[TheForge] Re: Steel question OT

[xlch58 at swbell.net]

I am looking at that book now,  It has a definition of wrought iron in 
it frin the ASTM, "Wrought Iron - A ferrous material, aggregated from a 
solidifying mass of pasty particles of highly refined metallic iron, 
with which, without subsequent fusion, is incorporated a minutely and 
uniformly formed quantity of slag"    It also notes that the "slag 
content occupies a considerably grater volume than the percentage by 
weight would indicate, because the specific gravity of slag is much 
lower than that of the iron base metal".    Anyway, the point of this is 
the carbon content does not enter into the definition, though in a 
analysis of Wrought iron later in the book from samples from structures 
that cover over a century of iron making, the percentage of carbon 
varies from .017 to .054 or close to that.  

Charles

paul wrote:
> The A.M. Byers Company published
> "Wrought Iron, Its manufacture, characteristics and applications"
> first printing unknown, 11 th printing in 1957. This would indicate 
> the company was still around at least until then.
> In the piping trade black steel and galvanized pipe was referred to as 
> 'byers pipe' and usually had a red spiral stripe running the length of 
> the pipe ala barber pole, and while I never installed any in my 
> career, I have threaded and welded it.
> Threading was pain as the threads often tore during the threading 
> process, and welding was a pain due to the silicate content. Didn't 
> try gas welding, but 6010 and 7018 were equally as frustrating.
> The work on this pipe was performed before I had been exposed to 
> blacksmithing on a level that discussed wrought iron properties.
> According to
> http://www.bchistory.org/beavercounty/BeaverCountyTopical/Industry/AMByersCo/AMByersMSP84.html 
>
> the company was still in business until 1969.
> The black pipe was used for roof drain  piping inside buildings around 
> here, and the galvanized pipe was used for water distribution  until 
> copper became  more common.
> Paul
>