Hi--You asked for tips/tricks for blacksmithing with regular wood fuel. We build a forge that is specially designed for this, and use it in our shop. Here are a few things that we've observed:
a. Uniform sized fuel really helps. If some pieces are big and some small, you end up with wood that isn't charcoal yet down where it should be hottest. Ideally, the part of your fire where you are heating your metal should be all charcoal, even if there is raw wood on top still baking. We cut up short firewood into pieces about 2x2x6" and find it works well--3x3x3" is pretty good too, but more work.
b. Give softwoods a chance. The hardwoods we have tried out have several drawbacks as raw wood fuels: they are denser and therefore become charcoal more slowly, making colder spots in your fire. Also, they have a higher mineral content and make a lot of heavier ash. This is messy and can block the air holes, requiring more frequent cleanout.
c. Deep fire. It won't do to just have fire under your work piece, you need a depth of fire over it as well, to a much greater extent than coal requires.
d. Our forge is lined with firebrick and kaowool. This insulation retains heat and keeps the fire hot even when you let it rest for a while--you can add a surprising amount of fuel without smoking when the bricks are hot. It also prevents precious heat from being lost on the sides.
Always good to see that people are giving renewable fuels a chance!
Whitlox Homestead Wood-Fired Forges
