Sovereignty Module: Birth the Metal
Birth the Metal
Complete Ore Smelting, Metal Extraction, and Primitive Metallurgy Guide
Complete Ore Smelting, Metal Extraction, and Primitive Metallurgy Guide
Metal transforms civilization. Iron makes tools, copper makes wire, bronze makes bearings, and steel makes everything better. This campaign covers identifying ore, building furnaces, and extracting metal from rock.
Chapter 1: Metals and Their Ores
| Metal | Common Ores | Melting Point | Smelting Temp | Difficulty | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copper | Malachite (green), azurite (blue), native copper | 1984F (1085C) | 2100F+ | Moderate | High (wire, alloys) |
| Tin | Cassiterite (heavy black/brown stones in streams) | 449F (232C) | 2300F+ (from ore) | Moderate | High (bronze alloy) |
| Bronze | Copper + tin (10% tin) | 1742F (950C) | N/A (alloy) | Moderate | High (tools, bearings) |
| Iron | Hematite (red/black), magnetite (magnetic), bog iron | 2800F (1538C) | 2200F+ (bloom) | High | Critical (tools, weapons) |
| Lead | Galena (heavy, silver-grey, cubic crystals) | 621F (327C) | 1500F+ | Low | Moderate (solder, weights) |
| Silver | Galena (with lead), native silver | 1763F (962C) | 1800F+ | Moderate-high | Low (currency, solder) |
| Gold | Native gold (placer or vein) | 1948F (1064C) | N/A (found native) | Low (finding it is hard) | Low (trade value) |
| Zinc | Smithsonite, sphalerite | 787F (420C) | 1700F+ | Moderate | Moderate (brass alloy) |
Chapter 2: Bloomery Furnace (Iron Smelting)
| Component | Material | Dimensions | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shaft | Clay/mud + straw (or stone) | 3-5 feet tall, 10-14 inch interior diameter | Reaction chamber |
| Tuyere (air pipe) | Clay pipe or iron pipe | 1-2 inch diameter, angled slightly downward | Delivers air blast |
| Bellows | Wood frame + leather | Large (produces continuous blast) | Forces air into furnace |
| Charcoal | Hardwood charcoal (NOT coal initially) | Crushed to walnut-size | Fuel and reducing agent |
| Ore | Crushed iron ore (pea to walnut size) | Roasted first (optional, helps) | Raw material |
| Tap hole | Opening at base | Plugged with clay during smelt | Drains slag |
Chapter 3: Iron Smelting Process
| Step | Action | Time | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Build and dry furnace (slow fire inside for 1-2 days) | 2-3 days | Prevents cracking from thermal shock |
| 2 | Preheat furnace with charcoal fire | 1-2 hours | Get walls hot before adding ore |
| 3 | Begin air blast (bellows) | Continuous from now on | Must not stop until smelt is complete |
| 4 | Add alternating charges: charcoal then ore | Every 10-15 minutes | Ratio: 1 part ore to 1-2 parts charcoal by volume |
| 5 | Maintain temperature (white-hot at tuyere level) | 4-8 hours | Consistent bellows operation critical |
| 6 | Tap slag periodically (liquid glass flows from tap hole) | Every 30-60 minutes | Slag = waste (silica + impurities) |
| 7 | After all ore charged, continue heating 30-60 minutes | 30-60 min | Consolidates bloom |
| 8 | Remove bloom (break open furnace base or pull from top) | End of smelt | Hot, spongy mass of iron + slag |
| 9 | Hammer bloom while hot (consolidate, expel slag) | Immediately | Repeated heating and hammering |
| 10 | Result: wrought iron (workable, forgeable) | Final product | Ready for blacksmithing |
Yield: Expect 1-3 lbs of iron from 10-20 lbs of ore in a primitive bloomery. Efficiency improves with experience. Modern blast furnaces extract 95%+ of iron; bloomeries extract 20-50%.
Chapter 4: Copper Smelting
| Step | Action | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Identify copper ore (malachite = green, azurite = blue) | Often found near each other |
| 2 | Crush ore to pea-size | Mortar and pestle or hammer on stone |
| 3 | Build small furnace or use crucible in charcoal fire | Smaller than iron bloomery |
| 4 | Layer charcoal and ore in furnace/crucible | 2:1 charcoal to ore |
| 5 | Apply air blast (bellows or blowpipe) | Must reach 2100F+ |
| 6 | Copper melts and pools at bottom | Liquid metal visible (red-gold) |
| 7 | Pour or extract copper | Into mold or let cool in crucible |
| 8 | Hammer and anneal (heat to red, quench, hammer) | Work-hardens, annealing softens for more working |
Copper is easier than iron: lower temperature, ore is visually distinctive (green/blue), and metal actually melts (unlike iron in a bloomery which stays solid).
Chapter 5: Making Steel
| Method | Process | Carbon Content | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cementation (blister steel) | Pack iron bars in charcoal in sealed clay box, heat 7-10 days | 0.5-1.5% | Uneven carbon, must be forged |
| Crucible steel | Melt blister steel + flux in sealed crucible | 0.5-1.5% (uniform) | High-quality, uniform steel |
| Case hardening | Heat iron in charcoal/bone dust, surface absorbs carbon | Surface only (0.1-0.5mm deep) | Hard surface, soft core |
| Quench hardening | Heat high-carbon steel to non-magnetic, quench in oil/water | N/A (activates existing carbon) | Hard but brittle (must temper) |
| Tempering | Reheat hardened steel to 350-600F | N/A | Reduces brittleness, sets final hardness |
Steel = iron + 0.2-2.0% carbon. Below 0.2% = wrought iron (soft, ductile). Above 2.0% = cast iron (hard, brittle). The sweet spot for tools: 0.6-1.0% carbon.
Chapter 6: Furnace Temperature Guide
| Temperature | Color (in dim light) | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| 400F (200C) | No visible color | Tempering range (straw to blue) |
| 900F (480C) | Faint red (barely visible in dark) | Stress relief |
| 1100F (600C) | Dark red | Annealing begins |
| 1400F (760C) | Cherry red | Forging range begins |
| 1650F (900C) | Bright cherry/orange | Good forging heat |
| 1900F (1040C) | Light orange/yellow | Maximum forging heat (iron) |
| 2100F (1150C) | Yellow-white | Welding heat (iron sticks to iron) |
| 2300F (1260C) | White | Burning (iron destroyed, too hot) |
| 2800F (1538C) | Brilliant white | Iron melts (blast furnace territory) |
Reference Card
- Iron bloomery: 3-5 foot clay shaft + continuous bellows blast for 4-8 hours
- Charcoal is the fuel AND reducing agent (removes oxygen from ore)
- Expect 1-3 lbs iron from 10-20 lbs ore in primitive bloomery (20-50% efficiency)
- Copper smelting is easier: lower temp, ore is green/blue, metal actually melts
- Steel = iron + 0.2-2.0% carbon. Tools need 0.6-1.0% carbon.
- Case hardening: pack iron in charcoal, heat for hours. Carbon absorbs into surface.
- Quench hardening: heat to non-magnetic (cherry red), quench in oil. Then temper at 400F.
- Forge iron at cherry red to light orange. Never hammer cold (cracks). Never heat to white (burns).
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