Don and All,
The carburizing I have done was by intent with a fire built,
maintained and manipulated with the goal to add carbon to the
starting product.
I would say that it IS NOT likely to add carbon to a material during
the action of forging an object. The control and size of the fire and
placement of the metal is different so I would agree with Rehder in
that respect.
Ric Furrer
Sturgeon Bay, WI
On Jan 3, 2007, at 10:48 AM, Donald B Wagner wrote:
> I am really glad to hear of your experience - Ned Rehder claimed to
> have proved that carburizing wrought iron in a forge is impossible!
> Surprising that carburization happens so fast.
> http://www.staff.hum.ku.dk/dbwagner/REHD/REHD.html
>
> Regards
> Don Wagner
>
>> Hello Daniel and all,
>> I have found that the sulphur (if present) in some coal can lead
>> to brittleness/hot short in the finished steel and I use hardwood
>> charcoal for carborizing iron. A 12" tall stack of charcoal within
>> a stack of bricks (1 1/2 brick square and five brick high) with a
>> "medium" blast of air can yield about three pounds of carborized
>> wrought in 15-20 minutes or so. I forge the wrought into 1/8 by
>> 3/4" strips and cut them into 1" long pieces. When they reach the
>> bottom of the fire they are a sintered (clumped together mess if
>> you will) of various carbon level steel. 1% carbon is not unusual.
>> From there one needs to do a bit of welding the consolidate the
>> mass, but it will work.
>> If one works a bit cast iron will flow from the bottom of the
>> brick stack so charcoal is more than enough for
>> heat....Note...this can also happen if some high energy music is
>> on the radio at the time the bellows are pumped. No doubt a tune
>> similar to sailor's shanty was used to keep time for the bellows.
>>
>> As Daniel said it should be hot and not too much air.
>>
>> As to the Anstee sword research...I think that the old smiths
>> would not use round bar as it takes more fuel and time to make
>> iron/steel round than square and the effect of round is
>> questionable with pattern development. Square or rectangular is
>> more likely, cheaper and simpler to forge. Also the chance for a
>> poor weld due to lack of material contact with the round leads me
>> to believe that it was not done.
>>
>> Ric Furrer
>> Sturgeon Bay, WI
>
> --
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> ----------
> dr.phil. Donald B. Wagner
> Jernbanegade 9B
> DK-3600 Frederikssund
> Denmark
> Tel. +45-3331 2581
> http://alum.mit.edu/www/dwag
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