Anyone ever tried...

W

Wiredude

Well-Known Member
I know most are using some sort of propane forge, but I'm a beginner, and honestly gonna use it more for backyard heat-treat and such more than actually trying to forge blades as of yet, and then there's that budget thing...
So anyhow, I'm building one out of an old steel car rim I had laying around, along with other assorted scrap, and I was planning on firing with charcoal. The idea came to me though to try wood pellet fuel. It appears to be be between 50-75% the cost of charcoal briquettes, but i didnt know how it would heat... I've read about guys using wood-fired forges, etc, was just wondering if anyone has tried it?
 
Charcoal briquetters are not something you want to use..... they just don't work very well. Most of the time all you do is create a lot of ash flying around, and not enough heat. "Chunk" charcoal, on the other hand is a fine fuel. Personally, I worked exclusivley with "chunk" charcoal for about 3 years. I made my own from hardwood lumber scraps.

Charcoal is very easy to make..... fill an old steel drum (with one end cut out) with hardwood scraps (hardwood pallets are a good source). Light the fire and let the wood burn until its charred/almost ready to fall apart. Turn the barrell upside down, pile some dirt around it to block off all air.....and leave it overnight. Next morning you will have about 1/3-1/2 of a barrel full of ready to use charcoal. If you use hardwood pallets, dump the charcoal out onto a sheet of plywood or a tarp, and run a magnet through it remove any nails/metal before using the charcoal in your "forge".

While wood pellets might be able to produce the heat needed, I think you will find that it will take a very large amount at one time to get that heat....at least in the scenario you'd be using them.
 
Fair enough, I appreciate the reply.
I actually got the largest part of the fabrication work done today on my makeshift forge.
If I end up trying to use the pellets, I'll try to remember to post how it goes.
I'm liking the MYO charcoal idea though, and I'm pretty sure i can scrounge a decent supply of scrap hardwood one way or another.
 
I have a Whitlox style forge that I built (http://whitloxhomestead.com/), and I have done some basic forging running it on seasoned wood, chunk charcoal (Cowboy Charcoal), and coal and it seems to work well on all three. I haven't attempted to forge weld with it, but I have had things melt in it if left unattended. I thought about using pellet stove fuel but the chunk charcoal worked well, and was comparable in price.

You noted in your introduction post your from SW PA. If that's still the case I would not fool with any other material then good old bituminous coal, as your right in the heart of coal country. Its cheaper for me to drive from Delaware, up to Allentown and buy ten bags of coal then it is to buy charcoal from the grocery store, and lasts longer in the forge. Penn Keystone Coal is in Claysburg, and I know there's a slew of other bagged coal retailers around there.
 
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