Is it wrought?

[whitewill1412]

I found these old spikes by some abandoned tracks today.  Does it look like wrought iron to you?  Some quick Google research told me that wrought iron spikes were used up into the 1930s.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

Looks like wrought iron to me and not a very high grade at that, a lot older than the 1930s.

I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s.
Semper Paratus

 

[swedefiddle]

Good Morning,

The magic of iron/steel deterioration. Not rott, but Rust.

Neil

[whitewill1412]

7 hours ago, Irondragon Forge ClayWorks said:

Looks like wrought iron to me and not a very high grade at that, a lot older than the 1930s.

I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s.
Semper Paratus

 

How can you tell the grade and age?  Would this stuff be salvageable?  I can probably find more.

[JHCC]

Hard to tell either while it's still in its corroded condition; rust amplifies the apparent coarseness of the grain, which can make it look like a lower grade than it actually is. Your best bet is to dissolve off the rust in vinegar, burn it off in the forge (get it hot enough that the Fe2O3 converts to Fe3O4 (scale), and brush it off), or simply break it off with a hammer.

3 hours ago, whitewill1412 said:

Would this stuff be salvageable?  I can probably find more. 

The great thing about wrought iron is that it can be forge-welded pretty easily, either to other pieces of WI or to itself. Thus, a cracked piece of WI or a bundle of WI scrap can be heated up to welding temps and reconsolidated into a single mass. It used to be that one of the morning tasks of the apprentice (after sweeping the floor and starting the fire in the forge) was to forge-weld all the WI scrap from the previous day into useable bars. So Yes, go get more. Even if you don't end up using it yourself, you might find it useful stock for trading with other smiths for something they have that you need. 

[whitewill1412]

Jhcc thanks for the information.  I think I'll try cleaning up the smallest piece first and see how it goes.  Then maybe get it hot and play with it a little.  I will definitely get back down there and look around some more.  These 3 spikes were just laying right out in the open.  If I put a little effort in searching I'm sure I can find more.

[NoGoodWithUsernames]

Cool find if indeed wrought. I would love to come across some wrought to forge with. Though out west here it is a lot less common than it is back east. 

[Steve Sells]

a warning to be careful salvaging from near RR tracks, its a federal offense the USA, and they dont joke its called stealing if they catch you

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

This thread may help you in the ID and how to work with WI.

https://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/49103-things-to-do-with-wrought-iron/

I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s.
Semper Paratus

 

 

[Daswulf]

Put them through electrolysis, I had some highly corroded like that and after electrolysis took the rust off they were really neat looking and would more easily show if they are wi or steel. 

A small electrolysis tank is pretty easy to make. 

[whitewill1412]

I've come to a sad conclusion.  I spark tested and it looked like steel.  Then I cut and break tested and yep it's steel.  Really had me going

[Daswulf]

Could still make them into something. The really corroded ones look cool after electrolysis. 

[whitewill1412]

Yeah.  It's disappointing, but I'll make the best of it and I'll keep looking around for some wrought.  This used to be called the iron city so there should be some around to be found.