Primitive Technology: Natural Draft Iron Smelt

[@primitivetechnology9550]

This is proof of concept that the natural draft furnace can make iron (the iron prills at the end of the video). I'd made a natural draft furnace before but this is the first time I was able to make any iron. There are many factors to getting a good smelt with this method but it is possible as there are records of natural draft iron smelting furnaces in ancient times. The benefit of such a furnace is the lack of bellows needed and so less labor is used. I've read these furnaces use more charcoal than forced draft furnaces which is understandable as the extra fuel is seemingly used to produce the draft. More experimenting needs to be done to obtain better iron yields but I think it's possible. Any questions about natural draft operation let me know. Thanks.

[@MauriceULTRAKILL]

Would insulating it with wood ash help in any way?

[@DanielSilva-jj2lz]

the next target should be an air heater! For example - divide the furnace section four times. 1/4 for venting and the rest for smelting. Preheating the air reduces the energy of the process and allows you to get a higher temperature.

[@Elliottklassen]

Would it be possible to dig a catch basin that sits lower than the tuyeres so that the slag will drop lower than them and not clog the draft, or would that mess with the draft too much?

[@MrNatsuDragneel]

forge from animals they have more iron than sand of river.

[@primitivetechnology9550]

@@MauriceULTRAKILL Yes, it would also prevent air getting into the cracks which would be a bonus as well. Save having to seal them with clay. Probably build a "log cabin" structure around the furnace and fill the space between with sand or wood ash. Thanks.

[@lakrids-pibe]

I'm beginning to appreciate why the iron age was a big step in technology

[@RogueLich]

Wasn't it because iron ore was plentiful while copper/tin for bronze was rare/not in the same location so required trade? When bronze is scarce enough to be doled out to well trained warriors (it's an investment!), but iron is plentiful enough to be used for *tools* in the hands of the common man

[@rainmaker9300]

@@RogueLich That would be the case. A big deal of the Bronze Age collapse was that a lot of copper came from Cyprus, a lot of tin came from (I think) the Hittities and from farther north (we're talking British Isles sort of distances here). After that ancient trade network collapsed, people had no choice but to rely on iron (and iron tools were already made even during the bronze age, it's just it was harder to manufacture and forge).

[@tulipalll]

Very true. However, normally, from what I understand, it wasn't common for single individuals to be trying to scratch out iron from ferro bacteria without any tools other than the ones they made from the surrounding environment.

[@rainmaker9300]

@@tulipalll Certainly not, though it might've been *one* early method. And there are the more esoteric methods of meteoric iron (Tutankhamun's sword) or bog iron (used by the Norse and other tribes of the locale). People got creative with this stuff.

[@lakrids-pibe]

@@RogueLich Iron was /is more plentiful, but it takes a lot of work to get a useable material. Copper and tin is more rare, but smelting it is straight forward in comparison.

[@Ignore__Me]

Here’s a reminder to you all that there’s always captions in these videos that goes into the specifics of what he’s doing.

[@lunaborea]

Eight years I've watched him without knowing this, am I stupid?

[@mal1250]

Shhhh... That's a hidden gem for those of us that like to read.

[@morranhaelkor]

@@lunaborea no, your smart enough to understand primitive level

[@AeyakS]

I like the mental deduction that not knowing exactly what he's doing provides

[@kateapple1]

Duhhhh 😂

[@1984Musicforever]

I'm a carpenter and do high end finish work. This kind of stuff just blows my mind. I feel like a chump watching the simplicity and creativity of these builds. I have thousands of dollars in tools and this guy is making complex things with sticks and stones. Mad respect.

[@warbossgrotsmasha23]

all of our technologies had to start off somehow, he simply recreates what people have been doing for thousands of years, mad respect for him i have, i've learned a lot by watching his vids :D

[@greekmacedonianwegreeksare6035]

The solution is the complete absence of noise pollution. Genius is build on isolation, this is why you can't have screaming screeching kindergarten kids obnoxiously re-annoying you by re-screaming with their penetrating high pitched screeches, you need concentration to think ultra-clearly, plan, and innovate. This is why the 19th century Western World was full of geniuses because it was a very quiet place (except if you lived near a factory). Besides, this guy is forced to do this, he lives outside on the very quiet forested area where the only thing you hear is the beautiful sound of chirping birds.. which our sound pollution even destroys their mating process.

[@ahmedelsify433]

If you placed the air way pipes all in an angle you will get a vortex draft which is much stronger than a normal air draft, as you have unified the air flow, therefore less resistance is needed to get in air. I hope this helps ❤

[@ryanhiggins3477]

I was wondering about that. It sounds like it would be worth a try. I wonder if there's an optimal ration for the diameter of the furnace and the inlets. I imagine there's a pretty hard limit on how much airflow you can have on the bottom without the whole thing collapsing.

[@jimkerak6404]

put elbows in the tuyeres maybe?

[@hairyballbastic8943]

@@ryanhiggins3477 Could probably be reinforced pretty nicely with some specialized ceramic pieces and external supports made of wood

[@abhibeckert]

​@@hairyballbastic8943Or just use rocks to carry the weight and and clay to channel the air.

[@user-be9bu6jx1d]

​@@ryanhiggins3477There's a limit on how much fuel can be burnt in the combustion of solid fuels. Any additional airflow will not make the coals burn much faster, since the limiting factor is not the amount of oxygen reaching the flame, but the speed in which oxygen can "mix" with the fuel. At this point, more airflow actually decreases the flame temperature, as unburnt air simply absorbs the produced heat and carries it out through the chimney.

[@SuperWolfkin]

Honestly what impresses me most about this channel when I think about it isn't just the physical labor. That's obviously impressive. What I'm surprised by when I think about it is the camera work. It's VERY effective use of camera

[@larnregis]

I'm amazed the camera sensor isn't blown out by the immense heat when filming from top down (e.g. at 10:59).

[@SuperWolfkin]

@@larnregis all that and more. John clearly is working super skeleton crew. Obviously he has basic equipment like tripods and maybe a shotgun mic but capturing the molten heat without destroying his equipment either means specialized tools or specialized skills and either way I'm impressed because of how seamless it looks. I'm glad he's back I remember when this channel went dark for a while and when I compare any of these videos with the 'others' the authenticity just sticks out like a sore thumb.

[@personaslates]

Too bad its a scam and the majority of work is done off camera often by machines.

[@elidhanMC]

​@@personaslatesno, you must be thinking of the channels that copy primitive technology. this guy is the original and is legit

[@hexagon2185]

@@personaslates Uninformed.

[@FunionKnight]

The amount of time and effort you put into such a small quantity of iron never ceases to blow me away.

[@NSRexler]

Really shows how much we take for granted in the modern world.

[@Aamiller312]

@@NSRexler Really shows how much easier iron is to extract from ore than from scooping up pond scum.

[@calebrobinson6406]

I thought the same thing, but maybe because the ore he is using doesn't have as high a concentration. Bog iron is mud scraped out of the bottom of swamps where I think it collects and condenses more. Could be wrong. Regardless of ore quality it is still a very labor intensive process

[@SerunaXI]

Just imagine eventually making a small tool that could be used to dig at clay better than any bronze.

[@ianconrad1022]

Cast iron tools are not superior to bronze tools. Quite the opposite. Well-made bronze holds an edge better, rusts more slowly, and has higher tensile and yield strengths. The reason why iron took over for bronze in the iron age is because iron is 20x more abundant than copper and ~600x more abundant than tin. And since decent bronzes used 12-15% tin ... well. Once iron-working was mastered, bronze went obsolete because iron was just so damned much more accessible and cheaper. Good steel is better than bronze, definitely, but that's a level of metallurgy that is well outside of the scope of this conversation.

[@BlankPicketSign]

I think my favorite little thing this channel does is the complete, uncut segments where he is starting a fire! It really shows just how FAST one can get a fire going with solid technique and it never gets old!

[@AeronKabutoBlade]

That and he's showing he's lighting those on his own (as if we ever needed proof)

[@skeetsmcgrew3282]

As a kid I always imagined some wise elder starting like 4 fires a year and just keeping coals hot at all times. Never realized how insanely easy it is once you learn the technique. I bet there are legit people out there that couldn't build a fire faster with matches

[@albingrahn5576]

@@skeetsmcgrew3282 the isolated Sentinelese tribe doesn't know how to start a fire, only how to keep it going. they have to always keep fire from natural sources such as lighting strikes burning at all times or else they can't cook until the next time they find an ember

[@ieuanhunt552]

​@@albingrahn5576yup but thanks to shipwrecks they have skipped several steps on the tech tree. So they are slap bang in the the early Stone age but they have scavenged all kinds of really advanced stuff from our tech.

[@Widestone001]

@@albingrahn5576 Don't the Sentinelese live in a tropical environment? This method of fire making requires a very dry material to catch the little embers - and that may be difficult where the Sentinelese live?

[@Kags]

So much work for so small iron nuggets. Makes me appreciate all the metalwork in the world around me

[@nguyentandung42]

If he can acquire a more efficient source of iron on his property then he could produce much more than a few tiny droplets.

[@simonnilsson8375]

Reminder that this is from bacteria in some random pool of water. If you go into an iron mine, you will fine some hella nice looking vines

[@bilbo_gamers6417]

​​@@simonnilsson8375 Well, it's not veins of iron as much as just more concentrated oxides. He could get plenty concentrated ore just by making lots of sluices and strictly using black sand. There are plenty of places in the world where you can literally just dig up dirt, add charcoal limestone and heat, and just create iron.

[@kishascape]

It's so sad that in the next video this furnace got destroyed by the rain. Simple to build but took a lot of time stacking mud and waiting for it to dry properly.

[@PhilipLongee-vw8jf]

I would think finding a hematite slag (iron from a meteorite) would be more likely to forge. Something like the Chelyabinsk meteorite that crashed in 2013 would be a more possible starting point. They hit occasionally everywhere. A lot of material in one place to work the metal into practical items like arrowheads, axe heads, knives, and spearheads.

[@bleach8888]

It doesn't matter how many times I see you build firplaces/pits, I still enjoy it every time. The rainforest sounds definitely help make it kinda relaxing.

[@j-j-jingles4797]

The daintree is a very immersive place. You feel both separated, and integrated with it in one instance.

[@Docstantinople]

It’s the same old videos nowadays. He doesn’t build anything epic anymore. Just building furnaces, making charcoal, iron pellets. That’s all we see anymore.

[@noba239]

@@Docstantinoplei think that sometimes but the video descriptions help. each video is still different. this type of stuff never gets boring though

[@bleach8888]

@@Docstantinople the methods he uses to do it are different, but I wouldn't mind seeing him build some weapons or clothing like shirts/pants. His older videos were definitely more diverse, but he's into the metal age right now, that cool with me, and I can wait until he decides to move onto something new. Plus, he's kinda done everything there is already, so I'll take what I can get as long as it's enjoyable. I know these videos take awhile to make. Just the charcoal takes atleast a day to make, the things he builds out of clay can take days to finish. I appreciate the fact that he does it how it used to be done and doesn't "cheat" and use any tools he hasn't made himself from nature.

[@CH3LS3A]

@@Docstantinople I do miss the food videos. Those ones were my favorite. I am sure PT is spending all this time to make all this iron to build something grand.

[@SunsetGlowASMR]

I know it's tedious to record AND explain every single step for a youtube video, but we are extremely grateful that you upload for us to watch AND learn.

[@fgjfghghjkjbccf]

Learn? I think watch and enjoy. 99,99% of us will never make even charcoal 😂

[@Theodorussfo]

turn on your captions and you will get the explanations.

[@andrewwilson507]

Yes he is very clear good points

[@SunsetGlowASMR]

@@Theodorussfo Thanks for the tip, but my captions have been on for a while ☺. I appreciate it though.

[@rictuserectus6686]

This guy's a prime example of why people tend to just like survival games. We love building and creating stuff, moving through stages of progression and improvement. I seriously adore your work, sir.

[@reedreamer9518]

I grew up in north/western New Jersey where there was about 96% forest and 4% development. Deep in the forest we found an old iron forge or furnace similar in concept to the one shown in this video. It was about 50 feet tall, narrowing towards the top; about 20 feet wide at the base with 4 openings on each side and a wide shaft running up the center. There were numerous rusty slag piles in the surrounding areas and a range of old diggings where iron ore could still be seen on the surface. From the looks of it it was a pre-18th century operation. As a kid I imagined it in operation, then and while watching this video.

[@Broose__Wayne]

West Milford, Clinton rd. If we’re thinking of the same place. That’s where they smelted the iron for the chain they used across the Hudson River during the revolutionary war. A lot of history there, a lot of which I’m sure was forgotten; haunted AF too lol.

[@reedreamer9518]

@@Broose__Wayne That is precisely correct. I grew up a few miles away in Milton and my backyard was the Watershed Reservoir. I knew about the chain across the Hudson, but didn't know it was smelted there in West Milford. Thanks!

[@hyronharrison8127]

Nah, it was just this guy making prototypes

[@stamasd8500]

Ah I've been in that general area. Franklin mine, hunting for willemite, franklinite and zincite. :)

[@BeyondMillennium]

Also check out Illinois Iron Furnace in Shawnee National Forest. I live about an 1.5 hours from it.

[@LXWiseman]

Those iron prills are GIGANTIC compared to some of the ones I've seen in your other videos! So cool to see progress like this

[@masongoser5627]

Right!? When he showed the first prill in the slag I was audibly shocked. Went down a small rabbit hole trying to then explain the smelting process to my parents and why this was so shocking haha.

[@Science-Vlog]

would be perfect to see products he gonna make with that, knife, spear head.. gears, robots!

[@Scute_King]

​@@Science-Vloghe's one of the yt channels that actually does not fake its videos unlike those *cough* pool building ytbers *cough*

[@huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhn]

if he keeps going like this he can play Boules with em soon

[@donleno2018]

@@Science-Vlog in one video he made a knife out of cast iron

[@sydneylynns]

This may be the most odd comment out here, but I’ve watched you for yeaaaarrrs and you really calm my anxiety down. You probably would never think you’re helping people like that, but watching your videos help me relax and really calm down. Thank you so much. You’re incredible.

[@siberyeniceri]

I’m wishing you for keep your calm mood on your whole life effortlessly dude.

[@Supernimo735]

Me too

[@mikestabile0526]

Really amazing work, I've really enjoyed all of the iron smelting experiments (any all of your other videos). One suggestion for future furnaces is to angle the Tuyeres so they are tangential to the inside of the furnace (all in the same direction). This should cause the draft air to spin, like a tornado, and increase air flow.. I built a couple of home foundrys for melting aluminum and this is how the tuyeres are positioned.

[@MascottDeepfriar]

that would make it more difficult to open up the bottom without destroying the entire structure.

[@FrancescoDoronzo]

I think making the tuyeres funnel shaped would also help, air would accelerate in them and the draft would be stronger

[@JamesonHuddle]

@@MascottDeepfriar maybe but with the second smelt it was shown that a lot of the base could be removed without jepordising structure.

[@sabbywins]

@@MascottDeepfriarCould make them L-shaped to minimize how much of the wall they need to go through and just change the direction of the airflow at the last second

[@GRIFAbyte101]

@@MascottDeepfriar He could probably make the base of it out of bricks with rest of the mud structure on top?

[@jameslocke3069]

A few tips. Make the tuyeres a bit more cone shaped, it improves air speed. Place them so they are very close to the center of the furnace, you want a good "nugget" of heat right in the center. And use a removable plug as a door to keep poking at the slag so it doesn't lock up. You'll know you've got the right heat when the slag moves at a more liquid state. Outstanding experiment!

[@plasmapanasonic4741]

You're not his dad gro

[@dashdandelion3681]

how do you know maybe he is :P @@plasmapanasonic4741

[@EctoMorpheus]

​@@plasmapanasonic4741and you're not adding anything useful to the conversation

[@gottimw]

I think top of the chimney should be smaller than bottom intake, it would create higher pressure at the top 'pulling' air out increasing air intake. That aside, its crazy how resource intensive the iron production is. I guess its partly due to low quality ore. But also we had nations building pyramids before they figured out iron processing.

[@junxia8119]

@@gottimwiron tools are not necessarily crucial to ancient civilizations to their survival, but definitely a must if any of them wants to outrun the others

[@Iron_Masuko]

The optimal design for this type of blast furnace is to have a wider upper and lower part with a narrower middle section. This maybe helps prevent the accumulation of slag in the central area. Additionally, I'm considering tilting the air intake at a 45-degree angle to create a small-scale vortex, aiming to enhance the efficiency of air intake.

[@WyvernYT]

I like the vortex idea; that sounds worth a try. I'm wondering if a full 45 degrees would be necessary. Would it work as well with only a 30 degree angle? I suspect that once the rotation was going it would tend to be self maintaining. Do you know any experiments that have been done with this before?

[@user-fw4mo3es1t]

do you have any sources for your info or you just write whatever shit comes into your mind? this guy in the video reads multiple books on these topics, does research on videos probably writes emails to people.

[@AtlasReburdened]

What's with everyone suggesting a friggin vortex? How do you think a vortex is going to form going through a meter of burning charcoal. Is that something that actually makes sense to you?

[@jaminboomershine9643]

What @Iron_Masuko is suggesting uses the Bernoulli Principle to increase the speed of flow through the top of the furnace. It is well known in fluid dynamics. No vortex necessary nor produced. What I am unsure of is if the effect can be acheived from low pressure from the exit(how the draft furnace works) or if it must happen from high pressure from the fluid entry. I suspect the latter. If so, then it would not work particularly well in this application. He would have to go back to a blast furnace type setup. Even then it only increases the speed of the fluid beyond the 'pinch' in the furnace walls not down where the slag is. No increase in overall airflow.

[@Iron_Masuko]

@@jaminboomershine9643 Thank you for your professional explanation. I am just wondering to imitate Primitive Technology to create a mud version of the rural iron smelting facilities I saw during my childhood. Additionally, I came across a KZbin video, kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKamn415obyqprM ,showcasing the iron smelting process by people in Burkina Faso. They arranged pipes in the central part of the furnace. I'm not sure about their function. Could you provide some professional insights?

[@quinn_griffin]

You might try forming pellets by surrounding small iron prills with a coating of ore. When heated, the iron in the ore should add to the already formed prill, which should increase the extraction rate during the smelting and make it easier to recover the prills from the slag. I don't think the sunken pit is the hottest point in the furnace. The entering air is cold, so you want it to enter at the bottom and heat up as it rises through the layer of burning charcoal. It will be hottest at the top of the fuel layer, so ideally you contain ore in a crucible at that point.

[@TheShire26]

Seconded. You can see the slag dripping from the coals getting cooled down by the draft. Around 19:16. Maybe the tuyeres should be pointing down along the inside surface of the pit?

[@TheShire26]

@@EverettHaran that’s a very good point. There has to be a way of dealing with the molten slag that maybe takes it out of the equation without removing the iron as well. I’m assuming that’s what the sunken pit is trying to accomplish.

[@TheShire26]

@@EverettHaran maybe have some way of tapping the furnace to let the slag flow? Before you can do that however you would need the ensure the temperature is high enough to allow the slag to flow more easily or add something to the charges to make the slag more runny.

[@bhartley1024]

@@TheShire26 Limestone is usually added as a flux, to make the slag melt at a lower temperature and make it more runny.

[@alexanderbowlby4568]

Hot blast furnace made of mud when?

[@TMGreycoat]

Your videos never fail to immediately grab my attention and full focus on whatever you're doing. The growth of this channel and it's quality while still remaining true to roots has been a wonderful thing to watch. Amazing work, thanks for doing what you do

[@harukatakahashi8822]

I feel like I been watching the same videos again & again

[@rijavia]

One of the only channels with clips, where i only pause and go back to see something again with zero skip forward. Keep up the good work !

[@Menuki]

Can we take a moment to appreciate the precision and consistency of his structures and equipment where he’s just eyeballing or maybe using a stick to measure everything. I’ve seen contractors make wonky looking stuff and their using laser and all sort of measuring devices

[@AeyakS]

Well he has been doing stuff like this for over a decade now. You get better at correcting mistakes as you go. Plus, in the contracting industry you're not supposed to make mistakes at all which means you never get good at fixing them. Here with his primitive technology, his inventive process is all about making mistakes that may teach him a better way to do something. If it turns out that the error yields better results, then he's just invented a new way to do something. If it turns out the mistake was costly, then he has learned something he needs to avoid while making things.

[@japersjolly8763]

Can we take a moment to tell the idiots who keep saying 'can we take a moment' to take a hike.

[@Handles_arent_a_needed_feature]

You cant see the mistakes because what hes making isnt being held up to modern standards

[@deathbyplasma3202]

​@@japersjolly8763chill it man it sounds mundane and repetitive but people like to appreciate this guys work

[@Menuki]

@@Handles_arent_a_needed_feature I’ve seen foundation pilings that are more cockeyed and angled when the contractor was using laser levels and molds A lot of modern construction isn’t up to old standards

[@Lykkos-321]

it's super enjoyable to see you extracting iron from scratch

[@matthewitt2276]

Not scratch. Bacteria.

[@Jayare175]

@@matthewitt2276 I think you and everybody who has liked your comment has misunderstood the usage of the phrase "from scratch".

[@artinaam]

A classic Iron Age bloomery :) Such furnaces were very commonly used by Slavs, Celts and Germanic tribes in the antiquity and early middle ages. Excellent work.

[@ofal5124]

causes a man to understand why iron tools, weapons and armor were so expensive back in the age. so much work for few grams of iron. I assume the proper, underground iron ore would allow him to get more out of it with a single smelting, but still, it's just crazy

[@ryanf4106]

@@ofal5124 thats also ontop of the fact of FINDING iron back then. then imagine screwing up and making steel when you ment to make iron.

[@bradysullivan4672]

How to become rich in ancient times 101. accidentally create steel.

[@anand3623]

Each time, no matter how impressive the build is, the thing that impresses me the most is how efficiently and quickly you start a fire with sticks

[@cola98765]

Over here in Poland such smelters were quite popular at some point. The major difference was that most of them were single use (with only tuyeres being reused) leaving a large fields of old bloomeries, and the walls were made of more clay than mud.

[@mrsteamie4196]

Really?! That's fascinating! Do you know why they were only used once? And did they really end up making fields of them, just abandoned? What did they do with them after?

[@cola98765]

@@mrsteamie4196 IIRC it was just easier to break them open when taking out metal/slag, and it would be easier to build new one. Also probably helps with maintenance as it doesn't glass itself over time, and does not form cracks.

[@СлавикПомников]

A o jakiej miejscowości Pan mówi?

[@cola98765]

@@СлавикПомников Nowa słupia

[@user-fw4mo3es1t]

sounds like bullshit. easier to build new one rather than plaster few cracks and tuyeres with mud? as for glassing , insulation isnt that bad. Any sources for your information? Also clay instead of mud sounds painfull drying them slow build process. Maybe poeple did one big smelt with multiple furnaces in the area and thats it?@@cola98765

[@dougalexander7204]

This channel motivates me to forget that I’m a little old arthritic man, living simple in the country and go back to blacksmith and woodwright work. Thsnk you and much respect.

[@Torryq]

Seeing the "hut where charcoal is stored" i would love to see a video, where you can see every building/workplace that is currently in this area. Would love to know if those are all connected to form like a small village.

[@punch1t]

@ineverknowdoyou it was one of the scam ones. im not sure if prim techs site was found yet, but i think if it was found, people would not share it since its such a nice hobby so why ruin it. its probably private property aswell.

[@Miycu]

​@@punch1t It is private property, in Australia which has strict drone flight laws as well.

[@maxdecphoenix]

in the 'hut burned down' video, he did a very quick 'steadi-cam' shot, where he walked from one hut to the other. as far as i recall thats the only sequence hes ever published that wasnt a hard cam shot. kinda a limited version of what youre asking for

[@BujangAnon]

@@maxdecphoenix pretty sure that's enough information for GeoGuesser guys

[@lamebubblesflysohigh]

Finally properly tall smelter! Taller stack = higher temperature and it shows on size of your iron beads. If you used leather bellows or more efficient blower you would achieve even higher temperature which would mean more fluid slag and thus even better iron separation. If you have limestone on your property you can crush it and mix it with your ore as a flux, it will lower the melting temperature of minerals and thus more fluid slag. Bonus tip: use a small cup to measure your ore dust, it will be more efficient. Measuring by hand means each refill can have potentially too much ore or too little ore and therefore you are potentially either wasting ore or charcoal.

[@audunms4780]

tools of measurement are usefull for tools.

[@ragjack572]

I think he also need to adjust the diameter of the tuyers to achieve a better wind velocity. And for the flux maybe he will need to add some kind of bauxite to get a even better liquidus temperature (15% w.t. in the slag composition is the best for this low basicity index slag).

[@Whattwa]

I’ve been watching for years, and I’ve loved watching along and gaining a primitive apprenticeship through proxy. Your cumulative technologies have been stacking upon eachother in such a cool way. So fun to watch and learn along :)

[@Lane_Brian_Lane]

As someone else mentioned, you've never asked us to subscribe, never asked us to "hit the bell" or like your videos. And to date you are the only channel I'm subscribed to notifications. Thank you for being top class.

[@blacklion79]

I've seen many one-time-use furnances for iron smelting (as it is popular among some blacksmiths and history reinaction people), but never so pretty and meticulously done one. So straight, with petfecrly even walls. Amazing skill.

[@DuaneMckenzie80]

He's the Patrick Swayze of Clay furnace building.

[@Dawid-kn6mv]

One use furnaces arent supposed to be pretty.

[@emceeboogieboots1608]

Easily done when using sticks from the Queensland Metric Tree for measurement 😊

[@combogalis]

This seems like, by far, the best iron smelt I've seen from this channel! Unless I'm misremembering. It's the first time I've seen enough iron to feel like it wouldn't be a stupidly laborious undertaking to produce enough iron to actually forge something.

[@MiksusCraft]

When Primitive Technology does something new My duty is to see it immediately Greetings from Poland, soon I will be trying to do small slavic hut, but you inspired me to try.

[@chibs3666]

Too bad every single video is building some variation of a clay furnace...

[@stasi0238]

​@@chibs3666I like it, he shows us part of the research process of him searching for the best method for smelting iron

[@user-et2dx5du7e]

​@@chibs3666if you can't apreciate that , shoo.your IQ isn't meant for this

[@milobem4458]

@@chibs3666 he has made many videos building different kinds of huts and pottery.

[@chibs3666]

@@milobem4458 I get that, but looking back 12 months, 8/10 videos are pretty damn similar. Burning clay in different shapes, making charcoal, extracting a little bit of metal. I used to watch these videos with a passion but am now finding myself skipping through them as it's pretty much all stuff we've seen before. I also get that progress takes time, but fucking hell.. you can only watch this man make a new type of furnace so many times 😂

[@AndrewElgert]

This channel is one of the few where I've hit the notification bell and one of the few where I've never been asked to. Always the top of my list when a new video comes out.

[@noctisumbra3015]

You know, for the longest time i thought these videos were a "let me show you what i did", because i never had subtitles on. I figured he did it that way so that his video's were able to be watched by anyone, without a language barrier. Now knowing that subtitles are a thing...I'm still watching without them. Because I think the concept of "no language barrier" is cool.

[@skypuppeteer]

He's been actually explaining stuff this entire time?!?!

[@mrmkua]

​@@skypuppeteerSame feelings)))

[@andrewwupori6163]

One of the few KZbinrs I've watched for many many years (roughly 8 years now). Never hesitate to click when I see a new upload. You're the OG and the GOAT. Mad respect, keep doing you man!

[@TheEret]

I cannot imagine how long this all took! Amazing work! Remember to turn on captions for explanations for what he's doing! :D

[@dani33300]

One tidbit caught my attention at 1:55 "Furnace is 1.5 m tall above the air entries, taking *7 days* to build in dry weather"

[@TheMazorMan]

I always love seeing KZbinrs appreciating youtube videos from different niches

[@roger5059]

Eret? What are you doing here?

[@wiktorjespersen971]

Just found this channel. This is a goldmine for people learning stuff for the pole flip that will occur. My son and I will be learning alot from you!

[@Jiroo1210]

Whenever I watch your smelting videos, I could see why many regions around the world had added difficulty with regards to steel forging... Thanks for the great content!

[@windspank530]

Man, watching all these iron smelt videos really makes you appreciate how ancient civilizations managed to create what they did with what they had back then. Sure, there may have been more raw material to work with back then, but they probably had very little in the way of knowing how to capture and refine it more than they did.

[@brennanperry8001]

I just want to say that I always appreciate you including captions in your videos. Im Deaf, and the automatic captions always suck on KZbin.

[@Aamiller312]

Ground granulated blast furnace slag is often used as a supplementary cementitious material in concrete, or in alkali-activated systems. I know it’s not quite the same, but perhaps your spent slag could be pozzolanic in the same way that your wood ash cement was. You could potentially supplement your wood ash cement with slag.

[@ayyydriannn7185]

Try adding a handful or two of silica sand to the smelt at some point; the white kind you can use for glass. Your ore doesn’t have the silica a more traditional ore would since it’s very pure. Silicon is a reducing agent as well and it might increase your extraction efficiency as well as providing the structural element for an iron bloom you can consolidate like usual, which might be less work than picking the prills out manually. Great work!

[@ieuanhunt552]

So it does some weird stuff with oxidation states and makes the molten ore more viscous. It might act as a flux too pulling impurities out and making extraction easier.

[@kallebleles1220]

Any idea how he might source it in the wilderness? Is it the same a regular old river sand ?

[@LeLe-pm2pr]

i believe he tried it before and had issues with it, don't remember why tho

[@ayyydriannn7185]

Oops, I’m late. Anyways, normal sand is a mixture of silica and feldspar minerals. The sand in his area looks more brown than white, which leads me to believe that it’s mostly feldspathic sand, which works differently. He’d do well do look for the lightest sand he can find, and make sure it’s mostly quartz when you examine the grains very closely

[@blankedout1862]

What is your limiting material in this experiment? Like what’s the hardest thing for you to get/do? Is it making the furnace, getting the unprocessed iron, or the charcoal? I love these videos, these are awesome & you’re amazing.

[@DrBernon]

I'm willing to bet that the hardest part is gathering the wood, simply because of how much he needed. I hope he simply bought some of those coals at least, otherwise that is a crazy amount of work.

[@icguy]

@@DrBernon i seriously doubt he bought anything

[@B463L]

@@DrBernon he made all of that charcoal. The whole point of his channel is that he makes everything himself.

[@StarbornCthulhu]

Id love to see, as some have stated, a full walk around of your "village" of huts. Maybe combine that with a path making tutorial

[@dylanzrim3635]

Path making tutorial. Step 1 Step 2 Repeat until path done.

[@krakenpots5693]

Most of the earlier huts on the channel have been destroyed...

[@chriskaiser8424]

Well done. Laughed so suddenly I scared my cat.

[@analogmunky6608]

Dude, I really love seeing and hearing you work, the sound of nature, your progress, the lack of talking!!!, the experimentation and trial and error etc. Thank you. Thank you.

[@thr334our]

I would love to see more horticultural content!!! There’s so much primitive potential in concepts like permaculture and earthworks.

[@setitureay1806]

Dude. Please keep doing what youre doing forever.

[@alexhale6582]

15-30 seconds to make fire by hand is amazing. Can't wait for the next video, your progress is captivating.

[@2fishes-q5h]

Been watching you for years young man! Gives me faith that mankind could start all over again with your vast primitive skills! This is the only non-narsisitic share on the entire internet! Good form, and happy holidays brother.

[@Floris_VI]

Man you are still just making every video so intriguing to watch, it really feels like you're taking us on a journey and i know at some point you'll make some oron tools and thats going to be absolutely nuts

[@90fleckenfurz]

Brilliant stuff, as always. Your videos are bloody perfect. No talking, all the information is in the captions, so the viewer can choose.

[@silversolitaire1519]

This is just mental. All that work, all that science, all that information and intelligence, and considering what we as a species have today; it’s mind blowing.

[@theopnerd9902]

Love to see the collection of iron and just how much work it actually takes for one man to progress with nothing but the knowledge of the people before us can’t wait for the steam engine video once you collect enough iron

[@AboveAverageJoeOfficial]

The impact you're having is not insignificant. Because of what you do here, I have begun taking steps in my free time to learn these skills by doing them myself also. I'm much farther behind, as I still need to improve the plasticity of the clay I'm gathering to make pottery. I am inspired deeply each time a video comes out, and hope one day to show off the results of my learnings from watching you. Also, seems that you've gotten quite a bit more muscle mass doing this work over the last few months. I will be purchasing your books before long to support you in this adventure, as it's the least I can do for bringing so many back in touch with the roots we've forgotten. Much love!

[@robertharris1748]

To improve clay plasticity you want to look into finer grained clays, especially bentonites (AKA smectite or montmorillonite) or ball clays.. Some river clays are very high in bentonite. Add 5% to your body and it will improve plasticity immensely. It's actually how they make plastic porcelain which is mostly kaolin, silica and feldspar, none of which are particularly plastic. The kaolins have a large plate/grain size which is why they're not very plastic. Secondary/sedimentary clays are much more fine grained and therefore more plastic. They also have a lot more iron and therefore tend to have bloating problems at higher temps.

[@AboveAverageJoeOfficial]

@robertharris1748 I started with some naturally ocurring clay in my back yard that has lots of iron in it, It seems of decent quality to me, I wonder if cardboard box fibers might be ruining my sample (I used it to try to dry the clay quicker)

[@robertharris1748]

@@AboveAverageJoeOfficial That definitely won't help! Use a plaster or cement slab to dry it out. If you're willing to put in a bit of work, the best way to prepare backyard clay is to make a pretty liquid slip (slurry) in a five gallon bucket. Use dried clay (absorbs the water better< let it sit overnight, then mix it up with a drill mixer (or a paddle and a lot of elbow grease!). After 5-10 mins pour into a second bucket and discard all the heavy grains of sand etc that have fallen to the bottom. Let it sit for a day or two and siphon off any water that has accumulated on the top. Then pour the slip into an old pillowcase and hang it somewhere the water can drain out. (Or lay it out on a plaster or cement slab - basement slab is fine as long as it's absorbent, non-oily and kind of clean). The finer the clay particles the more plastic. Probably don't bother doing this of you can't at least roll a little coil of clay that mostly wraps around your finger without breaking into pieces (cracking we can work with, breaking up into fragments just doesn't have enough plasticity to be worth it).

[@AboveAverageJoeOfficial]

@@robertharris1748 I initially took a cooking pot worth to try a proof of concept similar to what was described, and I have a mini clay pit dug out similar to another of the videos our Primitive Technology host has showcased. I think I'll try a new batch that isn't dried with cardboard to see if it does better (I'll also probably not do so many sifts of the original material. I think that increased my grain size too much. I suspect I have excellent rough to work with, just gotta refine the process with my first experiment learnings.) I may even end up creating a few short videos and starting a youtube channel to document my own progress in the future if experiment 2 goes well. I appreciate you taking the time to give me the pointers too, and will be integrating them into the second try. If everything goes well, the end result will be my first from scratch piece of pottery (probably to be used as a gift for my wife)

[@StudioMarlow]

At 11:37 I was like "all this hard work for that little piece?" Then he start searching for the droplets lol.

[@El-Burrito]

So much work for a tiny amount of iron, I really applaud your tenacity with this project!

[@Vandal_Savage]

Have you considered making a long snaking tunnel along the ground with a fire at one end and a tall chimney at the other? The miners in the olden days days would use a similar device for roasting the arsenic out of ore. There were some called the calciner tunnels at Levant Tin mine in Cornwall.

[@sokolovremwwii2205]

Patience is a MASSIVE virtue. Hats down!

[@Gigely_Strudels]

I just wanted to let you know that I get so excited every time I see you've posted another video. You are one of my favorite youtubers and I love what you do!

[@Squeaky_Ben]

This is so fascinating. I am thankful that you do what you do. I gifted your book to my father for his birthday and he was very excited.

[@hieliksuslik]

Been sick as a dog with COVID this weekend and just wanted to say thank you for being a source of comfort during all the downtown that comes with it. Glad to see you're still going strong

[@hedgeberg]

Really, really glad to see you experimenting with natural draft furnaces, I always kinda figured this would be the endpoint of these experiments. 2 questions regarding next steps (and some ideas I've been stewing on for a while): 1. Have you put any thought into preheating or accelerating the air at the inputs using something like your downdraft furnace as an input stage? You'd need a really wide opening on the preheating stages to ensure you get enough oxygen into the main chamber, but I suspect it would be possible to use a couple smaller wood fires to get a really, really hot high-speed draft going. 2. Have you considering using old slag as a flux? If not, I'm honestly not sure if it would help or not, but the fact that it is so liquidy leads me to believe there is a (remote) chance that it could improve the smelt. Maybe a 90/10 mixture of ore and slag is worth a shot if it hasn't been done already?

[@awesomeness2595]

adding the prills and slag from previous smelts would most likely draw out any residual iron, and coalesce all of it into a more usable form.

[@bilalbaig8586]

I think that preheating the air would give the most improvement at this stage.

[@HasturT]

I think preheating the air is a great idea. Also, somehow adding lime to the mix as a fluxing agent. Didn't he have access to shells?

[@Dawid-kn6mv]

@@bilalbaig8586 Yeah but how is he supposed to do that?

[@bilalbaig8586]

​@@Dawid-kn6mv It would be pretty complex. He would need a separate fire that heats up some sort of airflow channel to which the tuyeres are connected to. It cannot air direct from a fire because it would not have oxygen in it. He needs unburnt hot air. It would not be easy but would definitely be worth it. The higher temperatures would completely liquefy the metal and allowing to it to form larger beads and more beads overall.

[@joeontko2186]

Out of all the channels I follow yours is by far the best. It brings on excitement when I see a new video posted. Thank you for the awesome videos and work you do. Very informative indeed.

[@rxzesereniti9750]

One step closer to a blast furnace, now we need a way to gather iron more efficiently. I love watching the progress

[@afellowguy1933]

Really cool episode! Looks a lot more efficient and easier than the other methods you've tried. Also very nice shots of the slag in the hot coals!

[@d.g6043]

Great work as always mate. Keep it up. Thanks for bringing some peace to my day.

[@MutohMech]

I love the intense dynamics between the two protagonists of the show, John and iron bacteria

[@SneakyDingo]

i love watching you experiment with harvesting and smelting iron with these furnaces! please keep it going this is so fascinating to see what humans were doing for thousands of years, mimicking that exploration and building; its a pleasure to watch :)

[@swordwithnoname]

starting to appreciate just how much iron is in bog ore, seeing viking age furnace smelt such as this producing yields many times the size of these experiments. very cool videos can´t wait to see what´s next

[@timehunter9467]

Videos like this make me wonder how we found iron in the first place, great to see the process of smelting from scratch.

[@Ed_SS190]

Meterorites

[@JoannaFalkowska]

I'm so excited!!! We're finally here! This is incredible! Natural draft is clearly the KING, so much easier and less labor-intensive but still giving good results! Can't wait for what you do with all the iron you'll get from this : D

[@rodm4151]

That's pretty neat stuff sir, it would be interesting to see how our ancestors scaled those processes up to mass produce iron to then start blacksmithing

[@RawPeds]

Here are some considerations. If you start burning wood from the top, then the bottom will pre-heat last, so possibly the temperature at the bottom will not be hight when you start putting charcoal and ore. Bigger holes at the bottom > more air flow but minor air speed? And the brick hut looks fantastic, after all this time. You and your videos are the best.

[@Handle_Not_Available.]

Hi @primitivetechnology9550 loved the video. One suggestion: Consider introducing a slight horizontal angle to the air intake funnels (all, either slightly clockwise or anti-clockwise). This will naturally cycle the air throughout the inside of the furnace in a circular fashion, resulting in better heat distribution.

[@AtlasReburdened]

No, no it won't, because that air immediately passes through a mether thick bed of stacked burning charcoal. You might as well be trying to make circular currents through a meter thick sponge.

[@SwordTune]

@@AtlasReburdened I think it would still make a small difference in air flow.

[@brad1471]

Another great video mate. The hard work you put into these videos is amazing

[@FilthyCasualVR]

It's insane how important mans ability to create fire is. It's one of the most fundamental things humans do that nothing else can.

[@Deveyus]

If you turned the tuyeres slightly to the right for each, so they were all blowing off center, would you get a vortex and a more efficient draft? (I genuinely don't know,, hoping you do?)

[@Arniccaa]

I love your channel and your work. Peaceful, knowledgeable and fun! Thank you!

[@karlscher5170]

Metallurgy is not primitive at all. Glad you keep at it and teach us so much on the way!

[@primitivetechnology9550]

Thanks, I'll keep it up. Much appreciated.

[@TheAndre8900]

This is the only ""asmr"" kind of channel i really enjoy, it is both educational and interesting front to back. Please never change the recipe, it's damn good sir.

[@VidGamer123]

Seconded.

[@thelordofspyro]

i have an crazy idea that might work quite well: could you use natural wind to power your oven? I dont know how it is there, but in the woods i know there sometimes are wind hotspots. especially following streams or dried out streams and if there are bigger changes in elevation. If you could find a place where there is constantly wind, you maybe could funnel it into your oven. i know this is very weather depending, but it might could work.

[@fortinosanchez2488]

Reject modernity, keep sacred the old ways, I love this channel keep up the good work. Take care out there.

[@nisamvise1724]

Yesss Im looking forward to this. The ancient way of smelting iron has interested me for a little bit now. I hope one day youre able to forge out a full on knife/axe with primitive tools or make steel and then an axe or knife.

[@gazu_silva97]

Já tem um vídeo dele forjando uma pequena lâmina

[@ns687]

We sit down as a house and watch these videos together - thanks for making!

[@EpicNerdsWithCameras]

We definitely take for granted the time and resources that go into processing metal. All that effort for what might appear to be little reward (though it was actually quite a lot compared to past attempts) tells you just how much effort these things require.

[@terrysteve2]

Have you ever tried using your calcined ash pellets as flux instead of plain wood ash? In a typical blast furnace they add the CaCO3, which then decomposes into CaO from the heat and that acts a flux, but since you’re already making CaO for mortar you could crush it into the ore directly. Just in case that fluxing step is a bottleneck

[@vmonk722]

What's the biggest single piece of pottery/ceramic you can reliably make? Maybe stacked rings made of those could produce a furnace that needs less maintenance in use and could be made taller for a stronger draft. Also, have you tried angling the tuyeres a little to impart some spin to the input air? This might also lower the pressure in the lower part of the furnace a bit, enhancing draft.

[@rotten-Z]

A useful experiment. Such a large amount of effort with such a meager result demonstrates that in prehistoric times the method of extracting iron from bacterial deposits was unlikely to have been practiced

[@ryangunnison38]

This method looks much less exhausting to keep running! It might end up being more than would be wise to handle, but you could consider running two natural draft furnaces simultaneously for increased production

[@iwontbebeat7111]

😂 oh my gosh he finally reached to Iron age. . All by himself . 🎉 He is my hero ! 😂 Btw, that natural drift furnace is same as Japanese sword making of Tamahagane process. This guy is freaking cool !! 🎉👍👍👍👍

[@khariyanulfathoni]

The one and only Primitive Technology channel that last forever.

[@RottingCarpet]

Hey John, I don't know much about smelting, but it seems pills gather because iron is polarized to itself. Have you considered adding the pellets of iron you already have to the ore in order to draw more iron from the slag?

[@mrwakdem]

Love the videos john, can't wait to see what you do with the iron once you are happy with the process.

[@cruros9084]

So much work for such a small yield makes you appreciate it that much more.

[@murican1889]

10:59 The inside of that furnace actually looked insane before the camera focused I couldn’t believe my eyes thing looked quadbillion degrees

[@sten2147]

Always fun to watch when it's 3 am

[@szemkeoandras6152]

3 am? 10 pm! 😉😁

[@duchesse1457]

本当に毎回尊敬します あれだけの労力をかけて得られる成果がほんの少し でも試行錯誤で少しづつ目標に向かう姿勢が本当に素晴らしいです

[@VictorQuesada-bl1xk]

The rotary fan was starting to wear out the arms, huh? That is a really tremendous amount of work for those resources. I wonder if other ore sources might have been more productive in a similar furnace. Thank you for your hard work and educational content. I always enjoy your videos.