You shouldnt loose the forge equipment you have already built .
I am assuming you have a stronghold, as soon as you leave this, unless you have made back up plans, it will be difficult to go back should you need to.
You know how the chief , clan and stronghold system works work.
Why not check what the other clan has?
You could always run your present clan stronghold if you use your alt as chief, and return there if things dont work out.
If the 2 or 3 clans have researched different things in the stronghold keeping them all alive may be of benefit .
Im pretty sure you cant take anything out of the stronghold so thats another good reason for keeping it going, at least till you have spent everything.
Our clan is connected with two other clans that are fairly inactive ... the active people moved to our clan ... however one person has access to both the other clans, in one she is the chief (she started that clan) in the other she is an elder (the chief has not logged in forever) ... her main accounts are in our clan.
The one she is chief of she tries to win the cvc if possible and she keeps doing transformations, the other one has a couple/few other players who wanted to stay in the chiefless clan and they do transformations sometimes also to win their cvc. We have equipment being researched in all three clans and people can go to one of the other clans to make equipment there and then come back to the "main" clan.