Back when we had to guess steel temps by color, not with pyrometers

I was sorting through some old photos the other day and came across shots of my first coal forge setup. We used to judge steel heat by the glow, like cherry red or orange, lol. It was hit or miss sometimes, especially with tricky steels. Now I've got a digital pyrometer that tells me the exact temp, which is way more consistent. But I kinda miss the skill of reading the colors, you know? It felt more connected to the metal. Still, I wouldn't go back, it's just neat to see how far we've come.

3 comments

3 Comments

patriciaellis1mo ago

Reading colors was a real skill, and missing that hands-on connection makes sense.

anna_hill27d agoTop Commenter

That shadow problem is a REAL headache. You ever try to work on a cloudy afternoon versus full sun? The color shift could trick you into pulling the steel too early or burning it. I saw a guy once try to forge weld in a dim corner and the metal was practically white hot before he saw it right. Makes you wonder how many old timers had secret spots in their shop just for judging color.

river1901mo ago

But have you ever messed up a piece because the light was bad? I remember tempering springs and the color in the shop shadow was totally different than by the door. That guesswork could ruin hours of work. Getting it right felt good, but the pyrometer just takes the stressful gamble out of it.