Coal vs propane forge - stuck with coal for 15 years now

Back in 2008 I had to pick between a coal forge and a propane one. Went with coal because my grandpa had piles of it in his shed. Took me a solid 3 years to get the fire right without burning everything. Heat control is still a pain compared to propane. But I can make way hotter fires for big pieces. Last month I welded a 50 pound plow blade no problem. Anyone else stick with an older method just because of family history?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_simon26d ago

That 50 pound plow blade weld says everything about why coal still has a place. Propane forges just don't have that raw thermal mass for the really big jobs.

wells.karen25d agoTop Commenter

So are you saying propane forges just cant keep up with coal when you're dealing with that kind of mass? I always figured electric was the way to go for consistency, but coal seems like it would be a pain to control the temp. Does the thermal mass make it easier to keep a big blade like that hot all the way through without cold spots?