Enter FORGE-FROM-HELL III THE IDIOT STRIKES BACK.  A simple pipe cap with three 1/2" slots became my new tuyere, and while it didn't look half as impressive, it didn't melt and plop onto the ash gate either.  I also had the brilliant idea to replace the loose sand refractory on the firepot floor with firebrick for two reasons.  First, I was tired of trying to empty out the firepot and somehow try to keep the sand separate from the coal.  Second, the sand would often move away from the tuyere, causing an air leak through the generously cut threads between the pipe and the cap/tuyere resulting in heating and erosion of the air supply pipe.  By lining the bottom with firebrick the bottom would no longer move around, and the level of the tuyere would be below the floor, protecting the air supply pipe from the fire.  At least that's how it was supposed to work.  In the world of reality I discovered two things:  1.  My pipe cap tuyere clogged up with clinker in record time as now the tuyere was the lowest point in the firepot, the point to which the clinker would inevitably flow,  and 2.  Clinker sticks to firebrick like I wish my forge welds would stick to each other--hot or cold.  It was near the end of this failed experiment that the old AMC blower, always inadequate to the task, gasped its last breath.

     The next task then, was to erase the design errors committed, and design an air delivery system that would kick some butt.  Enter FORGE-FROM-HELL IV THE SEARCH FOR SPUNK.  I decided that a 1 1/2 hp shop vac motor would supply some serious air pressure, and so I constructed a wooden box just large enough to enclose the vac motor.  A 2" hole in the box with a 2" pipe flange screwed over it provided an outlet, and a 2" hole with a pork & beans can lid screwed over it with one screw so it could be pivoted to obstruct the inlet, and a light dimmer varying the motor speed (remember fellow smiths: you can use an inexpensive light dimmer to vary the speed of shaded pole or universal motors, provided that you do not exceed the wattage capacity of the dimmer-do not try this with other types of motors unless you are in need of motor shaped paperweights.) rounded out my duct tape and bailing wire-esce air power.  Out came the firebricks and back went the sand.  A redesign of the tuyere yielded a 2" pipe coupling with three 1/2" square stock bars welded across one open end, the other end being threaded onto the air supply, making sure that the joint between pipe and coupling was well covered with sand.  As an extra refinement to make for a smaller fire, as a coke conserving measure, I cut a number of firebricks to length and lined the perimeter of the firepot, reducing it to the 16" or so across neighborhood.