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I finally gave up on my old 'one heat to rule them all' method for scrollwork
For years in my shop in Boise, I'd try to form a full scroll in a single heat, which usually ended with me chasing a glowing piece of steel across the floor like a cartoon character, lmao. The change came after a class with a smith named Karl, who showed me the 'three heat rule' for complex bends. Now I take my time, reheat twice, and my pieces actually look like what I planned. Anyone else have a stubborn old habit they had to break to get better results?
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lucas1595d ago
Man, that "one heat" trap is so real. I used to do the same thing trying to forge bottle openers in a single go, and the last twist would always be weak because the metal was too cold. So what's the actual breaking point for you now? Like, on a tight scroll, do you reheat after the first 90 degrees, or is it more about feeling the steel stiffen up?
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