Smelting 2016 – after Festival of Ironmaking

The aim of smelting was to test some technology changes. We saw some interesting things at Ironworking Festival in Bohinj. We want to test slag pit under the furnace to warm the bloom high enough to knock it down  into the pit. We decided not to use silicon addition to ore but only ore powder with small quantity of silicon.

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  drying of slag pit
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  exp. furnace made of three parts is on the pit
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  testing furnace in the evening
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  start of preheating early in the morning
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  smelting – ventilator on furnace was started
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  the first charge of ore put by the author
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  charge of charcoal
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  tapping of slag
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  slag is hardly running
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  at the end - heating from both ventilators
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  time to open the furnace
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  on top there is almost solid slag
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  knock down the bloom several times
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  furnace is turned around
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  finall knock down
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  bloom is outside
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  bloom on the wooden block
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  hammering the bloom
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  final 6 kg bloom – too cold for hammering
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  author with his group - the grandson Jurij wanted to be with smelters