Another Smelt. No pics, just awesome video.

[DanielC]

This is another smelt at Mark Green's. Explaining how to clean the slag from the bottom of the bloom, and opening the birthing chamber to extract the bloom without tearing down the furnace.

 

Then another video of the actual birthing of the bloom, the bloom compaction, and then cutting it into workable pieces.

 

Really addictive to watch and actually participate in. Can't wait to start mine! Be sure to set it to 720p.

 

 

[Stephen Olivo]

Thanks for sharing.  Always fun to watch hot stuff :D

[DanielC]

That it is. Ive been to two smelts and one crucible run now and I am hooked.

[EricS]

Daniel I also live in the piedmont area and would love to attend a smelt . Can you send me some contact info to attend If they are on the area?
Thanks,
Eric

[windancer]

Great job!

Looking forward to seeing you work id down into some bar :)

I have bloom birth envy!

Dave

[DanielC]

Haha, well since you said it windancer. My first muck bar made from a small chunk. Haven't decided on how many folds. Will at least go 2-3 refined wrought. Maybe more.

[DanielC]

Pics from this evening. First pic shows the muck bar from yesterday, and the other half. The other half I refined tonight into a muck bar, and then folded into a merchant bar. Its all I had time for. A good weld nonetheless.

[DanielC]

Just an update. Since those pics were taken, I contracted the flu, then bronchitis and pneumonia. It put me out for 2 weeks. Then my smithy time has been taken up by things I had to do to catch up in the yard and whatnot. Then my freetime was spent mining for more ore with a great friend. I did however get some time to fold my bars a time or two more and then combine to one solid bar. After so many cycles of welding heat and pushing out the impurities, the bar total weight is around 1# from a 3# raw bloom chunk. Looking down at my mountain of scale, I would say a press would have given me a little over a pound in weight bar. No matter, this stuff is FUN to hand forge. Sorry for bad second pic. I just took it in poor conditions.

 

I may fold this bar 2-3 more times and then ponder on what kind of blade to make with this as a jacket material.

[Stephen Olivo]

thanks for the update

[DanielC]

Doing another smelt with Mark this Saturday, so more pics and possible video to come.

[DanielC]

Another smelt under the belt. This time with EricS and of course Mark Green. Really fortunate to learn from one of the masters for sure.