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Charcoal Retort Day 2
The results of the first attempted burn of the D.I.Y. charcoal retort were not as impressive as expected but seem to be on the right track. Yesterday morning I picked up some nice cut-offs of spruce, cedar, and fir from Chris and his crew who were more than willing to assist with my experiment. I…
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Charcoal Retort Day 1
“Charcoal!”, he retorted. This is my first foray into high-tech low-tech clean charcoal production but I am stoked to try it out. For background information on fuel alternatives, see the post entitled: Sustainable ‘Smithing?. For this project, I visited the good folks at Demxx and picked up a steel drum along with a 6″ diameter…
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Sustainable ‘Smithing?
One of the draws of this type of craftsmanship is the deeply ingrained appreciation for ‘real’ and natural materials and simple methods. Many of the shop operations depend on human power and handwork. The charcoal fuel for forging is made from reclaimed wood.
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D.i.y. Technology
Blacksmithing is a unique craft with the ability to produce and modify its own tools. Understanding of various properties of wood and metals have led to applications in several areas including interior design, playspaces, pyrotechnics, tool repair, and skateboarding.