Jorneyman collier charcoal maker

[woody1]

I was invited to help at a local bi-cenntenial celebration. We had a master collier there who instructed us in the building of a charcoal burn. It was one of the most educational things I have ever done. Today, at the end of the burn and the uncovering, raking off, the helpers were prsented with their journeyman collier certificate. A very good weekend !!
Woody1

[Dan_Shade]

pictures, process, information?

[thedeeredude]

sounds cool woody!  Did you get the name of the collier?  My mechanic does that for a hobby.

[nas]

pictures, process, information?

That's right.  It didn't happen unless we see pictorial proof.

[woody1]

The Master Collier was Paul Fagley from Greenwood Furnace State Park. This man is an expert in coaling. He was trained by a man named Eckley, who was one of the last surviving colliers in the U.S.. He pasted away a few years back and Paul has a pasion for passing this craft on. The old colliers were mostly iliterate, so hardly any first hand knowlege is available.
Some of the information that imperssed me...
One burn of 35 to 50 cord would only last the firnace one day and it took about a month to build and burn.
Atypical iron funace would use about 300 acres of forest per year.
Wood choppers were paid 30 cents per cord in the 1870's.
Colliers were paid 2 cents per bushel for charcoal.
Each year 5000 cords were needed, which would be a stack 4 foot square by seven and a half miles long.
A typical pit would be35 feet in diameter and 12 feet high.
The pit would be covered and smolder for up to two weeks.
Each pit would prduce 1800 to 2100 bushel of charcoal.

[Dan_Shade]

did you guys do it in a hole?  or in a barrel?  or some other method?

[woody1]

We did a burn that was typical in our area in the 18th and 19th century. Starting with a flat area. We built a wooden chimney out of small, split wood. The chimney is built three sided and stacked like a log cabin. Around the chimney we stacked split wood. Then a second layer is stacked on top of the first stack. The chimney is covered with 1/2 logs called bridging. Then the whole pile is covered with a layer of leaves and sod. The sod and bridging are removed from the top. Dryed twigs and kindling are put down into the chimney. Then hot coals are put in the top of the chimney. The fire is started in the chimney and the chimney is caped off with the bridging and sod.  The pit has to be watched untill the process is finished, because when if a hole appears it must be covered immediatly. Small hole or vents are positioned at the bottom of the pile to control the air.