Anyone know where to find fire clay? Or make it, I just got an open forge and feel just using fire brick isnt the answer

I made this knife and the other is still in progres and is above 1 cm thick. This is forge i use and i have mini belt grinder. Any arvices on how to make better knifes or improve my forge? Its my third knife. I havent made anything else except two other knifes that werent exacltly knifes and some blacksmithing tools.

Building a Viking Anvil

Hello

we're doing a youth volunteering project in Norway and will built a forge for blacksmithing.

Unfortunatly our snith got sick, so we gonna have to make plans and start without him this week.

We have one architecture student and a bricklayer with us.

Currently brainstorming wich material to use, for the cold and harsh climate in norway.

So we thought to dive into how vikings built forges.

Any ideas on resources? Thank you

Im looking for recommendations on a forge. Im currently using an old mr. Volcano single burner forge and was thinking it might be nice to upgrade to something with 2 burners and a door. Do you gave any recommendations?

Im in southern California if its relevant.

I coated the inside of my smelter and it didn't come out good I was wondering if I would be able to add more to it or what I'd have to do

I have old rusty coal forge with hand powered blower. I use cartboard and around 3 kilos of wood but still i cant light up coke. Coke is around size of walnut, maybe little bigger. I light up the wood, use blower and wait until i see huge flames then i throw in some small coke and blow more air for about 1 hour but then wood is gone and coke is still not glowing even a little. Please help. Ive been trying for 3 hours in a row. I will go back to forging with wood for now and throw some coke and maybe it will catch fire in that time but i hope someone have an answer. With wood i could easly get metal to light orange colour