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An old guy at the flea market gave me the best coal advice
I was at the Springfield flea market last year looking for old tongs. This older guy saw me and asked if I was a smith. He told me to stop using the bagged stuff from the hardware store. He said, 'Kid, you need real bituminous, not that anthracite junk. It's softer and makes a better fire.' He wrote down the name of a local mine that sells it by the 50-pound bag for way less. I tried it and my forge runs about 200 degrees hotter now. Anyone know a good source for bituminous coal in the Midwest?
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tara7935d ago
Hold up, I gotta disagree on the anthracite. That "junk" is all I use now. It burns way cleaner and longer than bituminous, so I'm not constantly feeding the fire. Yeah, bituminous gets hot fast, but it makes a ton of thick smoke and clinkers. With anthracite, my shop stays cleaner and I get a really steady heat for longer projects. I switched years ago and wouldn't go back.
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ellis.susan4d ago
What about the smell though? I heard bituminous has that classic sulfur smell some people really like for the old school feel.
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