This is not meant to be harsh in any way: but you’re doing it wrong!
Use draining boon 1 or corrupted 1, vigour catalyst 2, boon removal 1, some gums, stability paste 2, fate paste 2
I rarely get defects or quirks and I get 3x3, dmg level 8/9 (depending on gem type) and third boon level 8 or higher…
Play around with it, don’t just follow guides…
I agree that improvements could be made here or there but many complaints I hear and see are from people who use decon resins exclusively when they do not get a boon they want. This is very, very, very luck dependent and is absolutely not the way to go about things, the trick is knowing bad rolls will happen and using different things to handle them. That is also the fun for me with it.
Also, any ideas how you feel they could improve forging?