Just learned a coal forge can hit 3,000 degrees and I've been running mine way too cold
A guy at the Central Texas Blacksmiths meetup in Waco told me his coal fire runs 2,800 to 3,000 degrees while I've been babying mine around 2,000 thinking that was plenty, so now I'm wondering how much forge welding I've been missing out on, anybody else run theirs that hot?
Wondering what your air setup looks like, because that is the real difference maker on hitting those temps. Are you running a hand crank blower or a hair dryer rig, and how deep is your fire pot? I ask because a deep pot with a good clinker breaker lets you pile coal up high and get that welding heat, but a shallow one will just blow ash everywhere if you crank too hard. Also curious what coal you are burning, since that Central Texas crowd might be getting better stuff than whatever you can find local.