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That old timer who told me I was forging too hot changed everything

I was at a hammer-in last spring down in Birmingham and this guy with 40 years experience watched me for like 5 minutes. He just said 'you're cooking that steel, let it cool down to a dull red before you touch it.' I always thought cherry red was the way to go for everything. Turns out I was burning off carbon and making my tools brittle. Now I let the color drop and my punches and drifts last way longer without chipping. Has anyone else gotten a simple tip that totally flipped their whole process?
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hollyramirez
That "I was burning off carbon" part really hits home, happens in more than just forging.
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fiona_clark
Wait, you're saying people do this with other stuff too? Like cooking and baking and all that? @hollyramirez that 'burning off carbon' thing is wild when you think about how it applies to so many different areas. It's crazy how one simple temperature mistake can mess up the whole end result.
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