I was dead wrong about coal fired forges

For like 3 years I swore coal was the only way to get real heat control. Kept saying propane was for hobbyists who couldn't handle real work. Then last month I picked up a used propane forge for $150 off a guy in Dayton and gave it a honest shot. After 2 weeks of running it I can set my heat exactly where I want it without babysitting the fire. Has anyone else switched camps like this or am I still the odd one out?

2 comments

2 Comments

river_scott4d ago

You mentioned "setting heat exactly where I want it without babysitting the fire" and that really hit home for me. I had a similar experience after years of fighting with coal, worrying about clinkers and draft adjustments all day long. Once I switched to gas, I realized I spent way more time actually forging and way less time tending the fire.

umabailey3d ago

That 8 hour clinker pick I did back in 2015 was the FINAL straw for me. Solid mass of fused ash stuck right in the firepot, took me half a day with a pry bar and a lot of bad words. So I gotta ask you something specific - did you notice a real drop in your overall forge time per session after switching? Because what I found was that even though gas burns through propane faster than I expected, I was actually getting MORE time under the hammer because I wasn't stopping every 20 minutes to deal with coal issues. Feels like nobody talks about that part, the HIDDEN time you lose to fuel maintenance.