How To Extract Iron From Sand or Iron Ore To Make Wrought Iron

Yes, it is possible to extract iron from sand or from some rocks. To do so you have two really good options. You can use Black Sand or Iron Ore. First, let's concentrate on sand.

Typically dark grey or blackish sand will have higher iron content than whiter sand. Dark brown sand doesn't mean there will be more iron than white sand. You will not know until you give it a test run. Black sand is composed mainly of magnetite, Fe3O4, and also contains small amounts of trace metals.

If you want to use sand you need to find Black Sand. Black Sand can be found in California, New Zealand other beaches around the world. Black Sand is heavier than the other sands, it is often deposited in areas where the water speed abruptly changes from fast to slow. So it is always a good idea to try to get the best sand from any particular area. If you are in an area with low iron potential, then this will be absolutely critical if you are to have any chance of success.

Once you have found Black Sand you need to construct an instrument to remove the iron from the sand. Iron is very magnetic so you can extract it using a magnet. You could just pass a flat magnet around the sand and get some iron, or if you are doing a larger scale operation you could build the following.

Using a piece of four inch PVC pipe that is around a foot long. Glue neodymium magnets with the poles all facing the same way, spacing them as evenly as possible. Glue PVC caps on each side and drill a hole for a dowel on one of the caps. Glue a dowel in place, this will be your handle to turn the magnets. Now you want to make a container with two sections and a stand for your rotating magnet drum that is a lot like a rotisserie.

Next, attach a piece of rigid plastic to the divider. To operate this machine, slowly pour the sand into one container while rotating the magnets. The magnets should attract the iron fillings and they should stick to the PVC. As they rotate, the plastic should scrape the iron off the pvc and it should fall into the other side.

If you have access to a mine or a cave, this is the most productive option. You need to look for rocks that seem to be rusted. That is Iron Ore. Then, it is quite straightforward. Just smelt it. If you are unsure then you will have to test it to see.

To smelt Iron you need to make a bloomery or furnace that will reach temperatures of about 1400F. First, you will need a lot of charcoal, and when I say a lot of charcoal, I mean a lot, make enough to add a bucket full every few minutes for a while. Then, start making the bloomery. You will want to make a clay and sand mixture, then shape it into a round furnace that expands on the top and bottom, but contracts in the middle.

Here is an article on making a Kiln. Your bloomery need not be large. Adapt as you see fit.

A bloomery is basically a chimney with heat-resistant walls made of earth, clay, or stone or some combination of these materials. Near the bottom, one or more small openings in the lower wall. This allows air to enter the furnace, either by natural draught, or forced with bellows. An opening at the bottom of the bloomery may be used to remove the bloom, or the bloomery can be broken open to retrieve the bloom (the iron and slag). Charcoal is repeatedly added from the top of the kiln/furnace/bloomery.

You then want to poke a small hole for bellows. The bellows can be made out of a Shop Vac, or if it's SHTF you can make a bellows out of some type of animal skin and power it manually. You want to heat it until it becomes a hot spongy mess. Then take it out with tongs and hammer on it knocking of the slag. After seperating the slag reheat the rest and repeat a few times. Repeatedly doing this removes the impurities (slag) and leaves you with wrought iron!