That old farrier in Laramie changed my mind about flux

I used to think flux was just a crutch for people who couldn't manage their heat right. Then last spring I was at a demo in Laramie, and this old farrier, must've been 70, was forge welding some chain links. He dipped his rod in the flux can and said, 'son, your fire ain't magic, this is.' I watched him nail the weld first try on cold steel. After that I bought a cheap tin of it and practiced for a week. Now I don't skip it even on simple joins. Anybody else have a stubborn habit a stranger talked you out of?

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lily_jenkins7614d ago

Did you ever have one of those moments where someone way older than you says one sentence and it just sticks in your head forever? Same thing happened to me with an old welder down in Amarillo, he watched me fight a joint for twenty minutes and finally just said "quit rushing the puddle." I was so mad in the moment but he was right and I still hear it every time I strike an arc. It's funny how the guys who've been doing this forever don't need fancy words, they just cut straight to it. That farrier in Laramie sounds like he'd seen a hundred young guys like you walk through and make the same mistake.

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