Coal forge vs Propane forge a look at the pros and cons

There have been several questions about forge styles. Is gas better than coal? or is a coal forge better than a propane forge? In the long run there are many factors to consider and your personal situation will dictate which forge is best for you. In this video I hope to present some of the issues you may want to consider before building or purchasing your first forge.

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Blacksmithing and related activities can be hazardous. These videos are not a substitute for competent professional instruction. Your safety is your sole responsibility. Always use appropriate safety equipment including eye and ear protection when working in the shop. Follow manufactures safety guidelines for the use of all equipment. In the event something shown in one of these videos seems unsafe, it is up to you to make the appropriate changes to protect yourself.

[LunchboxNinja]

At this point, I just have your videos playing in the background when I'm having a stressful day. What a wonderfully soothing voice.

[taylorsims]

That was the most eloquent description of why blacksmiths use coal forges that I have ever heard. Much respect.

[libornepras]

Hallo, John.I look at your school of forging, it is one of the best "school" of forging, that I can to see.I don´t speak and understand English too good, but I do my bast to understand...Thanks a lot for your sharing the skills, that you got in many years of this beautifull work.

[Zogg]

The way you described loving the smell of a coal forge is exactly the same as the way I love the smell of chainsaw chain oil mixed with wood chip and a hint of 2 stroke fuel in the background. If they sold that smell as an air freshener, I'd have that smell in my house the whole it's probably a good job I'm I'd probably also have less friends coming over as well 😆

A very informative video, thank you

[douglaspost]

Very good video. You covered all the major pros and cons. I especially appreciated the "romance" of it. When I was a kid just out of high school I worked at a new car dealer. Sometimes when I got to an automotive repair shop, I get a whiff of tire rubber and it takes me back 50 years to the time I worked there. When I got married I married into a small farm family. We haven't had cows for several years now so whenever I go to the country fair we always go to the livestock barns. There again, the smells take me back. I know some people don't like the smell of a barn at all but I do. I like the smell of horses, cows, and sheep. Ok, maybe not chickens or pigs, but the memories are very pleasant. As I said, I really enjoyed this video. I subscribed quite a while ago and have enjoyed them all. I like your style. Keep up the great work. Thank you.

[davegoddin]

Thanks John, really excellent thorough video. I got started on a little coal/charcoal forge and I'm now building a propane forge for exactly the reasons you set out - it's clean, compact and convenient. As someone who currently has to fit blacksmithing around a 9-5 day job, being able to fire up the forge in a matter of seconds and work for an hour without coming back covered in coal dust and smoke will mean I get out to my shop much more often during the week.

[tatedbadboy]

I agree with your views John, I forge with coal and plan to add a propane forge. The nostalgia of using a 100 year old coal forge and the smells, sights and sounds are something I dont want to give up, but in the winter it is especially hard to have resonable air quality in my shop so the propane will be a nice addition .

[aberhan]

Absolutely getting hard to find coal, especially in my area. But I still prefer it, probably because of the whole blacksmith life that was centred around a coal forge. And yes the smell brings back the memories of my grandfather’s blacksmith shop.

[brickie]

I do remember the last gas well I helped my grandfather drill was back in 1963 and we did have the gas for the forge. So we had to use coal to dress the bits. When it was just started you could not see from one side of the rig to the other! Remember we were closed in with roofs and sides so it was really contained !

[terencewelsh]

A well structured, down to earth heart felt assessment of the Pros and Cons of Coal or gas forging. As a retired blacksmith some of the Items you covered never ever occurred
To me. Certainly today there are more people hopping up and down regarding the environment. A small minority are over playing it ( not the impact) but their fanatical
behavior. I find the attitude of a broad license to destroy property to support their agenda offensive and criminally insane. My generation are of a different era and our
environment and attitudes have to change. Thanks John for your passionate appraisal.

[adampablodayc]

John, I have come from the future to congratulate you on your new electric forge.

[DavenH]

I appreciated your including the environmental impacts. I'm of the mind that anyone put off by your considering that has some major character flaw.

[brickie]

An old blacksmith showed me how to start a coal fire with just 6 pieces of paper ! I could not get over it but by golly he did. I remember helping my grandfather drill a gas well and we did not have gas for the forge to dress the drilling bits so he had to use coal. It got pretty smoky in the dog houses till the forge got going good. The bits were 6-8" bits usually.

[tobyjo]

The Smell, the Want, the Need, the Enjoyment of Creativity, Your more than half way there

[billlee]

Enjoyed the video, very informative.  I agree with the romance.  I worked in an auto repair shop back in the ‘60s while in high school.  The owner smoked cigars.  I now have a welding and machine hobby shop.  I have never smoked and don’t encourage it but I let a friend who smokes cigars light up in my shop when visits.  The next morning the aroma of cutting oils, old grease and cigar smoke immediately takes me back to my teenage days and all the found memories associated with that simpler time.

[brickie]

We always had the large forge on our cabletool drilling rigs of yesteryear ! We were dressing drilling bit from anywhere from 6"- 12" !! We usually used natural gas along with a blower off the drilling motor of the rig. You could heat an 8" bit to yellow forging temperature in about 30-45 minutes ! You had to be very careful or you would burn the end of the bit off. I remember my dad telling about him doing that one time and only one time because Grandad made him sledge it back out by himself. I forget how many heatings he had to do ??? But after that he always kept an eye on the forge ! Great videos !

[stevemackelprang]

I'm way late to this party, but I appreciate your insights. Hard won information, thank you.!

[neogator]

I was thinking coal/solid fuel so I could use my grandfather's billows but as I am in a city surrounded by houses on 1/3 acre plots and I'm switching to electric lawn care, toys and eventually vehicles so I can put most of my oily dirty days behind me I think I'll stick to gas and hope just the noise doesn't irritate the neighbors. lol You definitely don't sound preachy, just imparting some of your wisdom on the rest of us and it is much appreciated.

[HoveySmith]

I much enjoyed your video and consideration of charcoal as fuel. I live in the Southeast U.S. and have tens of thousands of pounds of hardwoods all around me that I need to clean up after our somewhat infrequent snow and ice storms plus hurricanes. I am never at a loss for wood, so I burn charcoal and use that in my forge. It also has the advantage that once burned it does not rot or get infested with wood-eating insects. The best charcoal return that I have achieved yet was with split wood from wild cherry and persimmon trees. That turned out to be very nice stuff and better than charcoal from pecan or hickory. I have 500 lbs. of charcoal in my fuel box at the moment made from trees downed by Hurricane Michael.

[michaelhayes]

Thank you for discussing the pros and cons of different forges, fuels, etc. I especially enjoyed you detailing the romance of the forging experience. Thank you, thank you, thank you! The romance was a definite factor why I use coal.