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I Forge Iron

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Could I use iron scrap in a bloom furnace to make a usable bloom? Adding already processed iron is sort of avoiding the way a bloomery works.

Would forge scale work as iron “ore”?    Scale is magnetite and a very good iron ore; pretty much what the "iron sand" is that is used by the Japanese in their bloomeries for bladesmithing steel.

Would more tuyeres create a higher iron content of the bloom? Yes, NO, or maybe depending on a LOT of factors you haven't mentioned   They could add enough oxygen that you don't have reducing fire and so not get any iron.  They could cause the fuel to burn so fast that the ore doesn't spend enough time in the reducing zone.  They could result in more slag that removes iron with it leaving not enough left for a bloom. What kind of bloomery are you planning to build?  n.b   "The Mastery and uses of Fire in Antiquity"  has plans for a small "fool proof" bloomery in the appendix..

 

 

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Of course, the blacksmith way. Forge weld it into whatever size piece you wish.

There are a few excellent videos of 3rd. world blacksmiths welding bits of auto body and bumper together to make tools. Traveling blacksmiths with their complete kits in a shoulder type bag, satchel. 

Frosty The Lucky.

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Usually it's cheaper to just get steel closer to what you want to make from the scrapyard or buy it new (shudder).  When It makes sense is when you are trying to conserve real wrought iron, bushelling it has been done for thousands of years; or you are making "scrapmascus" and so the bits and pieces forge welded together is a feature.

I have a bucket for scrap to go *to* the scrapyard and a bucket for scrapmascus in my shop and a bucket for scale to go towards the next bloomery run!

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