Wootz

(Great) success

Two bars of  Wootz

8x22x250mm, half of A2 ingot, smelt Dec 2011.

Forged first with springhammer 20kg,

then  airhammer(30-40kg?) Sweet.

15x25x300mm half of nro:7 A5 ingot, smelt Jan 2011.

Forged with same airhammer

That bigger ingot half (7th) rolling on smithys corners(waste:)) allmost a year.

Ingot nro:7  Been hot? (Ollut kuumana) pic date 23012011

 Other half, forged about a year ago.

There is some progress, foging a Wootz :D,

or it been bit a raw until now;)

B.Sofa.

I try, something

Me, Myself and I

Small area of our yard get slates on top, intresting rocks indeed.

Between on layers is pearls and loafs of Hematite(Fe₂O₃).

I collect about 1,2kg of these treasures, noble metallurgic goal on mind.

 Crucible iron.

It is rather easy  smash own yardplates to small pieces;)

ORE

Rather hot future becoming, i try get about 1600-1700C

Crucible allmost full of Hematite, glass, little borax and lime

WWRRROOONG!,,,, Too big particles, stupid!

 

First initial heat with wood, 20 min full throttle

First half charcoal, full with coke

 

Start increasing blowing 1-2 min interval,  my tools there is 4 stages

Grime comes from wooden chops what i throw in oven right after coke is lower,

I´am little short of  proper fuels

Hotter burning, cleaner furnace.

I remove lid right before fuel level goes below crucibles top, in the last two refueling.

This pic, crucible is removed, only lid remain.

Some coke and charcoal on top, but what is that hot liquid thing,

 under slag, it eats my steel stick

Old and tired cru can´t take it any more.

UUUH! There is thing like ingot?

Yeah right!

Litle raw? Temperature too low! Too big pieces! Too many too´s!

Bottom of  thing is bit of cleaner part,

Ther is little darker and lighter parts, right(nice pic;)

Something like this I wait to see.

Few pictures of acid threats results.

With flash:)

Crucible has some leak? ironous litle pearls out side of crucible??

And slag bottom of furnace grab to magnet?

Usually or is there some leak?

I have nice pile of hematite an now i have nice pile of something like ore?

I grind that ore and add it some Wootz project in future.

Nice and warm Sunday afternoon, is there anythin better to do?

Burn_§ome, charcoal.

B.Sofa.

Wootz again.

I have other source for wootz(the real one) NH

Before forging this bar, look out my own steel cake.

Some blade made of this little raw ignot

Same blade different sides

Edge is too brittle, maybe new heat treatment help with this prob or addmixes causes that, there is lot of V, Cr, Co, W...

Pattern welded blade is result of practising, C 1%, F52, bandsaw.

And main thing HN Wootz, tree blades,

one finished with kingebony handle, slice moosehorn, own casted bronze with steelwire chips.

More pics

B. Sofa