This is for anyone interested in early weapons manufacturing techniques.
I thought I'd share our most recent, most successful smelt run yet.
Here's the furnace, which is roughly based on a saxon style outlined by Tylecote in "The Coming Age of Iron" You can see some of my forge buddies in the background.
![Photobucket image](http://myarmoury.com/images/pb/img.php?i=http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/jfmetalsmith/Smelt/furnace.jpg)
Here is a shot of me opening the slag tapping arch
![Photobucket image](http://myarmoury.com/images/pb/img.php?i=http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/jfmetalsmith/Smelt/mewthfurnace.jpg)
I don't have any shots of the bloom, which we estimated to be 40 lbs, but what do you do after you pull it out? Have a cookout!
![Photobucket image](http://myarmoury.com/images/pb/img.php?i=http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/jfmetalsmith/Smelt/cookin.jpg)
We did some consolidating today, and it's sticking together pretty good! :)
Here's a shot of me with the bloom and a striker, photo by Tony of YSForge
![Photobucket image](http://myarmoury.com/images/pb/img.php?i=http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/jfmetalsmith/mewthbloomtonyspic.jpg)
Here is a really cool shot taken by Glen Moulton.
![Photobucket image](http://myarmoury.com/images/pb/img.php?i=http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/jfmetalsmith/coolfurnaceglenspic.jpg)