CHAPTER II. 

 THE FIRE— HEATS. 



THE FIRE. 



5. Coal, charcoal, coke, or even wood, may be used as fuel tc 

 create the necessary heat in the forge 



Before building the fire the crater of the forge must be thor- 

 oughly cleaned remo^g all dirt, ashes, and imconsumed fuel 

 Ihe twyer ball should be rocked vigorously, and the slide (S) 

 T?o K ii -^ u"" ^^^^? "^^^ ^'^ ^^ remo^-ing the accumulated dust 

 Uie ball is often so heated as to fuse, and melted metal and clink- 

 of'thp'^^i^f *^? opeiiings around the ball, preventing the passage 

 ot the blast. The obstructions must be removed bv the use of 

 tne poker. 



. Coal is banked around the twyer ball in the form of a crater 

 .It.? ""^a ?^.^'V^^ d^T particles of any inflammable material 

 are placed and ignited, men these particles are burning coke 

 or wet coal (if no coke is available) is gradually placed on the fire 

 and the fan is revolved slowly, care being taken not to cover so 

 closely that the flames are smothered. 



+T.?l'r the fire is burning brightly, it should be built up around 

 the edges with wet coal, which will in time become coke. (See 

 Meats.) Ihis coke is next burned and is replaced bv wet coal 

 thus keeping up the supply of coke. Green coal is of little use in 

 iieating iron or steel for the reason that it does not give a hi^^h 

 degree of heat, that it sticks to the metal, and that it emits a smoke 

 which interferes with the work. 



A clear fire without smoke is essential for good work, and the 

 higher degrees of heat can only be obtained from such a fire 



ihe depth of the fire should be about 9 inches; the metal is then 

 twve" b^^ll ^ ""^ greatest heat, about 6 inches above the 



IG 



