Finally got a clean weld on that tricky Damascus billet

Honestly, I've been fighting with this one piece of 1084 and 15N20 for like three weeks, my forge just wouldn't hold the right temp. Yesterday I finally got a solid, even heat and the layers stuck on the first press. What's your go-to trick for keeping a steady temp when forge welding?

3 comments

3 Comments

oliver_mitchell3mo agoTop Commenter

Steady temps are overrated, just hit it harder.

kim_nelson3mo ago

Just hit it harder" is the kind of advice that leads to broken tools and a lot of swearing. I can picture you, oliver_mitchell, saying that right before something snaps in half. Steady temps might be overrated for you, but some of us like our results to be predictable and not a total mess. This feels like the cooking version of just guessing on all the measurements.

felix1551mo ago

Honestly, I think the real issue here is that nobody's talking about the humidity. I've been cooking low and slow for years and even with a steady temp, if your meat is sitting in a dry oven with no moisture, you're basically making jerky. Adding a water pan or even a wet towel in a smoker makes way more difference than just fiddling with the dial. Steady temps matter, but controlling the moisture level is what keeps things from turning into a leather shoe.