Wrought iron axe

[Jeremy Blohm 481]

Should I weld on a steel poll on the back side or leave it as wrought iron? I really don't plan on hammering on/with it.

[Alan Longmire 2,325]

I wouldn't bother. 

[Daniel W 73]

looks really good, fold went really well. That is going to be a nice little axe.

[Jeremy Blohm 481]

[Jeremy Blohm 481]

Its heat treated and ready for the grind and then THE ETCH!!!!  I cant wait to see it after its etched. I'm really really excited about it!!!

[Chris Christenberry 290]

Think I'm as excited as you, Jeremy.  I've been watching this thread closely.  You've done a good job on this one.  Can't wait to see it all finished and handled.

[Jeremy Blohm 481]

It's in the etch now....It looks incredible!!!!!!!

[Jeremy Blohm 481]

Part 4 of the videos 

 

 

[Jeremy Blohm 481]

[Chris Christenberry 290]

Enjoyed the video, Jeremy.  That wrought iron makes for a very interesting pattern, to say the least.

[MikeDT 90]

It turned out really, really nice!  I love the grain of the WI and the overall shape is well done.

 

All this talk and work with WI has made me want to work WI even more.

 

Does anyone know a good source to buy it from?  I have no place (that I know) to scrounge around for WI so buying it seems like the best shot and ebay seems iffy.

[Jeremy Blohm 481]

Thank you....I could have etched it a little more but I figured what its going to be used for I will end up re-handling it and etching again.

 

Here is a site that recycles wrought and sells it. I've never bought from them as I've gotten pretty good at spotting it and buying it from the scrap yard or from auctions.

 

https://www.realwroughtiron.com/

[Alan Longmire 2,325]

Www.hightemptools.com sometimes has wrought iron anchor chain links.

 

http://www.hightemptools.com/wroughtiron.html

 

[Jeremy Blohm 481]

It has a little surface rust on if from people trying to finger the pattern but that won't affect the way it chops wood.

Edited November 30, 2019 by Jeremy Blohm

[Alan Longmire 2,325]

Nice! 

[Jeremy Blohm 481]

Thank you Alan!!!! It was an extremely fun project....I hope it serves me well for many years to come.

[Chris Christenberry 290]

I like that pattern.  Is that just something wrought has without stacking and all that other stuff that pattern welding accomplishs?

[Alan Longmire 2,325]

1 hour ago, Chris Christenberry said:

I like that pattern.  Is that just something wrought has without stacking and all that other stuff that pattern welding accomplishs?

 

Yep.  Wrought iron is the original composite material.  It's made from nearly pure iron shot through with iron silicate slag fibers.  The original method (bloomery forge) did this naturally.  After full industrialization came in, they would replicate it by tossing a cast iron billet (a "pig") into a reverberatory furnace full of molten slag and raking it around until it was both decarburized and was thoroughly mixed with the slag.  This process was called "puddling."  The resulting ball (also called a bloom) then got squished, rolled, and forged to remove most of the slag and to make sure the iron fibers were all running in the same direction.  I left out about fifty different stages of refinement in the process that took place between around 500 BC and 1854 AD, but you get the idea.  All that processing is what makes the pattern, just like pattern welding.  To make it even more fun, wrought will etch different colors depending on the phosphorus and manganese content.  it has a color range from pure silver to black, with every shade of gray in between.

 

The last wrought iron to be industrially produced was in the late 1950s in England, in a puddling mill near Birmingham, unless the Soviets were making it as well.  I have no idea if they ever did.  The last U.S. wrought was made around 1935.  Today if you want some you have to find old scrap or make it yourself via the bloomery process.  

[Joshua States 1,448]

On 11/30/2019 at 1:06 PM, Alan Longmire said:

Today if you want some you have to find old scrap or make it yourself via the bloomery process.

Or buy some recycled material from someone like these guys:

https://www.realwroughtiron.com/

 

[Jeremy Blohm 481]

I'm making another wrought iron axe. This one will be a bit bigger than the last. 

This started as a 4 inch wide wagon tyre. I cut 2 equal lengths that one ended up 32 ounces exactly and the other 32.2 ounces. I split them down the center to make 4- 2 inch wide pieces. I ground, stacked and welded them at the corners. I didnt weld on a working stick I just held it with tongs. I forge welded the 4 pieces together drew it out a bit and hot cut and folded it to make 8 layers. I'm not going for layer count just refining the wrought a little to make it easier to work. This wagon tyre is not very refined. Then I forged into a fairly uniform billet roughly 7 ½ inches by 2 ¼inches by ⅝ inch. And began the shaping.  I did most of the forging from here with a striker. 

 

I had one area of concern at one of the set downs. 

but I pushed forward and it worked it really hot. Especially when I went to fold it.

This is where I ended yesterday before the temps got over 90°f. 

Picked back up this morning but didnt get and WIP photos like I wanted and I havent been in the mood for making any YouTube videos so this is where I ended today. 

 

In this picture you can see the small delam I was fighting to keep together. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about it yet. 

Edited July 1 by Jeremy Blohm

[Alan Longmire 2,325]

Get the eye white hot and sparking, and drift it at that heat.  It probably won't reweld, but it will close the crack.  

[Oberu 31]

I love messing with wrought iron.  The only con is that it is messy in a propane forge.  Nice work man!

[Jeremy Blohm 481]

That was kinda my thinking as well Alan. I have been battling this one spot the whole time I was working this iron. I'm going to make some flux with cast iron drill swarf and hope for the best. I ran out of charcoal and I have basically bought all the royal oak lump charcoal from all the local stores. Now I have to go on a venture to find more. I havent been making any charcoal lately due to time restrictions and the heat. 

[Jeremy Blohm 481]

Thank you Oberu, I love the added difficulty working with wrought iron along with the pattern that comes with it. I havent worked it much with propane. My main fuel source is charcoal and propane as a backup. I personally dont like the maintenance that comes with a propane forge even though I have enough kaowool to last a lifetime. 

[Jeremy Blohm 481]

One thing I did differently with this axe that I didnt do with the last one is make the poll area between a ⅜ inch to ½ of an inch wider and after everything was welded up a couple whacks with the power hammer brought it back to it's normal width which made a nice oval shape without the square back at the back of the eye. 

Edited July 2 by Jeremy Blohm