Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Seerp Visser · 22nd July 2019, 04:20 PM

Alan/Jean

I wash bloomery iron, i don't wash iron meteorite.

Iron meteorite contains about 90% Fe, further nickel and some other elements mostly desribed as trace elements.
No impurities as bloomery iron has a lot.

The Prambanan meteorite is a little more difficult. Not as iron meteorite, but because it is very scarce. Thru the centuries a limited number of analyses is carried out. The analyses are from very early dates, so not secure. (The first dates from 1866).

(see Farrington, Analyses of Iron Meteorites 1907, page 88 and 89 and Buchwald, Handbook of iron meteorites 1975, page 990)

All compositons, in the above literature, describe the Prambanan meteorite as iron meteorite with Fe and Ni and only traces of other elements (cobalt).

To forge iron meteorite, i put it in a kind of "envelope" of standard construction steel (iron) and forge weld these together.
The reason for this extra work is that iron meteorite crumbles under the hammer blows. When inside the envelope it is possible to weld and to forge it.
This way of working is commonly used today and was used by the Empu's of Java in the past.

(Who is interested, can have a look on Youtube. There is a video of Pasak Lembu Bara, an Empu from Bali, who shows this way of work forging Campo del Ciello meteorite)

The advantage of working with an envelope is, that no meteoritic material faces the surface of the envelope and so the meteoritic material is protected against oxidation.
In a later stage of forging the blade, when grinding starts, this advantige is lost.

I worked with charcoal fires. Charcoal gives a very clean and very hot fire. Nothing wrong with a charcoal fire blown with bellows.
The disadvantages of working with charcoal, these days, are the price of good charcoal and the fire needs a lot of attention continuously.
I prefer charcoal above coal. Propane is not suitable for forge welding meteorite since the temperature of the fire will be too low, burning propane (without oxigen).

The specific gravity of meteorite iron will be just a little bit higher than that of pure iron, since the percentage of nickel will give a lift.

22nd July 2019, 04:20 PM	#11
Seerp Visser Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Belgium Posts: 37	Alan/Jean I wash bloomery iron, i don't wash iron meteorite. Iron meteorite contains about 90% Fe, further nickel and some other elements mostly desribed as trace elements. No impurities as bloomery iron has a lot. The Prambanan meteorite is a little more difficult. Not as iron meteorite, but because it is very scarce. Thru the centuries a limited number of analyses is carried out. The analyses are from very early dates, so not secure. (The first dates from 1866). (see Farrington, Analyses of Iron Meteorites 1907, page 88 and 89 and Buchwald, Handbook of iron meteorites 1975, page 990) All compositons, in the above literature, describe the Prambanan meteorite as iron meteorite with Fe and Ni and only traces of other elements (cobalt). To forge iron meteorite, i put it in a kind of "envelope" of standard construction steel (iron) and forge weld these together. The reason for this extra work is that iron meteorite crumbles under the hammer blows. When inside the envelope it is possible to weld and to forge it. This way of working is commonly used today and was used by the Empu's of Java in the past. (Who is interested, can have a look on Youtube. There is a video of Pasak Lembu Bara, an Empu from Bali, who shows this way of work forging Campo del Ciello meteorite) The advantage of working with an envelope is, that no meteoritic material faces the surface of the envelope and so the meteoritic material is protected against oxidation. In a later stage of forging the blade, when grinding starts, this advantige is lost. I worked with charcoal fires. Charcoal gives a very clean and very hot fire. Nothing wrong with a charcoal fire blown with bellows. The disadvantages of working with charcoal, these days, are the price of good charcoal and the fire needs a lot of attention continuously. I prefer charcoal above coal. Propane is not suitable for forge welding meteorite since the temperature of the fire will be too low, burning propane (without oxigen). The specific gravity of meteorite iron will be just a little bit higher than that of pure iron, since the percentage of nickel will give a lift.