My Discovery of Wrought Iron Designs

Introduction to Wrought Iron Designs

I have loved wrought iron designs for most of my adult life.  Several years ago I worked for an architect in Southern California.  One of his draftsmen had a passion for architectural wrought iron design and was always sharing his drawings and “doodles” with me, as well as his books.  He awakened in me a love for the beauty, diversity, and intricacy of the possibilities of what wrought iron could become.

New Orleans has beautiful examples of wrought iron designs. Here the lacy balconies and fences are exquisite. In the French District you will find  wrought iron work everywhere.  However, in the Garden District, most of the work is from cast iron, not wrought iron.

The difference between the two has to do with the amount of carbon left after the iron ore is processed.  Cast Iron has 2% or more carbon whereas wrought iron has 0.2% carbon or less. Because of the higher carbon content in cast iron, it is more brittle than wrought iron. Wrought iron is strong and hard, and easy to weld.

The methods used for each are also different. Today, wrought iron is produced in “blooming” mills and cast iron is basically pig iron that is melted in a blast furnace with scraps of iron.

Wrought iron bloom is porous and must be hammered to reduce the air pockets and most of the slag. After it is “hammered” the first time, it is then “hammered” again into the final shape. This is done by hand or, nowadays, also by machine.

How Wrought Iron was produced  the “old-fashioned” way

Nyamakala 11 (Photo by Ellen Martin)

Lee Sauder is a blacksmith and sculptor who decided he wanted to know how wrought iron was made after being inspired by hearing about traditional iron smelting in Africa.

In 1998 he teamed up with his friend, Henry G. “Skip” Williams III,  to rediscover the art of bloomery smelting, which was the technique used to obtain wrought iron from iron ore for many centuries.

He wanted to produce his own product for his forged sculptures.  Archeologists had been attempting to reproduce the process for over thirty years, but with dismal results.

Their first experiments begin in January of 1998.  By the Spring of 2001, after much experimenting and varying results, they begin to produce a product that was to their liking.  By 2006, they had produced over a ton of their own iron using the ancient techniques of bloomery smelting.  You can read more about their fascinating journey here: The Smelter’s Art and visit the website and gallery at Germinal Ironworks.

Click here “I love wrought iron!” to buy beautiful wrought iron designs for YOUR life!

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