Finding Primary Bog Ore?

This is a response I drafted for the ArchMetals discussion list (where I many lurk and post infrequently). The original question was a request for some advise on how to find primary bog iron ore - in Ireland.

My experience on trudging through bogs is limited. A couple of days in Newfoundland. A lot more searching around middle Ontario without a lot of luck. A lot of talk about sources in Denmark with the smelting enthusiasts there.

Now, what I know about this I learned from Arne Espelund. The comments here are based on the physical geography of 'Mid North' Canada - which is likely much different than your situation in Ireland! Forgive me for this more practical advise, this will certainly not be given in the language of geologists.

In Newfoundland (and on the Canadian Shield in the Mid North) the organic top layer is relatively thin. The bog ore accumulates in the boundary between this top organic layer, and the sterile sub soil underneath. In the places I have searched, the boundary was from 12 - 18 inches down from the surface.
First thing to look for here is a chain of iron bearing rock with shallow upland bog pools over it. Then you find a small stream that empties out one of those bogs, ideally with enough drop in elevation that there is a 'babbling brook' kind of effect to tumble the water (introducing more oxygen). Then what you do is reach down along the edge of the bank, where the water has eroded the top vegetation layer away. If you run your hand along the boundary line, you can feel lumps of the accumulated bog ore. The stuff feels about the consistency of a hard window putty, or quite hard clay. At first you think its gravel, but it does not cut into your hands. The pieces I have gathered from sizes ranging from about pea size to some about the size of a dog turd. The amount of ore accumulated along a given bog and stream combination varies significantly. One stream I followed had only small traces over a kilometre of checking - then in one section of about 10 metres I found enough to gather two 20 litre pails worth in about twenty minutes.

Primary Bog Iron Ore, sample from St Lunaire, Newfoundland (after roasting)

There is no doubt that this is just one of several types of deposited primary bog iron ores. I did find a small amount of a form of 'lake ore' along the margins of larger bog pools down at the southern end of Newfoundland as well. This is maybe more like the stuff that you might find in Ireland?
One note of caution here! I was on my own, and at one point lost my balance while leaning over on hands and knees at the edge of a pool. I put my arm out to catch myself - only to find my hand quite rapidly sinking down into the goo. With images of Ancient Irish 'Bog People' flashing through my mind, I gave a massive jerk to throw my body back away from the water (at my chin by that point). Obviously I didn't end up a discovery for some future archaeologist, but it was a near thing. I keep to stream deposits now.

One other tip (blame Arne). You can roughly check the relative purity of the bog ore in the field - by eating it! Take a small (half pea) size piece and put it in your mouth. As it dissolves, the iron oxide component will turn into a fine powder and wash into your spit. The organics (like bits of grass) and most importantly the silica, as sand, will remain. By comparing how much sand is left from the starting lump, you get at least a rough idea how 'pure' the sample is. Not perfect to be sure, but good enough to keep you from hauling out kilograms of ore that later proves to be mostly sand.

Readers (who have not seen it) might also be interested in our work here to develop a bog ore analog. We are mixing powdered potters iron oxides with sand and flour (as a binder) to create a good working material. We have been able to match our mixes to roughly duplicate specific natural primary bog iron ores. (Our focus is the Viking Age smelt at L'Anse aux Meadows, but we are working some 3000 km away in Central Ontario.)

Table of Ores Used
L'Anse aux Meadows Smelt - Ore Analog

'Christmas in the Country'

Again this year, I will be demonstrating as part of the 'Pioneer Encampment' at the Saugeen Conservation Authorities annual event:

2009 Dates
November 27 (Fri. 5-10pm),
28th (Sat. 2-10pm) & 29th (Sun. 2-7pm)

Web Site for Details

Headquarters Conservation Area
(south of Hanover off of Grey Rd. #10)

Don't look like much...

...for a week and a half's work!

My current shop work is on the Richards House railings, which are covered in more detail in an earlier post.

These are the sculpted bars that will make up the support elements for the two matching diagonal stair hand rails, each finished to about six feet long. The starting stock is seen in the centre, a length of 1 1/2 x 3/8 inch flat, for most about four and half feet long. The ends of these have been flattened out under the air hammer using a Hoffi style crown die. The finished shape is canted to one side, roughly to 2 1/2 x 1/4 inches. Each of the bars has a long tapered section, reducing the width to roughly 1 inch and increasing thickness to about 1/2 inch.
The next step in the process is forging each bar into the curves seen on the layout drawing underneath. The bottom ends of the arches also needs to have a 2 1/2 inch offset step added. This so the finished hand rail will clear a protruding cap stone beside the mounting points.

Work continues!

Where do IDEAS come from?

How can the work of one artist inspire the designs of another? Especially, how do you do so without obviously merely copying another's work? Sometimes the general lines and 'feel' of an existing piece can be enough to springboard you off to a new and original direction...

A railing for Richards House - Toronto.

I had been approached back in the late spring about a possible commission for a set of front porch railings for a private home in Toronto. I was deeply involved in the Reade-Maxwell project at the time (which has been well documented here). So I must admit there was a bit of a false start, totally my fault.

The home was originally built in the 1920's in the Arts and Crafts style. The interior of the home is almost entirely original, with wide plank oak floors and trims. The owners have been able to match the architecture with matching Rennie Mackintosh styled furniture. On the exterior, there has been considerable renovating done, most especially the replacing of the old windows with the arch shaped panes. Ageing concrete was repaired and caped with ceramic tiles.

Originally I did not understand the client's urgency. It turns out that despite there being no building code requirement for a handrail, their insurance company was insisting one be installed!

I wanted to keep to the spirit of Arts and Crafts : clean lines, obviously forged elements, sweeping curves. My best work is with the more organic 'Rivendale' style, but this design called for a more 'architectural' look. Going to my source materials of historic and contemporary work, I was drawn to a couple of specific pieces by other artisan blacksmiths:

F. Christ & D. Munn	D. Miller

In terms of the rough lines of the design, I wanted to pick up on the large curve framing the porch, plus the series of smaller arches of the windows. These were the major features from the architecture. On the technical side, the construction of the brick pillars and planters framing the steps meant that (happily) there would not be the usual building code restriction for an upright every four inches or 'no climb'. I was however, concerned about the fragility of the mounted tiles, so wanted to install the finished piece against the existing brick work.

As usual, a number of potential design roughs were generated. At first I was considering working with some aspect of the mortise and tendon style seen (wonderfully) in Miller's candelabra above. In the end this proved to be to complex to well suit the specific application here. For the same reason, a layout inspired by the more organic 'bundle' design seen in the work by Christ & Munn was not chosen. The final layout needed to be strong enough to make a statement about the design tastes of the owners, but not so complex to overpower and dominate the entire front view of the house.

'Arches' Design Layout

This is my final working drawing of the layout chosen by the client. ( Shown here is the railing on the left side, as you look at the house. Note that the drawing shows both the front and left side views.) Although the lines are clean and relatively simple, all the individual elements are aggressively forged. This will allow the installed railing to stand out in a sea of cut and paste work. This quality of the individual elements will be subtle, but immediately visible - in keeping with the subdued good taste of the entire home.

The top handrails are from 1 1/2 inch thick walled square tube. This is forged down on the diagonal to create a diamond shape roughly 2 inches wide by 1 inch tall. The final profile will remain slightly irregular, a result of the hand forging process.
The individual support elements are forged from 3/8 thick by 1 1/2 wide flat stock. Each is first spread out to a tapered wedge on one (or both) ends. Then the bar is drawn out to a long taper (ideally increasing thickness as it reduces width) over its length. In final position, the individual curved elements interlace as they cross over each other.


As with the Reade-Maxwell project, I hope to document the work as it progresses, both for the information of the clients and the general interest of my readers...