he would be forging steel already, if not for the need to get out of the woods to make money

Love that kids videos, I am trying his wood ash into portland cement method here as soon as it is warm enough. Mix ash with water, roll into balls, fire until glowing, then drop in water while hot, the fast temp change calcifies something and makes a product identical to portland cement. At which point you mix with aggregate like broken ceramics or gravel. I do maple ayrup, and have a woodstove I just put in so I have a ton of woodash.