Blast furnace.

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jimford

Settler
Mar 19, 2009
548
0
84
Hertfordshire
I remember reading many years ago (60s?), that Chinese rural regions were being encouraged to produce their own iron from locally available materials. This was because iron ore, limestone and charcoal/coal were often locally available and the cast iron produced was sufficient for many purposes without further refinement.

IIRC the furnace was simple and based on 40 gallon drum(s). I don't remember how it was blown.

Does anyone know the details of the Chinese furnace?

Jim
 

Mike Ameling

Need to contact Admin...
Jan 18, 2007
872
1
Iowa U.S.A.
www.angelfire.com
These are all just variations of what is called a Bloomery. If you do a web search for "bloomery" you will find a bunch of info.

Some people took advantage of a hillside bank to build their bloomery/chimney into - and get the air supply by natural hot-air currents and any local wind. Others used variations of a bellows to supply the air. Some even used falling water from a waterfall to create "compressed air" to supply it to the bloomery.

A book that might be of interest to you would be

IRON FOR THE EAGLES
The Iron Industry Of Roman Britain
by David Sim & Isabel Ridge
isbn 0-7524-1900-5

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
 

Mike Ameling

Need to contact Admin...
Jan 18, 2007
872
1
Iowa U.S.A.
www.angelfire.com
Darrell Markewitz of Wareham Forge has compiled a CD-ROM of his and his friends attempts at re-creating a Viking era iron smelt. "Iron Smelting in the Viking Age" with over 600 images including working plans. A web search will bring you to his web site.

Tons of info on low-tech iron production.

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
 

jimford

Settler
Mar 19, 2009
548
0
84
Hertfordshire
T
Some people took advantage of a hillside bank to build their bloomery/chimney into - and get the air supply by natural hot-air currents and any local wind.

Ah yes. I remember near Grassington in Yorkshire there were long tunnels built up the hillside as chimneys for lead smelting.

Jim
 

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