Samhain Iron Smelt - Nov 2

Saturday November 2

the Wareham Forge

9 am work starts

5 - 6 pm for extraction

The general intent here is to have some numbers on different slag addition approaches within the use of the same furnace.
I propose using roughly the same ore mix and amount (so roughly 26 kg) as the two earlier smelts of 2019
This time clear out all the remaining inside slag, but not add any additional.

June - first use of the stone block
2.8 kg of iron slag added as the first three charges
actual ore addition = 24.2 kg (corrected for water)
bloom was 7.0 kg = 34% yield

October - second use of furnace
about 1/3 (??) of the slag bowl from June was left in place
no additional slag added
ore addition was 26.2 kg (not corrected for water, which is typically 10 %, so to match above = 24 kg)
bloom was 6.2 kg = 24% yield

This stone block furnace is based on the remains at Skogar, Iceland, and represents one possible interpretation based on some of the furnaces built there during, and after, the Viking Age. *

I suspect this will mean a reduced yield (ore into slag bowl)
The smelt is likely going to be a bit 'dry' as well, which may impact on bloom size / shape / density.
Past experience has pretty much shown adding slag at the start improves yield and quality.


* Note : I had been the process of preparing a very detailed report of my own interpretation based on three recently excavated 'Settlement Era' iron processing sites in Iceland. This work was halted with my sudden 'withdrawl' from the 'Firing Ancient Secrets' project - caused primarily due to differences over (lack of) information sharing and overall approach. 
At some point I will return to the considerable work I had undertaken, and publish my own observations as backed by the available published evidence. During my own involvement with 'Firing - Secrets' I had been expressly forbidden by the project leader from sharing ANY of the related information (!)

Paley Studio Auction

To:  OABA members.

I am send this notice out to the membership of OABA to let you know of an auction of the studio of a major American metalsmith, Albert Paley. 

Albert is from Rochester, NY where he has worked for the past 50 years is known for massive steel sculptures the most famous of which may be he gates for the Smithsonian Museum in Washington and the zoo in St Louis zoo. He was the featured speaker at CanIron XIII in Cape Breton in 2015.  He is closing his 40,000 sq.ft. studio this fall and will be selling off his tools and machinery in November.

... More information on the artist and the auction can be found at Albert Paley website as well as the website of the auctioneer, http://www.steevesco.com/wp/auctions-2/  ...

The driving time to the studio is about 90 minutes from Niagara Falls.   

Franklin Kains

Albert Paley is certainly one of the major figures in the contemporary artisan blacksmith movement. Born in 1944, this puts Paley in his mid 70's ( a decade older than I am).

Paley's big breakthrough was in 1973, when he was awarded a commission from the Smithsonian to design the portal gates for the Renwick Gallery in Washington, D.C. ^[10]  

Wikipedia

Fall Iron Smelt ?

Experimental Iron Smelt

the Wareham Forge

Sunday Oct 13, 2109

‘Icelandic’ Stone Block - Re-used Slag Bowl

The furnace construction is one variation suggested by the excavations at Skogar, Iceland, in combination with the very real problem of available materials in Iceland. (1)
The on hand stone block furnace was constructed and test fired in June 2019. (2)

Excavations at Hals show clear C shaped remnants of the slag bowls created during an iron making sequence. (3)

Most of the experimental tests undertaken at Wareham involve attempting to explore limited variables, focused to understanding historic process. To that end, it is common to only use any single furnace build at most only 2 or 3 times - often only a single use. The standard has been to completely clear away any remaining interior debris of slag before a second experiment.
It was noticed that the fragmented slag bowl from the June smelt closely resembled what was seen on the excavation drawings from Hals (and other sites).

The bottom of the exposed slag bowl, with the bloom still in place

The set up for the upcoming experiment will be to use the existing stone block furnace, retaining the slag bowl still in place (about 2/3 of the initial).
    •    ‘standard’ furnace layout (4)
    •    copper tuyere
    •    electric blower (high volume air)
    •    ‘DD2’ ore analog / 30 kg (5)

The specific question?
How will the retention of an earlier created slag bowl effect a second firing in the same furnace?

Interested in Attending ?

Day start : 9 AM
Main Sequence start (typically) : about 10:30 AM
Extraction (estimated) : 5 PM

This event is considered ‘Open Invitational’ :

• Those wishing to attend are welcome, but I ask you e-mail me so I can manage things like parking and support equipments.
• This is not specifically a teaching situation. There will be plenty of chances for those keen to both learn and especially participate. (Dirty jobs to be done!)
• Those hoping to directly participate should wear work clothes of all natural fibre, and ideally wear boots that fit up over the ankle. Safety eyewear and gloves will be provided.
• People are advised to bring lunches with them, the working team can expect to grab while they work.

Directions :

The Wareham Forge is ‘pinned’ on Google Maps
The location is roughly 1 1/2 hours north of Brampton, just off highway 10, beyond Dundalk.
(About 2 hours NE of Waterloo for any ML302 students)
http://www.warehamforge.ca/directions/index.html


1) Clay is generally not found in Iceland. What few specific locations have only yielded a vary low melting point material, itself not suitable to withstand the normal operating temperatures within a bloomery furnace.
Excavations at Hals, Iceland exposed massive furnaces constructed of diagonally piled cut grass sod strips. These may (or may not ?) have had a thin liner of such clay, but the main support remains the sods.  (see the earlier Hals series)
One of the furnaces at Skogar clearly indicates the remaining lower part of the furnace to be constructed of smaller stone blocks. As is most often the case, the entire upper portion of the furnace is missing.

3) ‘Towards an Icelandic Smelt’ An evaluation of the Hals site (Fall, 2008)
http://www.warehamforge.ca/ironsmelting/HALS/index.html

Ontario Gas Tax Stickers

Open Letter - copies sent to :
Premier Doug Ford 
(direct e-mail = doug.ford@pc.ola.org )
Ontario Ministry of Finance
(via web site / only allows 500 characters! = https://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/contact/index.html)
MPP Bill Walker, Bruce/Grey/Owen Sound
(via web site / only allows 1000 characters = https://billwalkermpp.com/contact_email.php)
Conservative Party of Ontario
(via web site = https://www.ontariopc.ca/get_in_touch)
Conservative Party of Canada
(via web site = https://www.conservative.ca/contact/ )
Commissioner of Canada Elections
(direct e-mail = info@cef-cce.ca )
(1)

I am contacting you as a resident (and tax payer) of Ontario.

This is relation to the Ontario Conservative Government (Doug Ford) and its current media campaign about the Federal carbon tax - applied to gasoline.

taken from the CBC web site (below)

I had bought gas at the same location in Authur Ontario, first on Sept 5, then again September 12. There was no sticker the first time, it was in place the second time.
When I paid for my fuel, I asked the attendant if the station was required by the (Conservative) Government to post the stickers. He told me that this was in fact the case, and they were forced against threat of fines.

When I returned home, I attempted to get more information about this, via the internet:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/carbon-tax-stickers-law-ontario-1.5265380
https://www.nationalnewswatch.com/…/ontario-gas-stations-m…/

The indicated articles state "The (Ontario) government has earmarked $30 million for its fight against the carbon tax..."

Guess who is paying for THAT - and out of MY pocket?

Please not that I am not addressing here my feelings on Climate Change (2), and my personal responsibility towards some attempt at dealing with this. I am considering nothing more than the purely POLITICAL question represented.
I found the ‘information’ content of the sticker misleading, and personally consider it nothing less than partisan propaganda.

I specifically note the official start of campaign for the Federal election was September 11. 
Yes, I see that the policy was put into force starting August 30. However, to add insult to injury, it is hard not to see this current use of forced ‘announcement’ little more that an attempt to both boost support for Conservatives, and at the very least,  bend  Canadian laws on election advertisement.


I consider this nothing less than blatant political propaganda by Ford.
Paid for by the Ontario Taxpayer.

Darrell Markewitz
Wareham, Grey County
info@warehamforge.ca


Notes :

1) I have found the methods permitted for the transfer of information to my Government ministries, and my elected 'representatives' to be at best restrictive.
a) the use of web site 'form filling' for the majority of the offices listed. In most cases, I was also required to submit considerable personal contact information (addresses and phone numbers). I will fully be expecting these will be used (in the case of all the Political institutions) to send me unwanted advertisements.
b) In two cases (as listed) there were character limits imposed. These did not allow for any correct or complete sending of information on my part. 
The fact that one of these was for my local MPP, Bill Walker, I find particularly troubling. 

2) I have written a number of times here about 'Carbon and the Forge'
I state once again that am absolutely certain of the reality of Climate Change from both the scientific data, observations by others I trust - and my own personal experience. 
I also repeat my belief that I share a personal responsibility for not only contributing (and continuing to contribute) to Carbon emissions, and further, a responsibility to undertake actions to reduce my own impact on the environment.