TL4 Without Iron

[blacksmith]

Originally Posted by DanHoward

For most intents and purposes it is the same except for a few small things. You won't have magnets. It doesn't spark so you couldn't have flintlocks. It can't be made as hard as high carbon steel but high carbon steel that wasn't brittle was very hard to make and usually reserved for high-quality swords. Pretty much everything made of iron that a regular person used could be replaced with bronze if it was cheap and plentiful enough. The problem is that it stops being cheap and plentiful enough by TL2. There isn't enough of it to replace iron.

It makes pretty poor springs with out at least modern alloys. But I don't think beryllium copper is a ton alloy. So many machines become difficult or impossible. I am imagining a watch made with animal product springs and just not seeing it.

[DanHoward]

Not really relevant at TL4. Most spring developments occured a lot later.

[blacksmith]

Originally Posted by Culture20

Titanium makes great sparks. Of course so does wood, and wood is more plentiful.

Wood isn't known for sparking on impact or with small shavings. What makes a flint lock work is shaving of a small piece of steel that burns. Wood doesn't do that. And I think a bronze wheel probably wouldn't work on a wheel lock.

Maybe something based on a fire piston might work

[blacksmith]

Originally Posted by DanHoward

Not really relevant at TL4. Most spring developments occured a lot later.

Sure but there are a few important ones. Like those in the locks of fire arms. Locks in general, and other things.

It might not be critical to technology as it was later but important.

And lacking steel files and such is going to drive up a lot of manufacturing costs. Boring gun barrels might be impossible as well. And no rifling of course.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by DanHoward

Not really relevant at TL4. Most spring developments occured a lot later.

You won't get spring steel for crossbows, though; the "bow" part will still be wood, making it wider and more awkward, though also probably lighter. The design will look more like a gastraphetes than a true crossbow, I think.

Bill Stoddard

[blacksmith]

Originally Posted by whswhs

You won't get spring steel for crossbows, though; the "bow" part will still be wood, making it wider and more awkward, though also probably lighter. The design will look more like a gastraphetes than a true crossbow, I think.

Bill Stoddard

Maybe horn sinew composite bows.

[DanHoward]

Originally Posted by blacksmith

Maybe horn sinew composite bows.

There are plenty of examples of crossbows made using this construction - the Genoese ones were especially well-regarded. But heavier crossbows were often made of steel.