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Tried a coal forge after 10 years of gas and now I get the hype

I always thought coal was too messy and unpredictable but after firing up a borrowed rivet forge in a buddy's backyard last Saturday, I finally saw how much faster I could heat a 1 inch bar for a set of door hinges - has anyone else switched between fuels and found one way more practical for certain jobs?
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3 Comments
morgan.jason
That 1 inch bar heat up time is the biggest difference I noticed too. @kai_chen2 you mentioned coal heats more even for thick stock, but what about scale issues? I had a rough time with coal scale sticking to my hinges compared to gas, had to wire brush way more between heats. Did you find a trick to keep the work cleaner, or is that just part of the coal tradeoff?
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brookeellis
Didn't John over at Blacksmith U say a light borax dusting helps keep scale loose on coal?
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kai_chen2
kai_chen29d ago
Oh yeah, I read that coal heats way more evenly for thick stock like your hinges.
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