Bloomery Iron Smelting

Ore to Artefact: Smelting Bloomery Iron

Fri 19 th to Sunday 21 th . 10 am-5pm (Fri, Sat) 10am-4pm (Sun)

Furnace Festivals Ireland bring their bloomery iron smelting school to the InHand forum. Join leading international expert Jens Jorgen Olesson and pioneers of the Irish smelting community to learn how to produce and refine bloomery iron, wrought iron and steel from Irish bog ore using traditional ancient Irish methods of smelting.

Smelting is the ancient method of turning natural organic oxides that grow in the bog into metallic iron and steel. Contrary to popular perception, smelting is not melting metals or casting metals (although smelted iron can be melted and cast and you can also learn these metalworking techniques on site)

This 3 day course will combine hands-on technical learning and demonstrations on smelting, refining, and forging bloomery iron. Participants will build the clay furnace, prepare charcoal and bog ore, and smelt their own iron blooms.