Kodama Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 I am on a search for 'Ashton Steel'. This is what i could find about it: In 1925, James Aston of the United States developed a process for manufacturing wrought iron quickly and economically. It involves taking molten steel from a Bessemer converter and pouring it into cooler liquid slag. The temperature of the steel is about 1500 °C and the liquid slag is maintained at approximately 1200 °C. The molten steel contains a large amount of dissolved gases so when the liquid steel hits the cooler surfaces of the liquid slag the gases are liberated. The molten steel then freezes to yield a spongy mass having a temperature of about 1370 °C.[27] This spongy mass must then be finished by being shingled and rolled as described under puddling (above). Three to four tons can be converted per batch with this method. wikipedia Is there anyone who can help me find this steel or refer me to anyone who could help me with this. Hope to find some usefull links soon. I am not a blacksmith but a woodworker and it is for a friend that i am trying to find some of this fine steel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ric Furrer Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 I have never seen a piece of that material. It was used to quickly and economically produce slag containing iron from the economic Bessemer process rather than the small batch puddling technology. So what you have is a use of the best (dollars/time/scale of output) steel making process of the time being used as feed stock to produce the material that it was eclipsing...not a common thing in the history of metalworking. I suggest looking around Pittsburgh or Ambridge: http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19300302&id=Yr8aAAAAIBAJ&sjid=B0sEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2291,3877537 maybe the historical society there has information? http://www.bchistory.org/beavercounty/BeaverCountyTopical/Industry/AMByersCo/AMByersMSP84.html If you locate any I would like to buy a sample as well to have here on file. OR go here and have a physical look of the place where they used to make it: 2301 Duss Avenue, Ambridge, PA the google photo is of 2008 and there were still cars out front....most likely they have nothing left of any of the tooling let alone the product, but you never know....I guess it depends how badly your friend wants the material. If you wish to have a modern run done I would be interested in the job. I'd have to build a small bessemer converter first and then do the Aston process to that material. It would be costly, but possible. Ric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattBower Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 It sounds like the end result of this process was plain old wrought iron. Wrought iron isn't terribly hard to come by. Is it really important to your friend that his material have been made by this exact process? I would think good quality wrought iron made by another process would be pretty much indistinguishable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Get a copy of Wrought Iron: It's Manufacture, Characteristics And Applications by James Aston Lots more info that wikipedia! I believe I have some Byers bi-directional rolled WI plate from the old water tower at the *old* State penitentiary they tore down in Columbus; HOWEVER if you do not have experience forge real wrought iron you will think it it the trashiest material ever! (Real wrought iron forges quite a bit different than modern steels) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ric Furrer Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Thomas..that wrought is from A M Byers? Ric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 It's bi directionally rolled and I believe that they held the patent on that process when it was made. Notice how the torn edges are "platy" rather than "stringy" and so that's what I'm betting. Of course if the process was not patented it could be any company but the number of ones doing that in the late 1920's was probably winding down. Tower was built in 1929 as I recall. So I'm not sure---no mark on it and I haven't tried digging into someone's vaults to find the order for that tower; but it's a guess with some possible basis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kodama Posted January 16, 2012 Author Share Posted January 16, 2012 Sorry for my late reply, been travelling lately. Thanx guys so far that was all extremely usefull information. I will look for a copy of the book you mentioned. Thomas would you be willing to offer some of the material you have for sale? If so, please let me know. My blacksmith friend is very experienced forging wrought iron. It will transform in very nice tools in his hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 PM sent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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