Video

In September 2019 I took a class titled, Viking-Age Smelting: A Contemporary Approach to Iron-Age Technology at the North House Folk School in Grand Marais, MN...with instructor, and metallurgical artist, Wayne Potratz ( IronWain.com). Using a brick and clay version of a "Tatara" furnace (?), this is the progression: From making a compacted charcoal bed...to feeding raw iron-ore every 10mins over 7 hrs...periodically releasing slag flow...to uncovering a "bloom" of raw white-hot metal...to checking how bits of raw cooled molten metal sparks...to weighing a tiny fraction of what we yielded (12oz) which could be forged into a blade or other tool.

This was a very informative class and I want to thank Wayne for letting me film. Be sure to visit his web site at http://www.IronWain.com and be sure to get up to the North House Folk School as well http://www.NorthHouse.org.

First, we prepare the clay to fix on to the brick structure. Also an insulated tube is treated with a fire-proof coating. This will be affixed on top of the clay furnace.

Then we finish adding clay to the rest of the structure, being sure that the twier is fixed at the proper angle to provide oxygen to the charcoal and ore that will be added one the furnace has dried a little. Next, a door is fixed onto the front of the furnace. We needed to use a rope to provide support so the clay would not collapse off the brick structure. Burning wood is added in the center to help dry the inside of the furnace.