Lost a week of work to a bad batch of coal last Tuesday

Spent six straight days fighting with a forge that wouldn't hold heat before I realized the new supplier's coal was full of slate and rock. Anyone else had to toss a whole pallet and eat that cost?

3 comments

3 Comments

brian_smith61d ago

Man that's brutal, "six straight days fighting with a forge" really hit me. I've been there where you're just blaming yourself and the equipment before you figure out it's the fuel. Sucks you had to dump a whole pallet, that's a serious hit to the bottom line. Did your new supplier at least offer any kind of refund or credit? I always hate how these guys sell "blacksmithing coal" that's basically just scrap from a regular mine.

noahmartin1d ago

Heard one old-timer say you can test coal by burning a chunk and watching how much clinker it makes before buying a pallet.

tylerj225h ago

Nah, that little test doesn't really work... clinker formation depends more on the forge setup and air flow than the coal itself. Better off just cracking open a few chunks to look for shiny, clean layers before you buy.