Wrought or Not?

[Daniel Fairly Knives]

Are these wrought iron? I can't see any real pattern but the pics are bad.

Where should I look for wrought iron? I want some for San Mai. I want to find some locally if I can.

I think I might have better odds with the wooden wagon wheel rings (not pictured) being wrought?

I have found some wrought before in the form of a huge chain link.

I need some wrought that's hot and not fraught with rot.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Almost impossible to tell from a photo, and sometimes hard unless you cut and break it. It does not look like WI wheel to me, though. Those sizes may not be of use for knife hardware, either.
What purpose will you use the WI for?

It's a shame you are so far away. I would swap you a good stack of knife-use grade WI for that cart wheel.
I went to one of Daniel Boon the seventh's pasture parties years ago and there was a blacksmith with a trailer load of smithing grade WI. He had it from thick wheel rims to bridge parts. He was asking $1 a pound for it. I got a good bit of flat stock and lots of round and square stock in the 1" to 1.5" range.
I had previously bought a bunch of the Old Globe Elevator WI when they first started the demolition. Paid only a couple bucks a pound for that. It was a shame when the thing burned down during dismantling a few years ago. There was millions of dollars in valuable aged heart pine and 150-year-old WI still to be reclaimed. I think the company went under after that and the WI that was already salvaged is all gone.

 

[DevinT]

It’s hard to tell just by looking. The grinding sparks should be very straight with no splitting. Cut half way through a small piece and break it to see if it’s stringy.

Hoss

 

[Ken H>]

Allow me to mention that I have only experience with one piece of wrought iron - and that is a section of a the iron from an old iron tired wagon from my Grandpa's farm Is this what you're referring to as "wooden wagon wheel rings"? When a section is sawed about half way thru, then bent it shows the usual "strands" that wrought iron has. That's the ONLY way I know of to be sure it's actual wrought iron. Perhaps somebody can provide a non-destructive method of testing for wrought iron?

It would be interesting to cut a short section from one of those iron wheels to test for wrought.

The wheels would be wide enough for San Mai, but the spokes might put holes in the wrong place.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

The wheels are worth far more than any WI in them.

Old bars of W showing "tree trunk" look. This stuff forges great hardware for knives.I:


Cut and break test. See the fibers showing where it stretched and broke.:

 

[DevinT]

Allow me to mention that I have only experience with one piece of wrought iron - and that is a section of a the iron from an old iron tired wagon from my Grandpa's farm Is this what you're referring to as "wooden wagon wheel rings"? When a section is sawed about half way thru, then bent it shows the usual "strands" that wrought iron has. That's the ONLY way I know of to be sure it's actual wrought iron. Perhaps somebody can provide a non-destructive method of testing for wrought iron?

It would be interesting to cut a short section from one of those iron wheels to test for wrought.

The wheels would be wide enough for San Mai, but the spokes might put holes in the wrong place.

Polish and etch it.

Hoss

 

[Ken H>]

Polish and etch it.

Hoss

You're right - not sure why I didn't think of that. I've got a strip of WI that I etched and the "strands" show up nicely. Making a cut half way thru and bending so it "breaks" does such a good job of showing the strands of WI it's always the first think I think of.

 

[DevinT]

There are several grades of wrought iron, wagon tires are the lowest grade.

Large chain and structural wrought iron are higher grades.

Hoss

 

[HSC ///]

wagon wheel

https://imgur.com/a/Bz8EiWp

https://imgur.com/a/Bz8EiWp

 

[Daniel Fairly Knives]

I'm thinking this is worth further exploration...

There are several grades of wrought iron, wagon tires are the lowest grade.

Large chain and structural wrought iron are higher grades.

Hoss

Good to know!

I have a big chain piece from a friends mine claim, it is wrought but very clean pattern. It was an important anchor part so I bet it is higher grade. It's huge. They had probably scrapped a ton of it. I used to have access to a lot of claims and dug around everywhere looking for wrought while we prospected.

 

[Daniel Fairly Knives]

The wheels are worth far more than any WI in them.

Old bars of W showing "tree trunk" look. This stuff forges great hardware for knives.I:


Cut and break test. See the fibers showing where it stretched and broke.:

I just looked here on FB marketplace and was taken back, hundreds of wheels for sale. Central TX. I found this old plantation estate with huge wheels like 6' tall.

I need to go see this stuff in person...

 

[J. Hoffman]

I was told the rule of thumb for wagon wheels. Metal spokes and it's likely not wrought. Wood spokes is likely wrought.