[Sca-cooks] Charcoal forge suggestion ;-)

[Bill Fisher]

On Mon, 18 Oct 2004 01:44:49 -0400, marilyn traber 011221
<phlip at 99main.com> wrote:
> Yep. You not only were lucky with the clay you used, but you then used the
> proper techniques to fire it thoroughly. Firing clay, on the face of it,
> isn't terribly difficult- you take clay, and you add heat, rather like
> cooking food isn't vary difficult- you take foodstuffs, and add heat;-) It's
> the details, though, that make the difference between a lopsided cup that
> will maybe hold some liquid, and the ceramic nose cone of a space re-entry
> vehicle, just as the details will make the difference between a pot of half-
> burned, half raw stew materials in liquid, and, say, a properly prepared coq
> au vin.

True, but then again I spent hours researching in the Penn State Library in
State College before I did it.  I had done some pottery throwing in art class
in high school, so I was aware that if I fired it wrong it would explode and 
set me on fire (again).  The clay I had at my Dad's was the good subteranean
stuff you can only get with a backhoe (which was how I got it).


> Actually, I prefer a more cylindrical shape to my fire pot, the reason being
> that the fire itself acts as insulation against the high temperatures you get
> in the heart of the fire. Keep in mind, that the heart of the fire is often
> around 2500 or more, in order to bring the metal up to the approximately 1750
> or so that you use for a working heat. When you're welding, you're moving the
> steel up to roughly 2250 or more, and you need enough excess heat to heat the
> metal quickly- otherwise you're going to take a longer time to bring it up to
> heat, and metals do strange things when they stay hot for long periods of
> times. Even if you have the metal properly fluxed, if you're trying to bring
> two different grades of steel together for pattern welding, the carbon in the
> high carbon piece will wander over into the lower carbon piece, and rather
> than having the two steels you want for pattern welding, you'll wind up with
> one moderately carboned piece- the words "entropy" and "osmosis" fit in here.
> 
> And, an upside down cone simply helps the charcoal, etc funnel down into the
> grate. Better to have a mostly flat base to your fire, so the structure is
> more stable.

Cool, I had set my clay forge up with roundish basin that went down 
to a flat bottom.  Kind of like a sink, just smaller.  

I've never done charcoal work though I have done some campfire
work with the "blow only, do not suck, on this pipe" bellows.

Cadoc
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