PSA: That "simple" forge welding repair took me 4 hours longer than expected

I tried to fix a crack in my treadle hammer last Saturday and figured it would be a 30 minute job. Ended up spending 5 hours at the anvil because the flux I was using had gone bad and I didn't realize it. The weld kept failing and I thought I was just losing my touch. Turned out the borax had gotten damp and clumped up. Has anyone else wasted a day on something that should have been quick just because a basic supply went south?

2 comments

2 Comments

davidwright1mo ago

Store the borax in a sealed jar with silica packs and it stays good forever.

sarah_hart1mo ago

That thing about sealed jars with silica packs sounds smart. I actually heard a guy at a hammer-in say you can just microwave damp borax for a minute or two to dry it out, but I've never tried it myself.