Lurking metallurgists

[ausfire]

Quite a few people at today's demo despite the rainy weather. During my demos I often say to people they are welcome to ask questions, and often jokingly add  "If I don't know, I'll make something up." And then add, "No I won't;  you never know who is in the audience."

Today was such a day. After the demo a group of visitors stayed behind to talk and one announced that he was a metallurgist. Times like that I'm glad that I never answer questions that are beyond my level of understanding. If I don't know, I don't know.

Anyway, the gentleman said that he enjoyed watching the demo and we talked for several minutes about the composition of stainless steels, the carbon content of rebar,  cast iron and cast steel etc.  He lost me a bit when he got into martensite temperatures, granular formations, austenite and iron-phase (?) tables, but he was obviously passionate about his job and I did learn a few things.

His visit reinforced my constant awareness that you should not answer questions that are out of your sphere of knowledge. You just never know if there's a lurking metallurgist who knows more than you do!

[JHCC]

Very, very true -- and not just about metallurgy!

[ThomasPowers]

Sure I knew---I had a tenured Metallurgy Prof in my Beginner's class Saturday.  He's one of the ones I go to when I have metallurgical questions; just like I am the one he goes to when he has smithing questions...