| Wrought iron furniture is an antique | | | | completely, so a spongy mass is produced |
| form of furniture design that has never | | | | containing iron and silicates from the |
| gone out of style. There is a wide range | | | | ore, called iron bloom, which is how the |
| of products available such as beds, | | | | technique gets its name. The bloom is |
| chairs and tables, patio furniture, and | | | | then manually worked to remove the slag |
| small accent items such as pot racks, | | | | and impurities, giving rise to the term |
| towel bars, shelf brackets, fireplace | | | | "wrought", as the iron was pounded, |
| accents, hat and coat racks, and more. | | | | twisted, and folded. Hammering a piece |
| It is possible to decorate with the | | | | of wrought iron compacts the fibers, |
| elegance of wrought iron design | | | | increasing the strength of the product, |
| everywhere in your home. | | | | though it lacks the carbon content |
| There are many styles of iron bed frames | | | | necessary for heat-tempering. During |
| available, such as American and European | | | | this process, many thin layers of slag |
| antique reproductions, modern and custom | | | | are mixed into the metal, producing a |
| designs, as well as cribs and cradles, | | | | distinct "grain", and a fibrous |
| childrens' beds and daybeds. | | | | appearance when broken or bent. Old, |
| Some companies specialize in restoring | | | | rusted pieces of wrought iron have a |
| real antique cast iron furniture, since | | | | very distinct grain and resemble |
| items made of this durable material | | | | reddish-brown wood. |
| exist dating back to the 1700s and | | | | Producing iron by hand in a bloomery was |
| 1800s. Since bed sizes used to be | | | | a slow, small-scale and labor-intensive |
| smaller, original twin and full size | | | | process. Iron production began on a much |
| beds can be converted to king and queen | | | | larger scale with the introduction of |
| sizes. Many of these antiques are canopy | | | | blast furnaces, which date back to |
| beds, exotic and stylish, especially if | | | | approximately 1100 to 1300 in Europe. |
| draped in fabrics to match the decor of | | | | These furnaces produce bars of pig iron, |
| the bedroom. | | | | a brittle compound with a high carbon |
| The term ?wrought? is the archaic past | | | | content. By the 1750s, a number of |
| tense of the verb to work. As the | | | | oxides had been discovered to remove the |
| English language changed over time, the | | | | carbon as carbon dioxide, similar to the |
| word has been changed to "worked". | | | | process in a bloomery. Because blast |
| Therefore, wrought iron literally means | | | | furnaces completely melt the iron, the |
| "worked iron". The process of making | | | | metal can be molded into cast iron |
| these products is quite precise and | | | | products at this stage. However, cast |
| complicated. Some mass-produced, | | | | iron is too brittle to be worked into |
| light-weight ornamental metal work is | | | | shapes as is possible with wrought iron. |
| not made of iron, but is actually milled | | | | Wrought iron would be further processed |
| steel. | | | | by faggoting, a method whereby the iron |
| True wrought iron is a very pure form of | | | | bars would be bundled together like |
| commercial iron with a low carbon | | | | sticks of firewood and hammered into one |
| content. It is tough, bendable and easy | | | | piece, just as iron was worked by hand |
| to weld. It is too soft to be made into | | | | in medieval times. Each time the iron |
| high-quality knives or swords, and rusts | | | | was folded and stretched, it became a |
| easily. For the purpose of | | | | bit stronger. Wrought iron which had |
| weapon-making, societies which | | | | been faggoted twice was referred to as |
| discovered how to carbonize iron and mix | | | | "Best", and had a tensile strength of 23 |
| it with other metals to make steel had a | | | | tons per square inch; if faggoted again |
| great advantage in warfare over their | | | | it would become "Best Best", then |
| more primitive neighbors. Because | | | | "Treble best" with a strength of 28 tons |
| wrought iron is a more basic and | | | | per square inch. With each processing, |
| universal product, it is the "iron" | | | | impurities would form as long thin |
| referred to throughout history. | | | | inclusions, just as with hammering. |
| Archeologists find evidence of iron | | | | Due to the unique grain of wrought iron, |
| smelting as far back as 3000 BC in | | | | it is difficult to work with; like wood, |
| China. Wrought iron was originally made | | | | if stressed too much, it will split |
| by a method called bloomery. Bloomeries | | | | along the grain. Working with wrought |
| employed small charcoal smelters, often | | | | iron is an art form that can take years |
| pots or ladles, into which iron ore | | | | to perfect. Unlike mass-produced milled |
| (iron oxide, or rusted iron) was placed | | | | steel items, a wrought iron product is a |
| and covered with a thin layer of | | | | piece of art. |
| charcoal. The charcoal was lit and air | | | | Wrought iron can be painted in any |
| was blown onto it with a bellows, | | | | color, and many manufacturers do custom |
| causing the ore to melt partially. | | | | painting and design. Cast iron can be |
| During this process, the oxygen atoms | | | | formed into any shape, so if you have a |
| would be released from the iron to bind | | | | design or picture you want replicated, |
| with the carbon in the charcoal, | | | | bring it to a cast iron shop and they |
| releasing carbon dioxide which would | | | | will work the image into your furniture. |
| bubble away. Therefor, little of the | | | | Buying wrought iron will give you a |
| carbon entered the melted iron. | | | | unique piece of furniture, and helps |
| Using this old method, the fire does not | | | | support local artisans and industries. |
| get hot enough to melt the iron | | | | |