Forge fire won't spread?

[Steven511]

I recently got some coke to upgrade my previously charcoal forge to. I started a fire, added some coke, and turned on my bouncy-house-turned-forge blower. The coke I originally threw on my wood fire caught and started burning quite nicely. The problem was after that. As my wood fire died down, I added more coke on top of the old stuff, and waited for it to heat up and reach forging temp. The problem is that the new coke wasn't catching fire. The old coke was burning, but it was giving off no flame, and since no new coke caught fire, everything stopped burning eventually. I tried again lowering and then raising my airflow, but nothing changed. I've looked up how to start a coke fire and it seems like I am doing things right. I don't know if it's the coke, the air supply, or what, but I haven't been able to find any posts on here that mention stuff like this. Does anyone know what's happening?

[JW513]

I only have limited time forging... I took a 9 week course, so I DONT know much...  We started our forges with coke, and spread green coal around the perimeter of it , but not over it, that kills it. As the coke/coal  burns down,  you add the fuel closest to the fire, and keep the green coal mounded around it.  Also when getting it lit, you need to find the right speed for the air, too slow isn't good and too fast is't either.. 

 

Long story short, don't add green coal on top of already lit coke.. Put it around it, as it burns, add it to fire.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

Sounds like not enough air, charcoal & wood need very little air coke/coal needs more. What type of coke did you get or are you making it from bituminous coal? How about a picture of the setup.

Just looked at the forge you have built. I think you need more holes in the fire pot, may be restricting the air with only 4 holes.