Oh totally, the iron trick is a game changer. I accidentally melted a sticker onto a thrifted jacket once and a warm iron saved it completely.

And that's the thing about forge welding, the temp window is so narrow that tiny things like flux timing make or break it. I started keeping my flux in a little can right on the anvil so it's always handy the second the steel looks right.

Read somewhere that porous clay actually helps roots breathe better, makes sense honestly.

Coped joints always left me with gaps no matter how careful I was, so I stuck with mitering.

@sethm58 has got to be right about machines knowing when you're being watched.