Folks,

I have an odd question, is it possible to smelt wrought iron from antique nails and make a billet? I am renovating an 1829's house and have about 10 lbs of 1"  square shank nails. How can I reuse the split ones and ones where straightening isn't viable?

Thanks 

Smelt - to fuse or melt (ore) in order to separate the metal contained. 

You're not going to be able to smelt the iron nails but you might try melting them.

Try forge welding them into a billet, I think it may be a simple case of the wrong normanclature 

Remelt, or forge weld back together. My orishigane is another name for Remelt in a controlled environment to either add or remove carbon, whIle also separating slags from the material.

Forge welding into a billet; traditional method of reusing WI,