basher Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Yesterday I had the pleasure of MIck Maxen's and GNJC's company for an iron smelt. The furnace was built up prior to smelting and we had a nice burn into the evening. this was the 18th smelt that myself and Mick have done. As can often happen the smelt did not run as planned and due to a mixup in the furnace mixture over the size of a shovel full of clay I managed to build an only just stuck together furnace with a lot more sand in the mix than clay. Despite the furnaces best attempts to destroy its self (saved by a clever bit of chicken wire and clay wrapping) we ended up with a good bloom result and loads of slag which we tapped and was self tapping (I guess there is an advantage of an overly sandy stack! A 14kg main bloom which was quickly flattened under the alldays and onion hammer , surprisingly it sparks as steel. and also surprisingly quite a lot of Zuku (cast iron) total product was 19kg in steel iron and cast iron. we added a crushed charcoal bed to this furnace and that could explain the cast iron and steel....? Mick took loads of photies, I am hoping he will be along with some soon. thanks to Mick Maxen and GNJC for the pleasant evening. I really enjoyed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick maxen Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 We had a good time and introduced Giles to his first hands on smelting experience. We started about 2 pm and pulled the bloom at around 7 pm. There is something quite primitive about pulling the bloom out in the night. Some photos from Mondays smelt, Drying out the stack and some art work by Giles. I think its a female snake. Now we have the proper blower set up and are starting the charges of ore and charcoal, Adding some ore, We had good slag runs, The bloom forged down under the 2cwt was 14 kilos, This is a slice through the centre of the large piece. Its about 1 1/2" thick, We had hoped to try and use the stack again but due to a mix up with the clay mixture, it was a fight to the end to keep it together. In the cold light of Tuesday morning, the stack was looking past its best and very shortly after this was taken, it fell over, Another fine smelting day spent with friends. Mick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basher Posted October 16, 2012 Author Share Posted October 16, 2012 The sparks are cool. I will have to make a mental note that sparks in the slag are probably an indicator of cast iron......not a bad thing in its self as it can be a great ingredient when pepping up the C content of bloomery material. The furnace in the lastpicture looks like a stubbed out fag end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GNJC Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 My first, and certainly not last, experience of smelting. Very interesting and I learned a lot due to Mick and Owen's work and patience in answering a lot of questions. I've taken gold out of the raw before (sadly not on this scale) but this was something different altogether. Am really looking forward to making something(s) with the results of the smelt. I think the most remarkable thing is just how much could be achieved with such a simple, even primitive set up. The furnace was - as Owen stated at one time - something like a termite mound. But, despite the 'basic' nature of it, the other two managed it very well and were able to control the burn / smelt rate pretty well and the result speaks for itself. For all out there who are considering attending or having a go at smelting, go for it, there is a sort of primeval magic to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick maxen Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 A few more photos. Its always fun to take photos of the flames coming out of the stack,to see what might be there. A fire breathing, fire genie ? Mick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tzonoqua Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Wow, that looks incredible, must be very satisfying to have a chunk of iron that you've made yourselves!! Mick that photo is amazing!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 Cool pics Mick, and a good result. Takes me back to the old Bessemer furnaces, and coke making plants, fire is always impressive, sometimes more than others especially where molten iron is attached.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 Well a bloomery doesn't deal with molten iron---more like old library paste a sort of sludgy mess oozing it's way down. (Unless you are making cast iron which is sort of a "mistake" save for it's carburizing properties...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basher Posted October 18, 2012 Author Share Posted October 18, 2012 bloomery does deal with molton iron if you take yourself out of the understood european bloomery heritages. Japanese tatara furnaces make steel (and cast iron) that has defiantly become molten before becoming bloom. wrought iron/ steel through cast iron are all useful in the pallet of bloomery metal worker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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