After recently aquiring a Champion Whirlwind Firepot, I set to work cleaning it up. I got the bolts off and all of the chunky, flaky rust off, but the tuyere iron/pick remains stuck.
I have tried a few things, but do not want to do the wrong thing and then cause the forge to be broken through my carelessness, so I ask for an experienced member's help.

The tuyere iron seems to have melted or rusted into place. I almost looks like there was some melted slag which filled the holes where the handle comes out of the tuyere pipe. What would be the most efficient way to unstick this, be it some slag or some rust which has filled up these two holes?

Thank you for sharing generously your hard-earned knowlege!
~RF

Sometimes heat is your best friend. You might try using a large oxy-acetylene or oxy-propane tip or rosebud and "washing" the stuck area, washing meaning to wave the heat back and forth or in a circular manner to get a larger area covered. If that doesn't work, let air-cool and try B'laster or some of the other loosening materials on the market. Patience. It might take several days of B'laster and tapping with a soft hammer and/or physically chipping off excess material.

Some of the Whirlwinds I've seen do not have a movable clinker breaker so be sure you don't have that type. This style of pot is cleaned from the top with a poker instead of a dump ball.

HW, There is a clinker breaker visible inside, which is visible, and is a pick-style clinker breaker. The slots in the firepot looks pretty rough, and it shows signs that someone might have melted some iron in the fire, which dripped down and partially filled the clinker breaker holes. I'll try to get a picture to see if I can be more clear, and Frank I will try the heat. Thank you for your input!