What is happening to my wrought?

Patrice Lemée

Patrice Lemée

Joined
Aug 13, 2002
Messages
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This is from the sea. Not sure what it was but it's been in there for a long while from the layer of deposit I removed. About a year ago I cut it into smaller pieces, coated in in motor oil and stored wrapped in a heavy plastic bag. About 2 months ago I took out a piece cause I needed a little for a guard. Cleaned it with a rag and it's been sitting on a shelf ever since. Now it is starting to corrode again and oozing a brownish/clear liquid. Could it be the oil?

wrought1.jpg


wrought2.jpg


Not terribly important, just found it weird.
 
I wonder if that iron had enough inclusions and porosity that salt water was able to penetrate it over time. Hum....

...very strange

Severe intragranular corrosion?


If oil can get in, then come back out, I wonder if boiling it might take some salt out of it?

.... good pictures by the way...
 
Iron that has been in salt water for a long time will corrode forever unless conserved by reverse electrolysis. It may take years of electrolysis to undo what 50-100 years in salt water has done. Ship artifacts sit in electrolysis tanks for many years before they can go on display without crumbling into a blob of rust. Your wrought is a great memento, but probably not suitable for hardware as it is.

If you wish to try and salvage it, this should work. Heat it to near welding heat and hold it there for at least 10-15 minutes. This will allow all the chlorides and other salts to react and be removed. You may want to give it a forging to consolidate it when the soak is done. This will compact the micro-voids that are left behind when all the bad stuff leaves. After it cools, give it a clean up grinding to expose the good iron, and it should be as good as new.
 
Patrice Lemée;8700466 said:
Thanks Stacy, I'll give that a try. It is the only wrought iron I have.
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Pat if you need some wrought iron i have lots and would be happy to give you some.

Bob
 
Robert Mayo said:
Pat if you need some wrought iron i have lots and would be happy to give you some.

Bob
Click to expand...

Thanks for the offer Bob, as soon as things settle down around here I'll take you up on that. I'll take a look at what the shipping charges would be for a small piece.
 
bladsmth said:
Iron that has been in salt water for a long time will corrode forever unless conserved by reverse electrolysis. QUOTE]

Pat, I tend to agree with bladsmith here! I know he gave you a way to save the wrought.

However it may be you have to sell that wrought for scrap and go buy some new! :eek:(I know that is not what you wanted to hear!):mad: I kind of lean towards you may never or at least not with out more work than its worth be able to counteract the salt. The rusting you are experiencing is from the salt that is imbedded in the grain of the worught by the saltwater.

Here is a link on how to do the electrolysis if you choose to go that method.
Its not an expensive process and may save the wrought.
http://www.rowand.net/Shop/Tools/Electrolysis.htm


The big thing here to me is what's going to happen if you make knife hardware from this wrought. My big concern would be that after completion the salt is going to cause it to rust like crazy later.
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Thanks Dixie you do have a good point. I do have a small electrolysis tank setup but I think I will try the forging method. But as you suggested, I won't make knife fittings from this. Maybe jewelry or belt buckles or some such. Less frustrating if doesn't work.
 
Wrought is easier to find in some parts of the world than others. I have to order all of mine. Here in the mountians Wagons were near usless in that time period, everybody used "Sleds" so I dont have ready access to wagon rim wrought. Lots of old farm machinery but no wrought..I love using wrought too..
 
Hi Patrice

i picked up some wrought from the salt water when i lived in halifax... it was corroded bad... ..so i fired it up in the forge and tried to square it up for barstock.. ...it crumbled like i was forging cast iron... happened with several pieces.... maybe it was too long in the salt water ? ... i know that fresh water does bother it ... as more than once i've pulled pieces of it out of a swamp and they turned out fine..

Greg
 
There is superficial rust, and then there is deeply spiderwebbed intergranular corrosion. In the latter case, the wrought iron or steel is not recoverable to a condition whereby it may be reused or reforged.

Electrolytic methods are used by museum conservators who are more interested in the artifact display than they are in using the iron again.

http://www.turleyforge.com Granddaddy of Blacksmith Schools
 
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