yes, I have run a bloomery on a few occasions. I'd just like to cheaply and effectively produce wrought iron from scraps that I have in a bucket in my shop.
Charcoal's too expensive, and time consuming to make if I want to smelt AND forge.
Anyways, I had the idea of using my coal forge with a brick construction set up to focus the flame on the mild steel, melting it, then mixing in some iron oxide, which burns all the carbon out, and stirring. Finally I would (hopefully) have a bloom. Could this work? or would cast iron be the only method?