Sovereignty Module: Draw Metal from Stone
Draw Metal from Stone
Complete Primitive Smelting: Extracting Iron, Copper, and Tin from Raw Ore
Complete Primitive Smelting: Extracting Iron, Copper, and Tin from Raw Ore
The ability to extract metal from rock is the single most transformative technology in human history. This campaign covers ore identification, furnace construction, and smelting procedures.
Chapter 1: Ore Identification
| Metal | Ore Name | Appearance | Location | Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron | Hematite | Red-brown, heavy, metallic streak | Hillsides, road cuts, stream beds | Red streak on white tile. Heavy. Magnetic when heated. |
| Iron | Magnetite | Black, very heavy, magnetic | Beaches (black sand), mountains | Magnet test: sticks to magnet |
| Iron | Bog iron | Orange-brown lumpy masses | Swamps, bogs, stream beds | Orange water nearby. Spongy texture. |
| Copper | Malachite | Bright green, banded | Near copper deposits, old mines | Green color unmistakable. Fizzes in acid. |
| Copper | Azurite | Deep blue, crystalline | With malachite deposits | Blue color. Often with green malachite. |
| Copper | Native copper | Reddish metal chunks | Stream beds, glacial deposits | Already metal — just needs melting. |
| Tin | Cassiterite | Black/brown, very heavy crystals | Stream gravels, granite areas | Very heavy for size. Black streak. |
| Lead | Galena | Silver-grey, cubic crystals, very heavy | Limestone areas | Extremely heavy. Soft (scratches with fingernail). |
Chapter 2: Bloomery Furnace (Iron Smelting)
| Component | Specification | Material | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shaft | 3-4 feet tall, 10-12 inch interior diameter | Clay + sand + straw (or stone) | Contains the smelt |
| Walls | 2-4 inches thick | Refractory clay (high alumina) | Withstands 2,400°F+ |
| Tuyere hole | 2-3 inches diameter, 6-8 inches above base | Clay pipe or stone | Air inlet from bellows |
| Tap hole (optional) | 2 inches, at base | Plugged with clay | Drain slag during smelt |
| Bellows | Dual-chamber or bag bellows | Leather + wood | Provides continuous air blast |
| Base | Solid clay or stone platform | Fireproof | Collects bloom at bottom |
Construction: 1. Build on dry ground (moisture = explosion risk). 2. Form shaft from clay-sand-straw mix (3:1:0.5). 3. Dry 1-2 weeks. 4. Pre-fire slowly (small fire inside, increase over 2 days). 5. Tuyere angled slightly downward (prevents slag blocking).
Chapter 3: Iron Smelting Procedure
| Step | Action | Temperature | Duration | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prepare charcoal (hardwood, broken to walnut-size) | - | Days before | Need 5-10× weight of ore in charcoal |
| 2 | Crush ore to pea-size or smaller | - | Hours | Smaller = faster reduction |
| 3 | Pre-heat furnace (fill with charcoal, light, blow) | 1,800°F+ | 1-2 hours | Furnace must be at full temperature before ore |
| 4 | Charge: alternate layers of charcoal and ore | - | - | Ratio: 1 part ore to 3-5 parts charcoal by volume |
| 5 | Maintain continuous air blast (bellows) | 2,200-2,600°F | 4-8 hours | Consistent rhythm. Never stop blowing. |
| 6 | Add charges as furnace contents sink | - | Throughout | Keep furnace full. Add charcoal + ore every 15-30 min. |
| 7 | Tap slag periodically (if tap hole present) | - | Every 30-60 min | Liquid slag flows out (glassy, dark) |
| 8 | End smelt: stop blowing, let cool slightly | - | 30-60 min | Bloom solidifies at furnace base |
| 9 | Break open furnace base, extract bloom | - | - | Hot iron mass (spongy, full of slag) |
| 10 | Consolidate bloom: reheat and hammer repeatedly | 1,800°F+ | Hours | Squeezes out slag, welds iron together |
Yield: 5-20% of ore weight becomes usable iron. A good smelt from 20 lbs of ore produces 2-4 lbs of workable iron. This is normal — not failure.
Chapter 4: Copper Smelting
| Step | Action | Temperature | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crush malachite/azurite to powder | - | Finer = faster. Mortar and pestle. |
| 2 | Build small furnace or use crucible in charcoal fire | - | Copper melts at 1,984°F (lower than iron) |
| 3 | Mix ore with charcoal (flux: sand or limestone if needed) | - | 1 part ore to 2-3 parts charcoal |
| 4 | Blow with bellows until copper pools at bottom | 2,000-2,200°F | Copper appears as bright orange liquid |
| 5 | Pour into mold or let cool in crucible | - | Copper ingot at bottom, slag on top |
| 6 | Re-melt and pour for casting, or hammer into shape | 1,984°F | Copper is soft — easy to hammer cold or hot |
Copper is MUCH easier to smelt than iron. Lower temperature. Visible result (shiny metal). Good first smelting project. Malachite (green stone) is the easiest ore to identify and smelt.
Chapter 5: Charcoal Production for Smelting
| Method | Yield | Time | Scale | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pit method (earth-covered) | 15-25% | 2-5 days | Medium-large | Good (if well-managed) |
| Mound method (traditional) | 20-30% | 3-7 days | Large | Excellent (charcoal burner skill) |
| Retort (metal container) | 30-40% | 4-8 hours | Small-medium | Excellent (controlled, consistent) |
| Trench method | 15-20% | 1-2 days | Small | Moderate (quick and easy) |
Smelting requires enormous quantities of charcoal. Plan for 5-10 lbs of charcoal per 1 lb of ore processed. A single iron smelt may consume 100-200 lbs of charcoal. Sustainable charcoal production = coppiced woodland (cut and regrow cycle).
Chapter 6: Bronze Making
| Component | Source | Ratio | Melting Point | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copper | Smelted from malachite/azurite | 88-92% | 1,984°F | Base metal |
| Tin | Smelted from cassiterite | 8-12% | 449°F | Alloying element |
| Bronze (alloy) | Melt copper, add tin, stir | - | 1,742°F (lower than copper alone) | Harder than copper, casts beautifully |
Bronze advantages over pure copper: harder, holds edge better, lower melting point (easier to cast), more fluid when molten (fills mold details), rings when struck (bells, tools). Bronze Age lasted 2,000 years because it's excellent material.
Reference Card
- Bog iron: easiest iron ore to find and smelt. Look for orange water, orange-brown lumpy masses in swamps/streams.
- Bloomery furnace: 3-4 feet tall, 10-12 inch bore, clay walls 2-4 inches thick. Tuyere 6-8 inches above base.
- Iron smelting: 4-8 hours continuous bellows operation. 2,200-2,600°F. Yield: 5-20% of ore weight.
- Charcoal requirement: 5-10 lbs charcoal per 1 lb ore. Plan charcoal production FIRST.
- Copper from malachite (green stone): easiest first smelt. Lower temperature than iron. Visible shiny result.
- Bronze = 90% copper + 10% tin. Harder than copper, lower melting point, excellent for casting.
- Consolidate iron bloom by repeated heating and hammering. Squeezes out slag, welds iron particles together.
- Sustainable metal production requires coppiced woodland for charcoal. Plant fast-growing hardwoods.
TransmissionCOMPLETE — unaltered & unabridged
Words1,214 — every one of them
SHA-256 of source textcfe876fa8a64e6fa2b5afdf9d6527a0f2db3b5a9abeb0775bd455df04e300f20
Canonical textdownload campaign-smelting-ore.md — byte-identical to what this page renders