Blower Rates

Since I started my series of experimental iron smelts - AIR RATES have been a constant concern and problem.

With many of the smelts undertaken with DARC, the intent was to work back from predictable modern equipment towards a possible all Viking Age smelt. We have had some good experimental results, but more work remains in this endevor.

Since October of 2004, most of the smelts listed as using an electric blower have used the same vacumn cleaner blower. Although the blower was scrounged at my local dump, the unit is a very good quality OLDER machine - from the early 1960's. Despite some early problems, once the original wireing was replaced the blower has proven dependable. The output is adjusted through a control box that uses an electric outlet that is modified by a standard light dimmer switch.

Some researchers are quite dismissive of 'vacumn smelting'. I personally find this attitude snobbish and unrealistic. Teams keeping careful records and producing duplicatible results should be commended - reguardless of the personal resources they bring to the activity of re-learning lost ancient techniques.

Please follow this link to see the charts (on the Wareham Forge / Iron Smelting series).

(Sorry if you suffered through the badly formatted version of this posting. This was my first attempt to transpose data from the evil MiCROSOFT through to a web posting...)

Darrell