hi i'm about to fire up my forge for the first time and i'm wondering if there is a special method of lighting a coal fire compared to charcoal and wood?..i don't have much experience starting anything other than a campfire.

waded up news paper ball in the bottem enought to burn for a little bit. small peices of wood work well to. Pine cones work grate only take a couple and you will have a fire in no time.

Light any of the above and start putting a little air to the fire as you crank rake your coal in if you have coke left over from your last fire put it on first then rake your fresh coal on

but what if i have a hole in the bottom of my firepot below where the heart of the fire will be for the air? the ashes will fall in or blow out won't they?