Proper care of Charcoal block

Hello beautiful Orchids, I haven’t been able to keep up with you all
lately, but I did notice a concern from some about new charcoal
blocks and their care.

Something I learned many years ago: Take a new block, wrap it in
aluminum foil, find an old cardboard box lid that will give you an
inch or so clearance all around and about one half the height, mix
up some plain ole plaster pour it in the lid not quite filling it
then place the wrapped block in this, smooth the edges and let it
set up. What you will wind up with after it is set up and you remove
the block with the foil, is a ‘custom’ holder for the block. Just
remove the foil and it will fit nicely in the ‘impression’ in the
plaster, help maintain its integrity, keep the other side (and your
bench) clean for future use. Try it, you’ll like it!

Hi Gail, Wow, and thanks. This is one of the best and most usefull
suggestions I’ve gotten in years. How to keep the bench
clean…thanks again.

One thing I do with my charcoal blocks, since I use them for melting
large quantities of metal, is to wrap them with binding wire, and it
wont keep them from splitting, but it will keep them together when
they do split for longer use.

Love and God Bless
-randy