Just found out wrought iron has a grain like wood

Was watching a restoration video on YouTube last night from some guy in Ohio who works on old gates. He mentioned that real wrought iron has a fibrous grain structure just like wood. I always thought that was just something old timers said to sound wise. He showed a piece he cut and you could actually see the lines in the metal. Blew my mind. Been hammering on mild steel for 5 years and never knew that. Has anyone here actually forged wrought iron before? I heard it's almost impossible to find now.

3 comments

3 Comments

benclark1mo ago

Jumped into this same rabbit hole a few years back when I came across an old wrought iron fence at a salvage yard. The fibers run lengthwise along the bar, so if you try to forge it crossways it can split apart just like green wood does. It's getting rarer by the year, but I've heard old farm equipment and pre-1900 bridges are still good sources if you know where to look.

scott.drew29d agoTop Commenter

Oh, that's interesting. I actually read a piece recently from an old blacksmithing journal that mentioned something similar. They said wrought iron from old chain links and anchor chains from sailing ships was highly prized because the constant twisting and hammering actually helped align the fibers even better. The article claimed some of the best surviving wrought iron today comes from old railway bridges being torn down, especially the ones built before 1890. I'd be curious if anyone here has actually pulled any from a demolition site. Supposedly the rivets and bolts in those old bridges are a goldmine if you can get to them before the scrappers do.

the_faith29d ago

Three years ago I scored a chunk off an old railroad trestle being torn down near Pittsburgh and spent a whole weekend trying to forge it into a bottle opener. First hit with the hammer and it split right down the middle like a bad piece of firewood. @benclark is dead on about the fibers running lengthwise - I learned that lesson the hard way. Now I keep that busted piece on my shop bench to remind myself that I'm not as clever as I think I am.