The dog: I have to do all the job here...

There's a couple of sources of Iron Ore. Banded Iron Formations or BIF's hold most of the Iron today. They formed during the Oxygen Catastrophe, when the world literally rusted. The ancient seas that were shallow then are now dry land today. Then there's bog iron which is formed when water from some source washes the iron out of rocks, including BIF's to low-lying areas that fill with water. Iron Bacteria precipitate this iron as iron hydroxide. Then Volcanic Iron. A volcanic eruption throws iron rich minerals onto the surface and it's eroded into black sand. This is how the Japanese got the metal for their katanas. Then there are meteorites which have been forged by man even before the Iron Age, when the primary metal was bronze. Iron bearing rocks can also wash out from ore beds upstream during a flood. Some iron bearing rocks can be brought out by glaciers and strewn across the landscape but harvesting them is not practical.

Holy metal Batman.

Great "how to video". These guys know what they are doing and do an excellent job explaining the process. Note how they hold the sledge when striking. I was taught this method by Francis Whitaker, who worked in Yelliins shop and rarely see it used. Also look at their shop and how their side draft forge pulls the smoke. No need for a hood.

smart dog❤

this good channel for learning keep it up thanks 🙏🇮🇩 i am from indonesia

Thanks so much for this video. It answered a huge question I had about the process of iron to steel. Other videos seem to just gloss over this part.

Great project documentary. I like to think most of us understand the primordial call of attempting to build essential technology from scratch (hence the broad appeal of the Primitive Technology channel)... but... as your film shows, inserting just a few modern upgrades in the process allows for superior and more predictable results, which end up being a bit more satisfying when coming out the other side. With only a few exceptions, modernizing the air blast variable is what most "build it from scratch like our ancestors would have" enthusiasts end up doing.

this looks fun, learning a lot over here. hope to make it my first tool from my forge this summer

Can you add more wood to the top once it is half-burned, or would it not be fully carbonized by the time the vents need to be shut?

What rocks did you use

good movie, awesome music too.

47:08 - how long that process took in that particular case? Whole time, how much time was left to cool, and how long it took to make welding heat?

Nice!

I honestly can't tell if this is a joke. If it is, it is very funny.

the amount of sheer labor is incredible - amazing human men in 2022 still possess this knowledge

grog is any prefired ceramic material not just furnace lining.

Best charcoal video for me thanks for going in depth about the process 👍

Get an e-ssist electric trolley. They're really good for outdoor stuff. Essentially an electric, all terrain wheelbarrow.

Excellent discription! Enjoyed every minute.

Like this method, have tried a lot of different ways, pit, retort, sealed cans in stoves, etc. Going to give this a try. I have a lot of branch wood to clean up and this looks like a way I can do it without babysitting it the whole time.

@ore dog productions I wanted to ask you guys about this primitive channels. I’m thinking they’re mostly fake, but, after watching the process by you, I’m almost sure they are. I want to ask you because you know this subject very well and I’m sure you could give a definite answer. I can’t post links here, but, one of the channels that does a lot of iron and tools from it, is called, primitive skills. I’m not sure that you would even see this comment, but, if you do, I’ll be very grateful and honored to know what you think. Thanks in advance if you take the time.

WOW!! Just WOW!!!! 👍

This is so educational. Thank you

Excellent. Really adds perspective on the cost of this essential and ubiquitous tool 200+ years ago.

Probably would have been a good call to bring a backpack with you to gather 50 pounds of ore in the woods, rather than just bringing a flour sack with you lol

I didnt even know ore dogs were a thing. Makes sense as iron oxides definitely have a scent to them. That is insanely cool

I don't know why, but the blooper had me rib-ache laughing so hard.

Just made my own blast furnace, going to melt down some pre I found next week. Do I need to be concerned about the fire getting TOO hot?

I know it's been one year but I got to say, this is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen

Absolutely glued me to the screen. Well done

As a mechanical engineer its fascinating to see all the different process and the understanding of the material that the olf ones already have, thanks for the excellent video

48:52 "We have come full circle this has been a journey to understand the ancient means of making iron to reproduce that method and to generate a material that has not been available to western blacksmiths for nearly 200 years" ?!

A fine example of the whole process, complete with the end product. Thank you, well done guys.

Maybe I need to rewatch it But during the reheat process to make it steel, was it the first made bar of iron placed into the pit and then heated with the slag or was this the iron pills potentially in the slag reheated to make a new bar of ore?

this is excellent

Phenomenal. Well done fellas.

I don't get the rationale behind the attempt to infuse carbon into the bloom by heating it a second time. When the ore is being smelted into the bloom, wasn't it already in a high carbon environment with all that charcoal surrounding it? what's the difference between that and the second time? I thought carbon would only dissolve into steel when it was in the liquid form?

What an amazing video! What a truly incredible journey Major kudos to this team! Thanks!

I'm usually inclined to try (at least once in my life) the "old way" of doing things. This, not so much! Very cool to see, and I appreciate all the little metal objects a bit more now.

The bloom steel was steel when it came out of the bloom furnace, you decarbourized it in the forge by folding it and re heating it over and over.

You didn't need 5 pounds of clay jeez

As soon as he got out the large steel lump hammer to smash the ore I was disappointed.... was hoping for a more authentic process than a "let's use tools to make tools we already have which are probably better than what I'M making" video...

Thank you guys that was amazing work and educational

This is so wonderful film...Fantastic! The dog !!😍 I use neodym Magnet which finds rich iron black stones.

This is the best video on KZfaq. Thank you for detailing the process step-by-step and making it easy to follow.

Awesome documentary. Really enjoyed it.

Impressive from every angle. Which material hasn't been be available to western blacksmiths for 200 years? Iron blooms?

Great 👍 I love this stuff. And one day i will try this.

I really enjoyed watching y'all work. I do have a question. When converting the iron bloom into steel, would a crucible have been a better option to produce a higher quality steel?