[TheForge] refining of hematite and.od black sand

[Roger Degner]

I saw the posting looking for smiths in IL/IN to do that project
Here are a couple of links for bloomerys
http://iron.wlu.edu/
the one below mentions the Canadian who was at SOFA
http://iron.wlu.edu/Bloomery_Iron.htm  
http://iron.wlu.edu/furnaceplans.htm

At SOFA this year they did a bloom Viking style
I filmed a little pre and post bloom but haven't edited the footage yet.
I also filmed an excellent demo using an air zip gun to do dragon heads.  I
think the demonstrator's last name was Horr.  I bought a demo piece and it
is stamped but it is at home.  I need to catch up a few projects and get
that footage and some more Clifton Ralph home movies edited and included at
www.umbaonline.org library
 

Roger R Degner


I have been contacted by a prospecting group that wants to make something
useful out of the blacksand and hematite that they get trying to find gold.
I am going to present to them what I know, but I have never dealt with this
form of "ore".  I would think that you could make wrought or pure iron with
a bloomery.  Is there anything special that you would have to do because of
the particle size?  This soulds like a fun project but I do not need too
many failed attempts. Anybody know about this?