If you look closely, you'll notice that the firepot is cracked. That came from trying the forge out the first time with just the clay saucer with no lining. While the material can certainly stand up to the heat, it didn't heat evenly. It produced a bell like tone when it popped. It didn't break in two, and as it cooled the crack closed up, so rather than start over I decided to try adding more thermal mass. I'm lucky enough to live in an area with clay soil, so I dug some up from the back yard, screened it, and mixed in some water to make mud. The side walls were added later, built up over a small piece of hardware cloth, to prevent the coals from being pushed over the side. It would have been a bit sturdier if I'd added fine straw or similar to the mud, and that's what I'll do when I get 'round to building a bigger version, but I've found this one to be satisfactory for most small projects.
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