Gate order turned around my solo forge mindset

I always ran my shop solo, sure it was the best way. Then I landed a large order for custom gates. Another smith offered to help, and I agreed after some doubt. Forging together cut the project time by half. He showed me a faster scroll shaping trick I never knew. Now I see how a forge partner can bring new ideas and share the load. I'm looking to hire a helper for future big projects.

3 comments

3 Comments

the_thea1mo ago

That's a huge shift from going solo to wanting a helper. What was the hardest part about letting someone else work on your designs, the trust or the control? Sounds like you gained way more than just time saved.

phoenix_clark31mo ago

Is trusting someone else REALLY that big of a deal?

rowanellis27d ago

Yeah, that bit about 'the hardest part' is so real. For me, the control was the killer at first. I'd stay up late fixing tiny details no one else would notice. But once I trusted my assistant, they caught mistakes I missed and even suggested colors I never would have picked. It stung a little to say their ideas were better sometimes. Letting go actually made the work better, not just faster.