bigger pieces of "treasure"

 

[Arc Tourist]

Never understood the high prices and what all the fuss is about vans here in the UK, with people ooooh'ing and aaaah'ing about them. They're just a box on wheels, a utility vehicle. I've had a few over the years and can't see what the big deal is.

 

[lchris21]

Never understood the high prices and what all the fuss is about vans here in the UK, with people ooooh'ing and aaaah'ing about them. They're just a box on wheels, a utility vehicle. I've had a few over the years and can't see what the big deal is.

...some of the VW transporters are nudging £90k ....still people asking £20k for 30year old builders vans with some IKEA furniture screwed badly into the back

 

[addjunkie]

...some of the VW transporters are nudging £90k ....still people asking £20k for 30year old builders vans with some IKEA furniture screwed badly into the back

Asking and getting are two very different things, same applies to Defenders, campers, custom bikes. Camper vans are mental, think its the post covid escape with over 55s pension they cant afford to-retire on

 

[My Old Landy]

Asking and getting are two very different things, same applies to Defenders, campers, custom bikes. Camper vans are mental, think its the post covid escape with over 55s pension they cant afford to-retire on

You are not wrong about the camper vans! As for Defenders, I have been offered £10k for my 1987 90 and it is not a pretty beast!

 

[Arc Tourist]

...some of the VW transporters are nudging £90k ....still people asking £20k for 30year old builders vans with some IKEA furniture screwed badly into the back

I bought a used transporter with around 60 thousand miles on it a few years back, thought it was expensive for what it was, but it suited our needs to haul materials for our house restoration project, and collect some machinery I've bought on occasion for my workshop. A while later, my Wife convinced me that adding some aluminium wheels and a couple of shiny bits would give it a needed face lift, and it did; but the van still just a box on wheels to me.

Edit: My wife, happy with the van's facelift.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

Today I saw a stretched 6 wheel VW transporter...looked amazing .

 

[My Old Landy]

New scope, quite pleased. I didn't bother with the software as I don't trust it. These things are really cheap compared to the ones we use at work.

 

[GRW]

....... this unloved but working Sealey SM5 Bandsaw of 1984 vintage.
Needs a clean at the very least and I dare say benefit from a new blade, but it'll do everything to a level that I'll need & I'll get to practice a bit more making a vice-mount vertical saw plate for it

 

[angellonewolf]

....... this unloved but working Sealey SM5 Bandsaw of 1984 vintage.
Needs a clean at the very least and I dare say benefit from a new blade, but it'll do everything to a level that I'll need & I'll get to practice a bit more making a vice-mount vertical saw plate for it

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how do you ever work in there theres not even steping stone places let alone a walk way