PSA: I finally gave coal forges a real shot for small projects

I always stuck with my gas forge because I thought coal was too messy and hard to control. It felt like a hassle to set up and keep clean. But I kept getting annoyed by how fast I went through propane tanks on little stuff like hinges and hooks. My wallet was hurting every month. Then I saw a video where a smith used a simple coal forge with a side blast and a shallow firepot. He made a perfect scroll without any soot on the metal. I copied his setup last week, and wow, the heat is right where you need it. Now I use coal for detail work and save gas for bigger jobs. It's a game changer for my shop budget.

2 comments

2 Comments

robinson.max1d ago

Whoa, never thought about the learning curve actually being a plus. Like, forcing myself to manage a coal fire taught me way more about reading heat colors and fire control than my set-and-forget gas forge ever did. That skill transferred back and made me better with gas too.

the_linda1d ago

Totally, forcing yourself to manage coal does teach heat colors like nothing else. My friend tried it after only using gas and now he adjusts his gas forge by sight, says it clicked after struggling with coal for a week. He swears it made him better at both.