michael_green44•1mo agoProlific Poster

Forging a set of 12 matching hinges for a barn door in Vermont nearly broke me

The client wanted them all identical, down to the scroll work, and I spent three days just on the jig. On the fourth day, my propane forge nozzle clogged right as I was heating the last piece, and I had to finish it in my coal forge which runs about 150 degrees hotter. That slight temp difference threw off the temper on that final hinge, making it a shade darker after the oil quench. Has anyone else had a big batch job nearly ruined by having to switch heat sources mid-stream?

3 comments

3 Comments

gibson.morgan1mo ago

Man, that's rough. I once had a kiln element blow on a glaze firing and had to finish it in my backup, totally changed the color on half the mugs lol.

the_paul1mo ago

Switching forges is just poor planning. A real pro would have a backup ready that runs at the same temp. That final hinge being off is on you, not the tools.

john_fisher1mo ago

Come on, that's just how it goes sometimes. Stuff breaks and you use what you have to finish the job, it doesn't mean you planned poorly. Getting 11 out of 12 perfect when your gear fails is still a win in my book.