Iron Casting: January Iron Pour

This last Saturday, January 13th we fired up the Cupola Furnace, R2V2. We had a small attendance due to the weather and were just a little bit delayed due to the roads. We had just enough molds on the pour floor. No one got injured and the metal was hot. This time I laid the bed of the furnace a little bit differently than last time with less sand and moved the slag hole higher. We were able to tap larger amounts than last time. The ladles were quite full, estimating a little over 100lb taps. The trough was extended which allowed the ladle to catch a little bit easier. The bottom didn’t drop as nice as the previous pour. We put a little bit too much greensand and not enough loose sand in the bottom. 500lbs of iron was broken by last Thursday. We only tapped the furnace three times. All of the molds had success. maybe one or two had some flashing or a missing part but the detail we were able to get was really good. We had sections that were cast with less than 1/8″ thick. If you missed the iron pour and wish you could have seen it, keep an eye out for the next one being promoted in April. Thanks again for all the members who made this possible.