What has changed is the manufacturing process. True wrought iron is made from bloomery iron that is repeatedly forged to make it somewhat more homogeneous. The end result is nearly pure iron with silicious inclusions from the sand used as flux in the smelting process. That's an oversimplification but it is good enough.

Modern mild steel is made in big furnaces where scrap is melted or ore is process or both, and the carbon content and other elements are controlled for the purpose of meeting engineering specifications. The result is a product that can be depended upon to meet certain desired physical properties.

Real wrought iron hasn't been produced as a primary product since about 1950 at the latest. The one or two places in Europe that sell it are re-processing old scrap wrought iron, not smelting new product. There is no "manufacture" of it in the U.S. It simply cannot be made at a competitive price - even the re-processed stuff is priced about five times that of modern structural steel.

For virtually all the processes that blacksmiths do, regular mild steel as produced today is just fine, and in most cases better than true wrought iron.

Rich

hmmmm...
you should checkout Lee Sauders work.

george

OH- and the vast majority of New Orleans metalwork is Cast Iron, not Wrought Iron.

So true :-(
In past readings, I've read New Orleans was famous for it's wrought iron. However, great fires took care of it and it was replaced by cast iron. As was the ironwork in Charleston and Savannah, two other cities known for the skill of their craftsmanship and the beauty of the ironwork. What wasn't destroyed by the fires, was torn down in the support of the war effort of WW1 and WW11. Mistakenly, as most was unsuitable for use in the war effort.

Gerald Boggs

nick such

sal: I'm new to am and I spotted your questions about the precious wrought material (from awhile back). Books I have on the subject mention industrial uses- primarily pipe in high corrosion situations, as well as many of the parts in steam locomotives, that were used well into the fifties in the states; elsewhere still in use! Bridges and structural ties in industrial buildings as well. These are big parts and probably mostly scrapped out by now. However for the smith the hunt is rich: Leg or post vises(older) are made from it(except for the jaw faces), of course most two piece anvils- the ones with blister steel faces- have wrought bodies that were built up from scrap. Old benches,forge bodies, and tool stands had wrought pipe legs (you can often see a raised seam on the pieces showing early "automated" forge welding). Old anchors and their chain. Old logging chains and hooks. Boiler bodies and tubes. Old farm machinery, wagon parts, and horse team gear to name some sources. My favorite ready to use is old wagon wheel "tires" (excellent axe heads once you add the high carbon edges)-you see these things in yards on Sunday drives in the country
Iron has indeed been supplanted by many other materials, even by mild steel for smiths, but it IS different under the hammer- slightly higher melting temp- longer forging heats, greater malleability, and practically self-welding for the forge weld .(loves arc and tig too). after a while you'll get an eye for it; often you can get it for free as junk or on e bay as broken vise parts for close to the shipping cost.I forgot old iron bed frames- often the junctures are chilled cast iron however- very hard. And ,of course, much old iron work and housewares. I'm saying all this because iron is easily reforged and has a primal connection that you can actually feel when you work it (your blood won't work without it either) nick
T

I do blacksmith work and sometimes use wrought iron from old scrap. I find it MUCH more difficult to work than mild steel. I do not really like it much though it does have a certain historical cache. I have also found that in making pieces with a "rustic" appearance it has an affinity for that look that is hard to duplicate in modern steels. I like it's romance but for most practical use I prefer modern materials. Here in Missouri I have not found any shortage of the old wrought material though... with a bit of extra effort I'd have several tons of it by now. As it is I have a few hundred pounds worth and it seems approximately a lifetime supply.

I guess what I am getting at is that I would recommend that you work with modern steels to begin with as you are likely to be more frustrated by wrought iron. Then when you do want some take the time to visit a few farm auctions/sales and you'll soon have a good supply. Flea markets and even antique malls can also produce reasonably priced stock.

For wonderful forged (not cast) steel work check out Philadelphia. Perhaps because of the influence of Sam Yellin, Philadelphia has more than its share of real hand forged pieces most everywhere. Several years ago I was walking over a small road bridge that crossed the Schuylkill Expressway (aka the "Sure Kill") near the 30th street station. On both sides of the bridge, under several hundred layers of paint, was a beautiful, hand forged railing. Many balconies, gates, even old, overgrown fences in disrepair in lesser parts of the city are often hand forged.
Rob