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11:09 am
September 26, 2016
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A brief introduction. My name is Scott and I have just returned to the NW from a 5 year stint in San Tan Valley AZ. My passion is smelting steel from black sands. I smelt in either a chimney or more often than not using the exothermic process (cheap, quick and dangerously fun). I have a pretty tight focus in regards to what I forge; tsuba (Japanese sword guards) and other Japanese sword fittings and billets of various grades of oroshigane. I have been known to forge the occasional wood working tool or knife for myself but that is a pretty rare occurance.
I am hoping to find others here in the NW who have a similar interest in making iron and steel. I am also looking forward to meeting all of the other assorted smiths and metal workers here. If there are gatherings locally (I am in Tukwila but the whole state is local in my opinion) I would enjoy getting together and talk shop.
11:31 pm
NWBA Member
December 27, 2014
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It'd be interesting to do an iron smelt thing during one of the big events, or even have an iron smelt that people could come and help with. That'd be something cool to talk over if you ever come to Longview.
My Youtube channel: Cave of Skarzs
Just having some fun messing around with whatever I have a mind to do.
11:06 am
September 26, 2016
Offline
Hi Morgan,
Yup, a group smelt is always fun. Would love to organize one here sometime. First thing is to locate a good source of iron sand. From my preliminary research it looks like your part of the state has some significant amounts of iron sand. Closer to the mouth of the Columbia deposits are apparently up to 4 feet deep.
1:56 pm
NWBA Member
December 27, 2014
Offline
Cool. I'd love to come to a smelt. Hope to hear more from you!
My Youtube channel: Cave of Skarzs
Just having some fun messing around with whatever I have a mind to do.
10:01 am
NWBA Member
September 15, 2016
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Scott Irey said
Hi Morgan,
Yup, a group smelt is always fun. Would love to organize one here sometime. First thing is to locate a good source of iron sand. From my preliminary research it looks like your part of the state has some significant amounts of iron sand. Closer to the mouth of the Columbia deposits are apparently up to 4 feet deep.
Iron Sand?? That sounds really intriguing. Never heard of it. I'd definitely be interested in checking that out.
5:39 pm
NWBA Member
July 28, 2010
Offline
Welcome back to the NW Scott. Cool on the iron smelting. I happen to be heading to Maine for a iron bloomery class. I'm sure it'll be fun. I'm also interested in making iron and in steel. Enjoy the NWBA.
10:38 pm
NWBA Member
July 23, 2016
Offline
I'm a fairly new member living in the Granite Falls, WA area, and also a fairly novice smith. I have been looking online to find info on smelting, and bloomery seems to be a good way to go as far as I can see. I was going to see how far I could go on my own. I have a bed of clay on my 5 acres that may be suitable to make a furnace, but it is only available when the weather is dry for a while since it is in a low spot. I also have a couple of 30 gal steel barrels which I want to make into a charcoal retort, and plenty of trees to fuel it with. As for ore, a guy I work with brought me some hematite from the Snoqualmie pass area (Denny creek). The location is known as Dead Rockhound Gulch. There were once iron mines in the area, but it is hazardous to get to. I would like to know what other interested smiths are working toward, or if there are those interested in putting something together up this way.
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