Old timer told me to never use a wire brush on a hot forge weld

Back when I was learning at a shop near Springfield, an old smith named Leo warned me that wire brushes on hot metal rub tiny bits of steel into the surface that show up as pits later. I ignored him and tried it on a railway spike knife I was making. Sure enough, after quenching and grinding, I had a dozen little rust spots I couldn't sand out. Any of you had a piece of advice that sounded crazy but turned out to be 100% true?

2 comments

2 Comments

angela6871mo ago

What is it about old timers and their weird rules that always end up being right? I once had a guy tell me not to oil my hammer face because it would make the steel slick and dangerous. I thought he was just being stubborn, so I oiled it anyway and nearly sent a hot chisel flying through my garage window. Now I keep my hammer dry as a bone and have a nice dent in the wall to remind me. That railway spike story sounds like a perfect example of learning the hard way, just like my little adventure.

jamiew531mo ago

My dad used to tell me "don't get clever with a tool, it'll find a way to bite you." I ignored him, tried to use a crescent wrench as a hammer once, and dented the hell out of my fridge. Now I've got a nice reminder right next to yours I guess.