 |
 |
As i understand it the preferred timber used very much depends on what the charcoal is used for. Oak is preferred for iron making because it is strong and is less susceptable to crushing in a loaded furnace. I believe that it is the crush strength of the charcoal that limited the size of blastfurnaces. With the sucessful adoption of coke fired furnaces it was posible to increase the volume and therefore weight of the furnace charge because coke has a higher crush strength. Martin Roe Lead Mining in the Yorkshire Dales http://www.mroe.freeserve.co.uk The Industrial Archaeology of Halifax http://www.mroe.freeserve.co.uk/halifax.htm _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.