GusSauce Posted June 4 Share Posted June 4 I was reading this article and I figure I could get a similar chemical composition from a mixture of cast iron, a2 tool steel, and a small amount of ferroniobium. I was wondering if this would make wootz or if I would have to track down some pig iron and some flake iron. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted June 4 Share Posted June 4 or cast iron (white iron is nice) and 5160 for the carbide formers, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GusSauce Posted June 4 Author Share Posted June 4 14 minutes ago, Steve Sells said: or cast iron (white iron is nice) and 5160 for the carbide formers, so a mixture of just cast iron and 5160? or would I have to add something else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted June 4 Share Posted June 4 I'm guessing you are going to melt the cast iron & steel together. Cast iron in the forge is an exercise in futility as all it does is crumble. Can you link the article you were reading? I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s. Semper Paratus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GusSauce Posted June 4 Author Share Posted June 4 I am planning to melt them together article 1 article 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted June 4 Share Posted June 4 wootz IS a crucible steel after all try this taken from my second book A ratio of roughly 1 part white cast iron to 3 parts 5160 should suffice, exact amounts are dependent on the carbon content of the steel and cast iron used. Materials needed A6 graphite crucible 4.5 Lbs 5160 1.5 Lbs white cast iron Broken glass for a crucible cover Heat source Preparation It is important to know the carbon content of the cast iron you are going to use. We already know the base metal of 5160 is at roughly 0.6%. Weigh out the amount of 5160 and adjust the amount of cast iron to come up with a final total of around 1.5% carbon. Being a little off will not be a problem. Place the charge into the graphite crucible and cap with a covering of the broken glass. Furnace temperatures will take 60 to 90 minutes to reach above 2700°F (1500°C). Then allow 15 minutes to rest at temperature before placing in hot box to cool slowly to room temperature. Upon removal from the crucible, if the color of the Wootz puck has a very brassy appearance, it could indicate that the carbon content is too high. Any over-carburizing of the ingot from the crucible will turn the steel into cast iron. Now it is ready to be worked into a blade. Thermal cycling appears to be as much responsible for the final pattern as the contents of the recipe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 4 Share Posted June 4 I hope your research goes deeper than those two articles, they don't even skim the minor aspects. Spencer STARTED with Verhoeven's papers, not just his book but all his publications, he spent years studying and experimenting before he started getting okay results. A number of guys in the club make wootz at close to Spencer's level and none of them have much luck explaining the what and why of it to "normal" bladesmiths. If it was as easy as "melting" iron and other stuff together it would never have been rediscovered because nobody would've forgotten how. I'm not trying to discourage you but you need to do more than read a couple articles to have any chance of success. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike BR Posted June 4 Share Posted June 4 This is far from your biggest challenge, but the difference between cast iron and pig iron is that cast iron is made into a product and pig iron is made into steel. There's probably pig iron that doesn't meet any known spec for cast, but it should be safe to think of cast iron scrap as pig iron that made an intermediate stop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 5 Share Posted June 5 Just out of curiosity Steve. Does the chrome in the 5160 serve the same purpose as the vanadium in Dr. Verhoeven's Wootz? Think it'd work using 1060 simple steel? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted June 5 Share Posted June 5 Yes I didnt go into it much more than I posted here, its just a way to get started for those interested Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 5 Share Posted June 5 Thanks Steve, I thought there was more to it than that. I suppose a person can get more involved if they wish. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lalabelinc Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 I was reading this article and I figure I could get a similar chemical composition from a mixture of cast iron, a2 tool steel, and a small amount of ferroniobium. I was wondering if this would make wootz or if I would have to track down some pig iron and some flake iron. Off site advert link removed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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