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
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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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