Tried using a potato to stop a small forge crack from spreading as a joke, and it actually held for a whole week.

My buddy in Boise dared me to try it after a few beers, so I shoved a raw russet into a hairline crack near the tuyere, and the moisture and starch seemed to seal it enough to finish a batch of 20 bottle openers before it finally charred through.

3 comments

3 Comments

rowanw911d ago

Always thought that was just an old wives' tale, but I guess it really works.

casey2681d ago

Clean it real good and hit it with some furnace cement next time. That potato trick is a fun story but you don't want it failing during a big pour.

schmidt.iris1d ago

My cousin tried the potato fix on his old forge three years ago. It held up just long enough for him to brag about it at a family cookout before it blew a hole the size of a softball. We still give him grief about his "organic refractory cement." Casey's right, just use the real stuff.