Iron casting party

[ironman]

I had a few friends look at my new furnace in action melting cast iron. Have a look at the video 

[DavidA]

How much iron,  and how long to melt it ?

Dave

[Chuck in E. TN]

Nice! My foundry efforts so far are limited to cosolidating aluminum scrap. I'm jelous!
Chuck

[ironman]

DavidA  The crucible holds 1.6 kgs of iron and takes about 25-30 minutes to melt and be hot enough to pour.

[DavidA]

Thanks,

Sounds just right for making loco wheels.

One more question.  How many melts do you get from a bottle of gas ? (and which size bottle)

Dave.

[ironman]

DavidA About 2kgs for a melt

[DavidA]

That#s not bad at all.  Thanks.

Dave.

[vtsteam]

Nice pour and really good looking nameplates!

Suggestion: molten iron spilled onto concrete is dangerous. Steam explosions and spalling are possible. Put a couple inch layer of dry sand around the furnace pour area. If you want you can sweep it back into a plastic barrel for storage after the pour.

[Stilldrillin]

Top quality results!   

David D

[Meldonmech]

Hi,
       Nice work, could you give me details of your furnace lining, I am about to re line mine and want to cast iron. Are you using scrap or ingots with a known composition. I am watching your videos.
                                                                         
                                                                                        Cheers David

[ironman]

Meldonmech 

Furnace lining is kaowool coated with a coating called "zircoat W" I purchased mine from cast metal services australia.

Hmmmm, I would like to know where I could get cast iron ingots with a known composition and for a reasonable price!
I use only scrap cast iron because I can get it for nothing, having said that not all scrap is the best to use. I have been melting cast iron for a long time and know what to avoid but to explain to a beginner what to use can be difficult. If there has been any machining done to it, holes drilled etc. it can be remelted. Modern cast irons can change when remelted so it is important to have some ferrosilicon to add so the iron can be machined. Thank you for watching the videos.
               

[awemawson]

Brake disks are said to be a ready source of reasonable quality machinable iron

[vtsteam]

Nice pour and really good looking nameplates!

Suggestion: molten iron spilled onto concrete is dangerous. Steam explosions and spalling are possible. Put a couple inch layer of dry sand around the furnace pour area. If you want you can sweep it back into a plastic barrel for storage after the pour.

Apologies for second line above -- I just put 2 and 2 together and realized I'd seen your work many years ago online -- in fact the first oil fired iron furnace I'd seen information about -- wonderful stuff.

Also just saw the "foundry myths revisited" video. Sorry to have repeated any misinformation. I've always used sand around the furnace so never had a reason to doubt what I'd read about it in foundry books. Your pouring molten iron into a tub of water is eye opening. An Apologies again. 

[ironman]

vtsteam
               
             Have you ever seen mercury when it hits a concrete floor? The same thing happens to cast iron when some spills on to a concrete floor, it turns into shot and freezes before it can spall concrete. I'm sure if I poured large amounts of molten cast iron on to a concrete floor it would be dangerous. That is why I made that video because people misunderstand what happens with molten metal and water. Your idea about putting sand on the floor is a good one for inexperienced casters because they cast outdoors on concrete exposed to rain. Where I pour my molds is covered by roof and walls so is very dry. The only problem I have with cast iron on the floor is not to step on it when it is hot.

[vtsteam]

Thanks for all the other videos -- I've just been going through them -- a wealth of truly practical information -- plenty of new stuff for me.