[TheForge] Identifying Wrought Iron

Jim Beard regionalchaos at gmail.com
Mon Jan 29 14:21:54 EST 2007 

Rowland,

I'll let you know if they are still there when I go back.  Probably
tomorrow or Wednesday..

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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