Smelting Iron

Jim Rehrer

Jim Rehrer

Joined
Jan 11, 2006
Messages
686
Hey everyone,
Im trying to get organized for a little project I want to pursue this year but am having a little trouble finding some things. My goal is to smelt some iron. I have found alot of really helpful websites but am still looking for more info so i can read some more before I actually try this. So my questsions are as follows.
1. Anyone know of any good books that might help me?
2. Im not sure where to find the ore...I see alot of industrial supplies online but nothing on the smaller scale. I know this area has alot of old blast furnace foundations all over the place so there is/was ore around here at one point.
3. Fuel source. Coke/Charcoal seem to be my 2 options...funny thing is no one around here knows what coke is! (except for the drug) anyone have any experience making either?

Thanks in advance you guys always help out tremendously!
 
Google Tylecote smelter
there is a discussion group on Yahoo called Early Iron run by Darrel Markewicz of Wareham Forge.
Don Fogg also has a section on his forum called Bloomers and Buttons.
for bloom smelting I use charcoal, I have been buying granular magnetite from the local ceramic supply store for ore. I am going to be experimenting with adding silica sand to it to boost the effective slag content.

-Page
 
Jim,

It's a bit of a haul from Clarion (4-5 hours drive I'd guess), but if you can make it down to the 2009 Fire & Brimstone Hammerin in March, we'll be doing a couple of types of smelts and will have loads of folks to answer questions, etc. We'll also have some damascus demos (I'll probably cover mosaics and some more advanced patterning this year), tasty grilled meats (what's the point of lighting a fire anywhere if you're not going to grill something?!), casting demonstrations, an Iron Kiss power hammer to play with, and very likely a Guinness world record holding sword swallower! If that's not an interesting weekend, I don't know what is :)

Otherwise, I recommend the Bloomers & Buttons section at Don Fogg's forum as well.

-d
 
A couple things:

Book to read (a must): "The Mastery and Uses of Fire in Antiquity" by J. E. Rehder.

Local sources of small quantity ore: Potery supply stores. Ask for hematite or magnetite.

Fuel source: Charcoal. You will know why after reading the book.
 
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