Just realized I've been wasting coal by keeping my forge fire too big
I finally tried running my forge with a smaller fire after reading a post from some guy in Ohio, and I burned through half the coal I usually do in a 4 hour session while still getting my steel to welding heat no problem. Has anyone else noticed a big difference when they dial back their fire size?
Man, I was the same way. I always thought you needed that giant roaring fire to get anything done, like bigger fire equals better heat. But after trying it small like you said, I totally get it now. It's wild how much less coal you use and it works just as good.
Three pounds of coal saved in one night just by making my fire look sad and pathetic instead of like a foundry explosion. I felt like a genius and a fool at the same time when I realized I'd been burning money for dramatic effect. Guess my forge doesn't need to be a literal bonfire to actually work.