[TheForge] Identifying Wrought Iron

Thu Feb 1 11:16:56 EST 2007

Rowland,

I went back yesterday at lunch.  I looked all over but couldn't find
any.  When I took off, we asked one of the workers if he had seen any
of the links.  He said that someone came in who was supposedly
re-landscaping their yard.  And they bought them for decorative
purposes...

Next time I'll know to just pick it up if I'm curious about it and its
at the scrap yard..

Jim
Eugene, OR

On 1/29/07, Rowland Smuck <rsmuck at hughes.net> wrote:
> Jim, I would be interested in a link or 2, I live in Roseburg so it would be
> easy to pickup!!
> Rowland of Roseburg, OR 97470
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jim Beard" <regionalchaos at gmail.com>
> To: <munlaw2 at hcsmail.com>; "Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Monday, January 29, 2007 10:00 AM
> Subject: Re: [TheForge] Identifying Wrought Iron
>
>
> > Yes, thank you all for the information.  I know that this topic has
> > probably already been covered a hundred times over, but I wanted to
> > ask again!  I was especially curious about the difference in opinion
> > I've read about whether wrought is good or bad to forge with.  I know
> > one of the local smiths I have learned a lot from went off one time
> > about how excited he was about finding some pure iron.  Not wrought,
> > just pure iron.  Anyway, I think I'll head back to the scrap yard this
> > week and see if they still have the links laying around.
> >
> > Thanks for indulging me!
> >
> > Jim
> > Eugene, OR
> >
> > On 1/29/07, Ron Childers <munlaw2 at hcsmail.com> wrote:
> > > Good job, Albin
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> > > [mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Albin
> Drzewianowski
> > > Sent: Monday, January 29, 2007 12:19 PM
> > > To: Sponsored by ABANA
> > > Subject: Re: [TheForge] Identifying Wrought Iron
> > >
> > > Jim,
> > >
> > > See my answers inserted in your text below.
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Jim Beard" <regionalchaos at gmail.com>
> > > To: "Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
> > > Sent: Monday, January 29, 2007 11:11 AM
> > > Subject: [TheForge] Identifying Wrought Iron
> > >
> > >
> > > > Howdy Kind Folks!
> > > >
> > > > Now that the domain is working again...  I had a question about
> > > > identifying wrought iron.  Whats the best way to go about it?  I'm
> > > > assuming you want to be able to see the grain to
> > > > actually tell, so cutting it would likely be the easiest way?  What
> > > > about filing down the surface?  Would that expose grains in wrought if
> > > > they were there?
> > >
> > > The most conclusive way for a blacksmith (vs a metalurgist who has a lab
> > > full of wiz-bang equipment) is probably a spark test.  When held to a
> > > grinder,  wrought iron gives a very distinct spark pattern: short red
> sparks
> > >
> > > with no starbursts.  Get a piece of known wrought iron to use as a
> > > comparison piece.  Collect a number of samples of known steels:  AS36,
> > > coilspring, old file(high carbon), etc.  Then lightly touch each to a
> > > grinder and notice the difference in the sparks: color, lenght of
> sparks,
> > > amount of forking  and numbers of starbursts.  You want to apply the
> same
> > > amount of pressure each time, and do it in dim light if possible.   Now
> that
> > >
> > > they have battery powered 4 1/2" grinders, you can do this test in the
> field
> > >
> > > (scrapyard).
> > >
> > > Another test which is much more distructive, is to cut a piece half way
> > > through and then place in vice and bend over and snap the piece,  the
> > > resulting break will look like you had broken a piece of green wood, it
> > > would have a fibrous look to it.  Try the same thing with a piece of
> mild
> > > steel for comparison.   This test not physically practical in your case
> with
> > >
> > > 1 1/2"  thick chain.
> > >
> > > >
> > > > I'm rather new to smithing (being beating hot iron once a week or so
> > > > for the last year at a friends forge) and as such don't have much
> > > > experience identifying metals.  Last week however, I was out at the
> > > > local steel scrap yard (I try to go once a month or so), and found a
> > > > few large chain links.  The links were over a foot or more long, and
> > > > the metal was about 1.5" in diameter.  The metal had been painted over
> > > > (i think) and was covered in a thick layer of dirt.  I couldn't really
> > > > see the surface of the metal.  However, it did seem like it had a
> > > > grain to it.  Almost like the surface was one of a tree branch.  The
> > > > links look like they had been lap welded on one end (as opposed to the
> > > > middle of a side, which is what I have seen examples of..).  Anyway, I
> > > > wondered if these were old Wrought Iron links..
> > >
> > > The distinctive bark like look to wrought iron is the result of heavy
> rust.
> > > The surface layers of iron rust away, leaving the layers of slag.
> Usually if
> > >
> > > the item is painted you will not get this affect, unless it was painted
> have
> > >
> > > rusting.  Becareful removing the paint, if infact it was wrought iron,
> > > chances are the pain used had a high LEAD content.  So avoid fumes if
> > > burning off the paint and avoid the dust if grinding/sanding off the
> paint.
> > >
> > > > Also (I'm sure this is a can of worms here) but I've read some
> > > > information about Wrought that says it was not as nice to forge as
> > > > mild steel, yet I hear smiths talk about finding it and liking it too,
> > > > so I'm a bit confused.  Is it easy / hard / fun / boring to forge
> > > > with?
> > >
> > > Working with wrought iron is DIFFERENT.  You need to work at a VERY high
> > > temperature - yellow into white.  Also, you need to take the direction
> of
> > > the "grain" into account as you would take the grain of a piece of wood
> into
> > >
> > > account when making something.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > > Thanks!
> > > >
> > > > Jim
> > >
> > > Regards,
> > > D-ski
> > > Westminster, MD
> > >
> > >
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