Repairing Buffalo forge

[Kenny O]

The height of the tuyere and the floor of the pan are incongruous, in the original version, what would fill the space, refractory, bricks?
I am going to put some S.S. sheet in the bottom, where it has rusted through, and some new hardware here & there.

[John McPherson]

I used homemade refractory to line a forge for a Scout camp ten years ago, and its still holding up fine. Mind you, its in a covered area and does not move, vibration and weather are rough on clay linings. Some well meaning individual had previously lined it with plaster of paris, ugh!

I used sand, fine clay, portland cement, and IIRC, grass clippings or chopped straw as a binder. Mixed dry in a wheelbarrow with a hoe, add water sparingly until you have a stiff mortar, trowel smooth to contours of firepot.

If you use much water to control your fires, eventually rust will form underneath the clay, but your firepot will probably crack first.

[ThomasPowers]

Hard firebrick laid in fireclay is what all of those I've seen were filled with.