| Date: February
2006 Experiment: 14 Location: Black Rock Forge, Traverse City MN Team: (demonstration) Brent Cole, Ken Chambers Furnace: Econo Norse firebrick backed with sand set on plinth tap arch (disassemble to extract) Size: 25 cm x 60 H Source: DARC 10/04 Tuyere: 25 mm ceramic tube Placement: 20 cm from base about 5 cm in from wall angle at 22.5 down Bellows: electric blower Air: 775 L per minute Charcoal: 107 kg broken hardwood Consumption: about 2 kg charcoal every 9 minutes 3.8 m/kg Ore: Michigan taconite 30 kg (roasted) Sequence: ore added about every 9 minutes charges range from .45 to 2.2 kg each 10.5 m/kg Duration: about 7 1/4 hours (not including preheat) Result: 13.5 kg bloom - good workable iron Yield = 45 % Notes: - Successful creation of mid sized bloom - small amount of tap slag recycled |
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| Date: March 2006 Experiment: 15 Location: Smeltfest - Lexington VI Team: Dick Sargent (Gangue aux Fer) Furnace: Norse Medium Shaft - "Yormungand' clay cob set on plinth tap arch (bottom extraction) Size: 35 to 30 cm x 85 H Source: ongoing research, details suggested by Williams Tuyere: 25 mm ID ceramic tube Placement: 15 cm from base about 6 cm in from wall (wall is angled) angle at 22.5 down Bellows: electric blower Air: 740 l/m Charcoal: 84 kg broken hardwood Consumption: about 2 kg charcoal every 7 minutes 2.9 kg/m Ore: hematite grit (commercial) @ 68 % Fe 45.5 kg Sequence: ore added about every 7 minutes increasing from .5 to 2.8 kg 4,2 m/kg Duration: about 4 3/4 hours (not including preheat) Result: 22 kg bloom - high carbon 'steel' Yield = 48 % Notes: - Successful creation of large carbon rich bloom - test of spit wood form - test of commercial hematite blasting grit ore |
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| Date: March 2006 Experiment: 16 Location: Smeltfest - Lexington VI Team: Dick Sargent (Gangue aux Fer) Furnace: Norse Short Shaft - "Yormungand' clay cob set on plinth tap arch (bottom extraction) second firing of furnace Size: 35 to 30 cm x 60 H Source: ongoing research, details suggested by Williams Tuyere: 25 mm ID ceramic tube Placement: 15 cm from base about 6 cm in from wall (wall is angled) angle at 22.5 down Bellows: electric blower Air: 740 l/m Charcoal: 68 kg broken hardwood Consumption: about 2 kg charcoal every 7 minutes 3.4 m/kg Ore: hematite grit (commercial) @ 68 % Fe 45.5 kg Sequence: ore added about every 7 minutes increasing from .5 to 2.8 kg 4.7 m/kg Duration: about 4 3/4 hours (not including preheat) Result: 20 kg bloom - high carbon 'steel' Yield = 44 % Notes: - Successful creation of large carbon rich bloom - damaged top of previous smelter removed - clear duplication of earlier sequence |
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| Date: June 2005 Experiment: 17 / D8 Location: Wareham, ON Team: DARC - Leaders Dave Cox & Kevin Jarbeau Furnace: Norse Short Shaft clay cob half dug into earth bank small tap arch (top extraction) Size: 25 cm x 65 H Source: suggested by earlier experiments Tuyere: 25 mm ID ceramic tube Placement: 7 cm from base about 5 cm in from wall angle at 22.5 down Bellows: electric blower Air: 970* l / min (re-calculated) Charcoal: 87 kg broken hardwood Consumption: about 2 kg charcoal every 10 minutes 5 m/kg Ore: Virginia rock ore + gromps 18 kg (roasted) Sequence: ore added in smaller charges for most of smelt considerable re-cycle of tap slag 21.1 m/kg Duration: about 8 hours (not including preheat) Result: 1.5 kg bloom - cast iron Yield (main) = 8 % Notes: - first smelt controlled by Dave and Kevin - slow addition of ore resulted in excess carbon |
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| Date: September
2006 Experiment: 18 / D9 Location: Bonfield ON (Baron's Howe SCA) Team: DARC - Nick West (with labour from observers) Furnace: Norse Short Shaft clay cob with stone slab support small tap arch Size: 28 to 18 cm x 60 H Source: suggested by earlier experiments Tuyere: 25 mm ID ceramic tube Placement: no information on base about 5 cm in from wall angle at 22.5 down Bellows: large double bellows Air: no data Charcoal: 59 kg broken hardwood Consumption: about 2 kg charcoal every 15 minutes 6.7 m/kg Ore: Virginia rock ore @ 66 % Fe 10.5 kg (roasted) Sequence: ore added in variable sequence (10 - 20 min) as small charges .75 - 2.25 lbs 22.8 m/kg Duration: about 6 1/4 hours (not including preheat) Result: small cast iron mass about 1.5 kg Yield = 16 % Notes: demonstration smelt with high audience content Irregular bellows control from many operators smelter set up to replicate LAM arrangement |
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| Date: October
2006 Experiment: 19 Location: Peter's Valley NJ - Early Iron 3 Team: none (demonstration smelt) Furnace: Small diameter Norse short shaft - "Loki' clay cob set small tap arch (top extraction) Size: 20 cm x 65 H Source: ongoing research Tuyere: 25 mm ID ceramic tube Placement: 7 cm from base about 5 cm in from wall angle at 22.5 down Bellows: electric blower Air: 700 * l/m (based on recalculated rates) Charcoal: 36 kg broken hardwood Consumption: about 2 kg charcoal every 14 minutes considerable variation (from 9 - 20 min) 20.9 m/kg Ore: Minden Bog 8.9 kg Sequence: ore added about every 14 minutes (see above) increasing from .5 to 1 kg 7.4 m/kg Duration: about 4 3/4 hours (not including preheat) Result: .7 kg small lumps of clean cast iron Notes: - Successful test of small diameter furnace - test of (questionable) Minden 'ooze' |
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| Date: October
2006 Experiment: 20 Location: Peter's Valley NJ - Early Iron 3 Team: Dick Sargent (Gangue aux Fer) Furnace: Flue Tyle standard clay tile set on block plinth bottom extraction Size: 28 cm x 60 H Source: Developed by Sauder & Williams Tuyere: 25 mm ID ceramic tube Placement: 15 cm from base (?) about 3 cm in from wall angle at 20 down Bellows: Rock Bridge blower Air: approx 1000 l/m E Charcoal: 60 kg broken charcoal Consumption: about 2 kg charcoal every 8 minutes 4.8 m/kg Ore: Virginia rock ore @ 66 % Fe 45.5 kg (roasted) Sequence: started at 1.7 increasing to 2.4 kg 3.8 m/kg Duration: about 5 hours (plus preheat) Result: 8.2 (E) kg dense bloom of workable iron Yield = 18 % Notes: - use of large charges suggested by McCarthy - furnace ran hot and predictably - 1/3 forged into Norse reproduction anvil |
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| Date: November
2006 Experiment: 21/ D10 Location: Wareham, ON Team: DARC Furnace: Norse Short / Medium Shaft clay cob half dug into earth bank (reuse of 6/06) small tap arch (top extraction) Size: 25 cm x 65 H metal cylinder extends top 30 cm Source: suggested by earlier experiments Tuyere: 25 mm ID ceramic tube Placement: 10 cm from base (light ash only) about 5 cm in from wall angle at 22.5 down Bellows: electric blower Air: 1060* l / min (re-calculated) Charcoal: 29 kg broken hardwood Consumption: about 2 kg charcoal every 6 minutes 3.0 m/kg Ore: Virginia rock ore @ 66 % Fe 21 kg (roasted) Sequence: all charges at 2 kg each 2.9 m/kg Duration: about 2.3 hours (not including preheat) Result: large volume of high iron content slag no recognizable bloom Notes: - attempt to duplicate 'fast charge' method - reuse of earlier cobb smelter - no solid base lowers material below sinter zone |
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| Date: November
2006 Experiment: 22 Location: Wareham, ON Team: none Furnace: Norse Short / Medium Shaft clay cob half dug into earth bank (reuse of 6/06) small tap arch (top planned, bottom used) Size: 25 cm x 65 H metal cylinder extends top 30 cm Source: suggested by earlier experiments Tuyere: 25 mm ID ceramic tube Placement: 10 cm from base about 5 cm in from wall angle at 22.5 down Bellows: electric blower Air: 1060* l / min (re-calculated) Charcoal: 51 kg broken hardwood Consumption: about 2 kg charcoal every 6 minutes 5.1 m/kg Ore: Virginia rock ore plus gangue from previous smelt 8.8 kg (roasted) plus 10.2 kg Sequence: ore added first as 1.4 kg each 6 minutes gangue added last as 1.1 kg each 7 minutes 9.7 m/kg Duration: about 2.3 hours (not including preheat) Result: 6.8 kg dense workable iron Yield = 35 % (likely effected by use of gromps) Notes: - 'Redemption Smelt' to re-smelt gangue material - attempt to duplicate 'fast charge' method - reuse of earlier cobb smelter |
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CONTINUE - for the 2007 Experiments
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TEAM PARTICIPANTS |
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Dark Ages Re-creation Company Core Team: Kevin Jarbeau / Dave Cox Neil Peterson Assisting: Ken Cook / Marcus Burnham Karen Peterson / Vandy Simpson Gus Gissing |
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Gangue aux Fer Lee Sauder / Skip Williams Mike McCarthy Dick Sargent Assisting: Elisabeth Sauder & Vandy Simpson |
 Photo by Elisabeth Sauder |
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Lee Sauder Mike McCarthy DARC - Iron Experiments |