Swapped my coal for propane on a whim and it actually worked better

Been smithing for about 4 years now, mostly using coal in a old rivet forge I picked up from a guy in Ohio. Last month I got tired of dealing with clinkers and ash buildup every session, so I grabbed a cheap propane burner kit for $60. Hooked it up to a 20lb tank I had sitting around and gave it a shot on a simple leaf keychain project. Heated up way faster and I didn't have to stop every 10 minutes to clean out the fire. Anyone else make the switch and find it easier to control the heat for small stuff?

3 comments

3 Comments

pat78114d ago

You ever find yourself kicking yourself for not making the switch sooner? I feel that. I spent years messing with clinkers and ash, and it just drains the fun out of a session. The control you get from a knob is night and day. I still mess with coal for the real grunt work, but for the fiddly bits a propane setup is a lifesaver. That $60 burner sounds like a solid deal, too.

jessej2314d ago

Man that's great to hear! I've been running propane for about two years now after spending way too many nights picking clinkers out of my forge. Can't tell you how nice it is to just turn a knob and have steady heat for small projects like hooks and bottle openers. I still keep my coal forge around for the big stuff like splitting axes and fire pokers, but for everyday smithing the propane just makes more sense. Hope it keeps working out for you.

keith_bennett14d ago

Right, picking clinkers out of the fire is the worst part of coal for me too, totally kills the flow of a good session. That $60 burner sounds like a steal for the kind of control you get, especially since it let you finish a project without a dozen interruptions. Glad to hear it's working out for you, sometimes the simple swaps make the biggest difference.