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Scott Woodruff





Joined: 30 Nov 2005
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PostPosted: Mon 27 Aug, 2012 3:26 am    Post subject: Sources for wrought iron         Reply with quote

I am in desperate search for a source for real wrought iron. Does anyone have a tip for me on how to go about finding some? Google searches yield millions of hits that are all about decorative mild steel stuff. I am really hoping to find an easier alternative to smelting my own iron ( not that wouldn't be a great thing to do, I just don't have the capability right now.) Any tips on where to find vendors would be appreciated, and anyone who has some, please PM me about a sale or trade.
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David Lewis Smith




Location: NC
Joined: 26 Aug 2003
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PostPosted: Mon 27 Aug, 2012 3:50 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

antique stores and lawn and garden stores that sell hinges for garden gates.
David L Smith
MSG (RET)
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Dan Howard




Location: Maitland, NSW, Australia
Joined: 08 Dec 2004

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PostPosted: Mon 27 Aug, 2012 3:50 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

When most suppliers say "wrought iron" they really mean "puddled iron". What you should be looking for is "bloomery iron"
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Sa'ar Nudel




Location: Haifa, Israel
Joined: 02 Dec 2005
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PostPosted: Mon 27 Aug, 2012 6:40 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

As far as I know, true wrought iron has not been offered to the retail market in decades. I had discussions on that subject with several blacksmiths over here, and they all pointed out single source: disfunctioned or broken 19th century iron architetural pieces, such as railings, gates, decorative finials etc.
Curator of Beit Ussishkin, regional nature & history museum, Upper Galilee.
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Josh Maxwell




Location: Michigan
Joined: 01 Jul 2009
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PostPosted: Mon 27 Aug, 2012 9:33 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Maybe try looking for any blacksmiths local to your area. I know around where I'm at now one of the better off artist blacksmiths keeps a stockpile of the stuff he sometimes sells to local art students.
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Christopher Treichel




Location: Metro D.C.
Joined: 14 Jan 2010

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PostPosted: Mon 27 Aug, 2012 10:57 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Easiest place to find wraught iron is to look for swap meets and barn sales out in the countryside. Or go down into harbour areas and look for junk and antique shops or metal salvage yards in these kind of areas. Stuff your looking for is old hinges, chains, anchors etc key word is old and an item that needed to have flexibility to it. If your out in the country side and you see a collapsed barn might be possible to ask the owner if they mind you getting parts out of it.

Here is an example of what I am talking about... I post on American Long Rifle Forum as well... and saw this

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=23116.0
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Dan Howard




Location: Maitland, NSW, Australia
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PostPosted: Mon 27 Aug, 2012 4:45 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Pretty much everything described here is puddled iron. It makes pretty crappy swords and armour unless it is heavily refined.
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Ed McV




Location: Ontario,Canada
Joined: 06 Mar 2006

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PostPosted: Mon 27 Aug, 2012 8:02 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

You may get assistance from Glasgow Steel Nail Co. Ltd, Scotland. They can supply wrought Iron nails and studs.
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Scott Woodruff





Joined: 30 Nov 2005
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PostPosted: Mon 27 Aug, 2012 8:32 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Sorry guys, I should have used the correct terminology. What I need is bloomery iron, the kind with a strandy texture full of silicates. I would have to find some REALLY old stuff for that. I am trying to get my metal detector up and running, the deserts of New Mexico are quite good for preserving old 16th-18th century iron. It would be worth some good money to me to avoid the hassle, especially as I want it as soon as possible. I know that a few makers who post here at myArmoury make their own bloomery iron, I'll contact them and see if they will sell.
Dan, I am working on some Hjortspring sword replicas and want to use as accurate a material as possible. Apparently the originals were made from wrought iron or possibly phosphoric iron with little or no carbon and were extensively cold worked.
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Tim Harris
Industry Professional



Location: Melbourne, Australia
Joined: 06 Sep 2006

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PostPosted: Mon 27 Aug, 2012 9:18 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Scott,

Not sure about the case where you are, but in Australia, a lot of cart/wagon tyres were iron.

If you're near the coast, keep an eye out for the bolts and ironwork from old wharf and dock timbers. A look at the structure should tell you the material. I've found quite a bit that has all the appearance and behaviour of iron.
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Dustin R. Reagan





Joined: 09 May 2006

Posts: 264

PostPosted: Mon 27 Aug, 2012 10:56 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I can recommend this supplier for historic wrought iron (not bloomery iron, though these two types can be indistinguishable from each other...in practice they are pretty much the same thing, just made through slightly different processes):

http://www.oldglobewood.com/real-wrought-iron-rods.html
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G Ezell
Industry Professional



Location: North Alabama
Joined: 22 Dec 2003

Posts: 235

PostPosted: Wed 29 Aug, 2012 4:04 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

How much do you need, and where are you located? I've been collecting pre-industrial iron for over a decade, and likely have more than I'll ever use. I could supply a bar or two, if you would cover the shipping costs.

The area where I live has many old mill sites, and often pieces can be found downstream of these. Another good source is wagon rims, good stringy iron that can be a nightmare to forge without it unraveling. I've also found a few pieces used in old chimneys as a reinforcement to the masonry. Old anchor chain is a good source if you are located near the ocean/gulf/sea.

It is out there, but you have to look for it...

" I have found that it is very often the case that if you state some absolute rule of history, there will be an example, however extremely unusual, to break it."
Gabriel Lebec

https://www.facebook.com/relicforge
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Addison C. de Lisle




Location: South Carolina
Joined: 05 Nov 2005
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PostPosted: Wed 29 Aug, 2012 4:12 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

If you're near New England, the New England School of Metalwork has approximately 15 tons available:

http://www.newenglandschoolofmetalwork.com/forsale.php

Good luck!

www.addisondelisle.com
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Scott Woodruff





Joined: 30 Nov 2005
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PostPosted: Wed 29 Aug, 2012 6:15 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Thank you everyone, your help is much appreciated.
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Jojo Zerach





Joined: 26 Dec 2009

Posts: 288

PostPosted: Wed 29 Aug, 2012 8:47 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Keep in mind that the typical wrought Iron you will find is inappropriate for weapons/armour tests. The wrought iron used for fences and such is far less refined than that used in weapons and armour, and has considerably more slag.
I'm unfamiliar with the Hjortspring sword, but original weapons and armour also had wildly varying carbon contents, ranging from very little carbon to medium carbon steel.
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Bart Jongsma




Location: Groningen, The Netherlands
Joined: 03 Mar 2004

Posts: 17

PostPosted: Fri 31 Aug, 2012 2:09 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

There is a company in Britain that claims to be the only supplier in the world of what seems to be real bloomery iron:
http://www.realwroughtiron.com/charcoal_iron-202.html
Not sure what shipping would be though, or the price for that matter!
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Scott Woodruff





Joined: 30 Nov 2005
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PostPosted: Sat 01 Sep, 2012 5:43 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Jojo, Peter Johnsson has suggested that he believes that the Hjortspring swords may have been made from high-phosphorus wrought iron with work-hardened edges. You are correct, it may well be necessary to fold and refine the wrought iron to some degree to make it appropriate for the intended use. Here is a link to the thread on Hjortspring swords: http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?p=254620#254620 I also want to use some for making mail. I will probably only use it for the solid links and use mild steel for the riveted wire links, but even so I imagine that considerable refinement will be necessary. Some of the wrought iron for sale has been described as so friable that it just falls apart into a stringy mess under the hammer if one is not careful!

Bart, thanks for the tip, it probably costs an arm and a leg, but may just be worth checking out.
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