Subject: Re: Blacksmith Shop Design - RUSTY NAILS

From: [email-masked] (Thomas Boudreau)
Date: Fri, 29 Mar 1996 19:14:24 -0400

>I have yet to see the "secret" here of hundred-year-old nails made by our
>ancestors.  Why were these things worth burning the house down for, when you
>moved?   
>
>They were wrought iron - not steel.  Steel rusts through.  From what I read,
>wrought iron does not.
>
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   Hello Bruce!!
        The nails were made of wrought iron and although they would rust,
the first coating of rust (like a patina) would protect the piece from
rusting more!( without any finish)  The wrought iron was almost pure and not
refined like steel that rust from inside out.   Any more comments on this one?
 
-->Thomas B.
-->N.S. Can.
-->[email-masked]
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From: Dave <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 29 Mar 1996 19:30:42 -0600

>They were wrought iron - not steel.  Steel rusts through.  From what I read,
The resistance to corrosion (rust) of wrought iron is only one factor.
Another, and more important, was availability, especially in the mid-west
and the west.
Dave

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From: [email-masked] (MR WILLIAM A HOCHELLA)
Date: Sat, 30 Mar 1996 07:57:29 EST

To All,
For fear of being repeatitive, "Steel rusts". Wrought Iron rusts, too,
 but it is self limiting. In the olde days the reason you burned your 
old house to get the nails for your new house was because you could 
not afford nails for your new house. Iron was THE strategic ( read 
expensive) material of the not so modern world. A simple hinge works 
as well as a very ornate one but the ornate one is a conspicous 
display of wealth. We take for granted that our raw material costs 
are low. Way back when material was expensive and labor was cheap. 
Wrought iron is availabe from The Ironbridge Gorge Museums in the UK 
but it is not cheap.

Regards,

Bill Hochella

Regards

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From: [email-masked] (MR WILLIAM A HOCHELLA)
Date: Sat, 30 Mar 1996 08:06:54 EST

To All,
Not to pick on the good Mr. Boudreau ,but....
Yes, wrought iron develops a patina because of the fiberous nature of 
the contained slag and the relative purity of the iron matrix. Steel 
is an alloy to which carbon and other elements have been purposely 
added. Steel does not rust from the inside. The oxide that forms from 
exposure to the atmosphere is pourous and its volume is greater than 
the parent material, i.e., it is loose and flakey. Once the rust 
begins to form, it tends to retain water which makes more rust that 
flakes off, etc.

I aploogize in  advance,

Bill Hochella

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From: [email-masked] (Thomas Boudreau)
Date: Sat, 30 Mar 1996 16:21:14 -0400

>To All,
 Steel does not rust from the inside. The oxide that forms from 
>begins to form, it tends to retain water which makes more rust that 
----------------------------------------------------->

        No apology needed!! I stand corrected!! It's important for everybody
to get the right info. I think I was a little too quick on the keys... I
meant it more as an (over) expression rather than a fact! Thank-you for the
response!
-->Thomas B.
-->N.S. Can.
-->[email-masked]
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Sat, 30 Mar 96 14:23:28 CST

>They were wrought iron - not steel.  Steel rusts through.  From what I 
read,

As I understand it, the Romans made the first "Pre-Fab" forts that could 
be knocked apart, transported and then reassembled with the same nails.  
This continued on for centuries because that nails were just too darn 
expensive.  If you think about it.  Most of the old frontier homes were 
built from what was at hand.  One of the few "store bought" supplies were 
iron nails.

Frugality taken a bit too far, Eh?
-----------------------------------------------------
Name: Franklyn D. Garland        A Hobby Is Hard work
E-mail: [email-masked]          You wouldn't Do For
Date: 03/30/96                     A Living.

http://www.mcs.net/~frnklyn/homepage/

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Sun, 31 Mar 1996 03:59:43 -0500

Hi gang..

I've heard of this over the years, but I've never seen any original
documentation of it.  Has anyone ever found any?  Or, is this an old wive's
tail?

Kent   :o)
[email-masked]