In recent times, I got a lot of questions regarding the use of charcoal briquettes in blacksmithing. Some smiths say that you should never forge with them while others are saying the opposite. Which one is true?
While excellent for grilling, charcoal briquettes are not ideal for forging. However, they have always been used as fuel in a forge for blacksmithing purposes, especially among beginners. Briquettes burn up very fast and unfortunately, they do not achieve the desired temperatures for blacksmithing.
Next, we will see how they stand in comparison to other blacksmithing fuels and how you should manage the fire when using briquettes.
Let’s start.
What’s Better Lump Charcoal or Briquettes?
In the simplest terms, charcoal is burned wood. A process called pyrolysis removes volatiles and water until pure carbon is left. Now, this process allows using this fuel for heating to a much higher temperature than wood. Charcoal also produces less smoke when compared to wood.
Charcoal Briquettes
You can think of charcoal briquettes as the fast food of charcoal. They are easily available, meaning they can be found on almost every corner. They are also cheap but the problem is you don’t actually know what is inside them. Unlike lump charcoal, briquettes are mixed with additives that help them burn consistently.
When lit, these additives produce a chemical smell that may be harmful. Namely, they can produce fumes and dust that often irritates the lungs and noticeably contribute to respiratory problems. This is especially important for people with asthma or allergies. Barbecue briquettes also emit carbon monoxide, which is an invisible and toxic vapor that builds up indoors. Unfortunately, it can result in unconsciousness, poisoning, or sometimes even death.
Since they do not emit smoke or at least not much, you don’t know whether there is a danger of inhaling carbon monoxide. This is why having a carbon monoxide detector (Amazon link) is vital to have in the shop. I wouldn’t recommend saving money on a good detector. It can literally save your life.
Advantages:
- Easy control of consistent temperature
- Burns longer
- Cheap
- Do not emit smoke
- Easily available
Disadvantages:
- Takes longer to light
- Produces a huge amount of ash
- Chemical smell
- Can produce carbon monoxide
Lump Charcoal
Lump charcoal is the purest and most natural form of charcoal and therefore, the most desired. It also lights but also burns faster than briquettes. When I was comparing lump charcoal and briquettes, I noticed that the first one produces less smoke. You will also find that the lump charcoal is much easier to control in the forge since it is more responsive to oxygen.
Charcoal is a historic fuel because, in the past, it was the most common fuel for many blacksmiths and bladesmiths. Some of the world’s most famous blades were made in charcoal, but now, many people turned to use either coal or propane forge. The greatest advantage of lump charcoal is the fact you can make it by yourself and save money.
Advantages:
- Burns hotter
- Lights quickly
- Easy fire control
- All-natural
- Easily available
- Produces less ash
Disadvantages:
- Burns faster
- Less consistent
- More expensive
Can You Forge Weld With Charcoal Briquettes?
Forge welding is one of the crucial skills every advanced smith must have. Since this process is particularly tricky, both welders and blacksmiths are advised to do a lot of practice. Basically, forge welding is the process of welding two metal pieces together. I know it sounds like any other welding process but it isn’t.
For example, in forge welding, you can weld two different metal pieces by heating them to very high temperatures and blending them together. With enough knowledge about the heat, pressure, and technique you can forge almost any two pieces into one.
Since most steels require achieving temperatures above 2000 °F, charcoal briquettes are not generally used for that purpose. They aren’t simply capable of producing high enough temperatures even for basic forging let alone for forge welding. Bituminous coal and propane are the best fuels for forge welding, so use them instead if possible. If you don’t have any of that, you can always try lump charcoal.
The biggest problem during forge welding with charcoal is an oxidizing fire which is caused by a shallow bed or simply bad charcoal. Always make sure that the pieces are small enough and that there is enough airflow. In most cases, a hairdryer is sufficient if the grate holes are big enough.
How to Make Your Own Charcoal Briquettes?
Unlike clay, charcoal briquettes cant be molded into the desired shape without adding a binding material. A charcoal briquette is simply a compressed block of sawdust, charcoal dust, coal dust, and wood chips. In order to form charcoal dust into briquettes, you need an agglomerating material and enough pressure.
The first thing you need is a forge and some kind of fuel. Aim to get at least 90% of heat fuel material for good quality briquettes. Also, try to get materials that will produce less ash, such as large fine charcoal You can also use charcoal fines, wood charcoal, or coal.
Next, you are going to need some accelerants for faster burning due to the difference in the structure with lump charcoal. Nitrates are most commonly used for this purpose, especially sodium nitrate. Stay away from ammonium nitrate and potassium nitrate.
Keep in mind that nitrates are more expensive so if you are looking for something cheaper, I recommend using sawdust. If you choose to use sawdust, note that it should be partly fermented for a few days to reduce smoke.
When you light briquettes in a forge, you need to know when they are ready. That is where the white ash color comes in. Limestone, lime, or calcium carbonate are most commonly used. They lower the rate of burning so they can burn much longer. Of course, you also need some kind of binder for proper shaping. While any starch will do, cassava is one of the best choices. There are other options like acacia gum and waste paper pulp which can also be used.
You can see the full process in the video below, enjoy.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, using charcoal briquettes for blacksmithing purposes is not a great idea. If you really want to use charcoal, use hardwood charcoal instead. On the other hand, if you have access to bituminous coal, we would recommend using it since it has far greater fuel properties than any charcoal.
In the last couple of years, many blacksmiths and bladesmiths turned to using propane forges. Propane forges are much more beginner-friendly since they don’t require constant attention as coal forges do. You can also focus more on the actual work as you don’t have to worry about losing the fire.
So, if you are someone who wants to start blacksmithing, I would recommend starting with a propane forge. On the other side, if you like traditional blacksmithing then you should learn proper fire management and use a coal forge instead.
