Just realized my old coal forge was costing me more than the new propane one in Seattle

I ran my coal setup for a year and the propane forge for six months, tracking fuel costs. The propane forge used about $40 a month, while coal was nearly $80 with all the extra coke and cleanup time. The difference is the heat control; I can dial in exact temps for Damascus billets now without fighting the fire. Anyone else in a damp climate find propane just works better for consistency?

4 comments

4 Comments

charles6402mo ago

Yeah, "babysitting the fire" is the perfect way to put it. My old coal rig was a full-time job just managing the air and the clinkers. With propane, I just turn a knob and get back to hammering. The time I save alone makes it worth it.

aaron7402mo ago

Honestly, my coal forge was such a money pit I started calling it my second car. Tbh, half my time was just babysitting the fire to keep it from going out in the humidity here. The switch to propane felt like cheating, I can actually finish a project now.

murray.cora2mo ago

Read an article last year about how propane forges keep a more even heat in damp air because the fuel itself isn't affected by moisture. Is that why your control got so much better? My buddy in Portland said his welds got way more consistent after switching, something about the flame not fighting wet coal.

corap211mo ago

Funny how often the "old way" just means fighting your tools instead of doing the work. You see it everywhere, like trying to write with a pen that keeps skipping. My grandma's old oven had a door that wouldn't seal right, so every cake was a guess. Switched to propane and suddenly you're just... cooking. Makes you wonder how much energy we waste just keeping broken things alive.