holly898•17d agoProlific Poster

Tried a coal forge for the first time after using propane for 2 years

I borrowed a buddy's coal forge last weekend and my steel moved so much faster it was almost scary. Has anyone else made the switch and noticed a huge difference in heat control?

2 comments

2 Comments

willow67217d ago

I welded my gloves to the blower handle about ten minutes in and thought well, this is fine, I didn't need those fingers anyway. The heat is a totally different beast, way more forgiving for the heavy stuff but you really have to watch it or you'll burn a hole through a piece before you blink. My first billet turned into a puddle and I just stood there staring at it like a moron. Propane feels like training wheels now, coal is just raw chaos with a learning curve. You either get comfortable with the smoke and sparks or you go back to the clean stuff.

michael_jones16d ago

Hold on, you said your steel moved faster? That doesn't sound right for coal. Coal actually takes a little longer to get up to welding heat because you're managing the fire and the air blast, not just cranking a knob. Propane on the other hand can overshoot temps real easy if you aren't watching it. Are you sure you didn't just have your propane forge running way too lean before? I've seen guys run with a blue flame that just sizzles the surface, and yeah, that's slow. But a good propane forge with the right burner setup should move metal almost as fast as coal once you dial it in. The real difference is the heat is more even and consistent with coal once you know how to read the fire, but it's not quicker. I bet what threw you off is how responsive the coal fire is when you open the air, that instant roar of heat can feel like magic.