Paul Crosby Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 This is 771 pages of iron manufacturers in just about every state. Where they were located and all sorts of information. I found a foundry here in Middlebury, Vermont and have found iron samples and slag when they were in business between 1831 and 1890. I can't wait to forge some of the chunks of iron I found. Would this be wrought iron? http://techterms.net/ironwork/lesley/lesley.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 Wrought iron *or* cast iron. Foundry generally made/used cast iron a Finery or puddler would have taken cast iron and made wrought iron from it. Note that cast iron isn't forgable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Crosby Posted November 2, 2012 Author Share Posted November 2, 2012 Thomas I attached a piece of metal from the foundry I found in a pile mixed with slag. I also attached part of a article that I found about the foundry. What type of metal do you think it is? Just curious, but I want to understand it more. Thanks The East Middlebury works used the bloomery method of iron production. In bloom smelting, iron-rich ore is reduced directly to liquid slag and a pasty mass of metal using carbon monoxide. To produce wrought iron, master bloomers worked masses of ore alternately in a charcoal-fired hearth and beneath a trip-hammer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 1831 - 1890 is VERY LATE for the bloomery method; are they sure about that? (I've done bloomery smelts for over 15 years now as part of a smelting team) Where is that article from? As for the piece I would test it for greenstick wrought iron fracture vs cast iron fracture Unfortunately the spark test doesn't do a good job separating the two for many people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Crosby Posted November 2, 2012 Author Share Posted November 2, 2012 Here is the link to the article I found that is about the East Middlebury foundry. Northeast Historical archaeology page 4 & 5 Let me know what you think. http://cneha.org/newsletters/n56oct03.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 Said nothing on how they determined it was a bloomery. But they are right that a bloomery is more suitable for small localized production. I'll see about contacting the people mentioned to see if they have more information. Of course I'm offline till Monday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 Well it is listed under direct process category in the Directory of Iron and steel works; so I guess I'm learning something new today! I knew some throwback bloomeries were used in the south during the ACW but I didn't know any bloomeries were still commercially viable in the north at that late of a time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.