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Ku From nothing comes something
Here on these electronic pages I will talk of the way and philosophy of my construction. Fire Fire
plays a large role in forging as it is the way I heat the steel. There are many
ways today one can heat steel to form it. I will list t he few I have used,
Propane burning flame, coke (a by product of the production of coal) and Charcoal.
Each have there positives and negatives...like all else in the world. I
first learned forging with coke. The forge I worked in had a fine layer of dust
throughout. To start the fire I would have to first light a fire. My first fire
is out of wood and paper when this would burn bright I would start to pile on
the coke. As it would start to catch the smoke would be thick white and yellow
and it smelt...boy does it smell. As it heats to a glow the steel gets hot
fast...but it seemed it was the outside that was always hotter than the inside.
The steel didn’t form the way I wished it to...or in better words I didn’t
like the feel of the steel. On top of that it left the steel dirt and the shop
smelt unfriendly. Propane
has another fuel source I have used. A large flame blows into a small oven
heating the steel. I had used this type for only a day. I don’t like using
propane. Load and I didn’t get to add anything in to the fire. At heart I am a
pyro a trait I inherited form my grandmother. Propane was just too boring, convenient
but boring and in life covenants rarely teaches anything interesting. Charcoal. I
first started using Charcoal on my first forge. Today i am back to it and don’t
plan to switch again. Charcoal is clean, I get to add fuel all the time. The
firs warms the steel evenly, the colour of the flame is great, very little
smell given off. (Warning burning charcoal indoors releases a poison into he
air that can kill you) Really, even more of a reason if I don’t keep my wits
about me it will kick my ass. Another reason charcoal is better. To top the
list charcoal is what would have been used back in the day of
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