Last Thursday was one of those perfect days where everything just clicked

I got a big commission piece done about 2 hours faster than I planned, which almost never happens (my usual luck is one setback after another). The forge was running hot and steady, and I nailed a set of 3 decorative hinges on the first try without any warping. Then a guy walked in and bought a fire poker I'd made months ago that was just gathering dust. Has anyone else had a day where the metal just seemed to behave itself?

3 comments

3 Comments

gavin69214d ago

@mila_harris kinda reminded me of something my buddy Tom said after a day like that. He walked out of his shop grinning like an idiot saying the hammer felt like it was doing half the work for him.

patriciah5116d ago

Last Thursday I was sorting through some old stock and thinking about how I never seem to catch those lucky breaks... I've been at this for about 12 years now and honestly, the metal never really "behaves" for me. It's more like I learn to work around its little quirks and stubborn moods. My forge decides to act up right in the middle of a good run, or the steel warps when I'm not looking. I guess what I'm saying is, maybe it's not the metal cooperating... maybe you just got really good at handling it without even noticing.

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mila_harris15d ago

Hate to push back on this @patriciah51, but I gotta disagree. Steel either does what it's supposed to or it doesn't. I've been doing this long enough to know good stock from bad. If your metal's acting up all the time, you're probably buying the cheap stuff or you're not reading the grain right. I've had days where the forge hits perfect temp and the metal moves like butter, no skill involved. That's just good material and a stable setup. Sometimes you're the one making it harder than it has to be.