Oh man, that gray sludge phase... I think my first starter looked like something I should have buried in the backyard. My fix was the oven light, because my kitchen is always freezing. Left it on with the door cracked and it finally woke up, like a cranky little pet.

What kind of drill were you using for that? That's a serious job for a cordless tool. Sounds like it went out in a blaze of glory.

Yo @mia592, what about heat buildup in that gap?

But what if your anvil is so broken it ruins the work? @violafox, a bad forge makes heating hard, but a bad anvil can wreck a good heat. You need both tools to be solid.

Interesting! I've only ever used borax, but that clay trick sounds like it's worth a try.