Spring Contest

[vtsteam]

Can you spot the foundry furnace in this photo?

If you can you are eligible to visit this week at your own expense and take away all the snow you want. Snow can be used for cooling purposes in hot climates, desserts (when mixed with maple syrup or liqueurs), and for packing sports injuries.

Important: Transportation and accommodation costs not included in this prize offering, nor is anything of value to me. Snow tax and VAT are the responsibility of the contest winner, provided there is one. Judge's decision is self-serving, ill-consdered and final.

I was just thinking last week that Spring had finally arrived and I'd be pouring metal soon. The ground was bare in a lot of places and daytime temperatures were up around 50F for a week. I even heard a robin.

But then I tempted fate. I removed the scraper blade from the tractor Monday and hitched up the back scoop to go retrieve some firewood logs.         

The snow began Monday night. Originally predicted to be an inch or so turning to rain -- which would have cleared out the last of the old snow and given us bare ground at last.... but noooooooo.... 




My Ford Tractor project and work shed.



Another project -- can you spot the diesel crawler?

[vtsteam]

Hint:

Something in the photo below is showing in the contest photo.

(It's not the garbage can lid or stack of firebricks to hold it in place.)

[andyf]

Is the furnace halfway up the LH side of the largest pane in the photo, almost hiding behind the astragal?

If so, because of the distance involved and the difficulty of getting it to the UK without it melting, my snow may be donated to a charity of your choice.

In my part of the UK,  we had 1" of snow which disappeared within the day, a quarter inch which went within two hours, and a few fine flakes which melted on hitting the ground. There used to be more when I was a kid, because we could build snowmen back then.

Andy

[Brass_Machine]

I think I see the handle...

Eric

[vtsteam]

Astragal?            uhhhh, nope.

And the winner is:

BRASS MONKEY!!!


Absolutely correct! it was the foundry furnace handle, and not a snow croquet wicket.

Please collect your prize snow within 48 hours.

[andyf]

Though naturally disappointed that charities will not benefit, I think that Eric is a worthy winner, and I'm sure he will get years of enjoyment from his snow.

Astragals are the dividers between the individual panes of glass, though the expression is used more in connection with cabinet doors than exterior windows.

Andy

[vtsteam]

Ahh, astragals. You learn something new every day!

Well I dug out the foundry furnace today, and am thinking about pouring aluminum tomorrow even though there's snow on the ground, and ice under that. I conditioned my greensand today, and I'm set to go..

I have a long leather apron, face shield, welding gloves, and I don't think it's going to be a problem for me anyway. I watched ironman's video with him pouring a ladle full of molten iron into a bucket of water, and I think this is considerably lower on the scale in opposition to conventional wisdom. I've dropped globs of molten steel into snow while cutting with a torch, and basically just made a hole with a short sizzle. I'm not going to intentionally pour aluminum anywhere but down the sprue, but if there's a spill, there's nothing flammable nearby, just more snow and I'll be covered.

Nevertheless, don't anyone else imitate anything I do unless you're as dumb as I am, and are willing to take responsibility for the consequences of your own actions, as I also am.

But I am sick of sitting around waiting weeks to cast a new engine head and get my steam project moving again.

[mosey]

Though naturally disappointed that charities will not benefit, I think that Eric is a worthy winner, and I'm sure he will get years of enjoyment from his snow.

Astragals are the dividers between the individual panes of glass, though the expression is used more in connection with cabinet doors than exterior windows.

Andy

Well, not to be picky, but astragals are mouldings that seal the meeting of 2 doors, covering the gap when they are closed. A muntin is the bar between 2 panes of glass  or 2 panels.
Mosey

[awemawson]

Vtsteam, are you planning to dry out your furnace lining somehow before doing a melt? I'd be wary of all that moisture.

[andyf]

Well, not to be picky, but astragals are mouldings that seal the meeting of 2 doors, covering the gap when they are closed. A muntin is the bar between 2 panes of glass  or 2 panels.
Mosey

Here in the UK, they are glazing bars. I think this may be one of those occasions when we are separated by a common language. "Dado" seems to be another. I believe that in US woodworking usage, dados are slots, such as in the sides of a bookcase to house the ends of the shelves. Over here, it's a wooden rail along a wall at about waist height, to protect the wall surface against damage from the backs of dining chairs. They are uncommon nowadays.

When it comes to architecture, dado has yet another meaning.

Andy

[Stilldrillin]

Well, not to be picky, but astragals are mouldings that seal the meeting of 2 doors, covering the gap when they are closed. A muntin is the bar between 2 panes of glass  or 2 panels.
Mosey

Hi Mosey.
Welcome to the Collective. 

Would you like to write a few words about yourself, in the Introductions section? 

David D

[vtsteam]

Vtsteam, are you planning to dry out your furnace lining somehow before doing a melt? I'd be wary of all that moisture.

Thanks for pointing that out, awemason --useful procedure to mention for anyone using a similar outdoor charcoal furnace.

I always start my furnace with a small wood fire if it has been sitting for any length of time and let that burn down to coals before adding charcoal. The top is left open, and there is no blast air. Just a small open fire.

The same process used to dry and fire the refractory after building (although that is for a much longer period, and ultimately much hotter). I pre-heat not only to drive out moisture, but to ease the expansion of the lining from cold to foundry heat. Also it's cheaper for me to start with wood -- I get some coals going in the bottom before adding the first layer of charcoal, and that works out well. Charcoal is added in stages, as the temperature is brought up. I find the heating up process is an ideal time to ram up my mold, so no time is lost to doing it this way.

This particular foundry furnace is built of hard firebrick with sand/clay mortar so it's a little more resistant to moisture than a pure sand/clay lining is. But I'm treating it the same as I normally would with my former melter.

Here's a picture of the lining being built: