Hello, I'm quite new to blacksmithing.  I have some questions about fire pots for coal forges. I understand what kind of design/shape I need. But I don't know what to use for material. I know I could use steel, but I scared of it warping or melting through. I could also use some sort of fire brick, but I don't have any experience with that. So it would be extremely helpful if someone could point me in the right direction. I didn't see any threads on this already so if I missed one sorry, If you could point me in the direction of it that'd be great. Thanks

What design and shape Do you plan on making? Also what full on design are you going off of?

Use Steel and follow the Bob Patrick fire pot directions.

 

 Thank you Irondragon I'll check into it

 I planned on using something like this,  as for full design I don't really know I'm getting an old forge bottom from my neighbor, so I don't know exactly whats going to happen, I'll try to update with a picture of forge when I get the chance.

I pulled this off the internet, not mine

I made a fire pot similar to the one shown, except that it has a clinker breaker,  out of 1/8" steel figuring that I could repair it easy enough if it burned through. It has held up much better than I thought it would. My repair plan is to patch the outside with more 1/8" steel then fill the hole on the inside with clay, but it has not burned through yet.

Isaac- if you use that design with 3/8 or 1/2" steel, it should prit near outlast you.

Steve

From memory I just fabricated my little demo forge that I take out for summer shows from a bit of 10mm (3/8") thick box section. It's about 3" deep, about 6" wide & about 10" long. No angled walls. Lasted a good few years now. Even off my hand cranked blower I've fire welded 1" bar in it. 

I made mine form scrap bits of flat steel, scrounged odds and sods that were lying around, used bits of angle iron at the top rather than welding on a flat rim.

 

I have a rectangular stainless steel fire extinguisher box lined with fire bricks. There's nothing holding the pieces together which allows for easy cleaning and rebuilding of the forge for different projects. Just be wary that bricks will crack and erode when exposed to very high temperatures and need to be replaced regularly.