Charcoal can be made from wood scraps and used hardwood pallets. A open ended drum is filled with wood scraps that are suspended a few inches from the bottom with wires. The drum is placed over a fire and smoke is allowed to come out a vent hole in the top. The process carbonizes the wood and makes charcoal.

The making of charcoal was once a major industry in the U.S. It was used to fuel the early iron smelters and in the production of wrought iron itself.

It was also used as a barter item. Blacksmiths who did not have ready access to coal of high enough quality to fuel their forges would sometimes accept charcoal from customers as payment against their blacksmithing bill, or ...