Wow RR, some of us row against the flow and others just let the waves bring the good stuff to them!
I'm not up on all the different coals. But I do know I purchased come coal that came in bags and it wasn't cheap from a blacksmith here in Texas. It varied from powder to baseball sized chunks. I found I could dechunk it relatively easy. The smaller coal would be better for a start.
Coke fires are hotter than coal fires. Same stuff I know but if you order a firepot (the thingy you're worrying about burning up) from <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.centaurforge.com>Centaur Forge </A> you will find the coke pot like I've got thicker to last longer.
You don't have to let it burn off for that long. What you do is start a fire in the firepot with green coal stacked up over on the sides so you can replenish your fire as it burns down.
You are very fortunate because where you live there are real smiths with real knowledge and I've only met a couple that were so full of themself they were hard to get along with. Most blacksmiths I know are the most generous and willing folks to share knowledge with folks you'll ever find.
Be carefull around the farriers though. I suspect the whatevers of anyone that prefers to play with the feet of large animals.
Here's the keys to the kingdom.
NEW ENGLAND BLACKSMITHS
Pres: Richard Gilbert
69 S. Main Street
Ipswich,MA 01938
(978) 356-3145
Ed: Fred Mikkelson
23 Waterman Drive
North Scituate, RI 02857-2036
(401)647-3086
fred@trollshammerforge.com
www.neb.abana-chapter.com
I got that <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.abana.org/chapters/chapter_list.html>here.</A>
These guys can lead you into the chapel of great pleasure and not let you succumb to the pit falls tendonitis and other incidentals of just having fun.
The biggest thing about blacksmithing is practice and just doing it. There is so much to learn that you can study and study and study from other sources that never really reach you until you're doing it. But when you do it right it touches you down deep in your soul. And you know you've reached the source of pleasure across the universe.
I mean, heck, what's the sun but the biggest forge we'll see in our lifetime hopefully. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif