Wrought Iron; Traditional and Contemporary |
The metal "wrought iron" is no longer
made, though the term now refers to metals such as steel used
ornamentally or to a style of decorative metalwork.This style of metalwork
typically has an elegance and graceful quality compared to cast
iron metalwork.
Essentially, real wrought iron is a mixture of very pure iron
with fibrous iron silicate (slag) interspersed throughout. It was produced
by hammering then rolling cast ingots into much longer bars, this process
gave it its fibrous nature. Its unique combination of iron and silicate
fibres gives the metal good corrosion resistance (as the Eiffel Tower testifies),
and exceptional hot working properties. Its fibrous
nature only reveals itself after it has been fractured or severely corroded.
Unfortunately, wrought iron has not been made for many decades.
Blacksmiths now use steel as a modern replacement,
since it has many similar properties. However, restoration specialists can still
obtain reclaimed and re-rolled wrought iron for heritage and conservation work.