Metalworking (rec.crafts.metalworking) Discuss various aspects of working with metal, such as machining, welding, metal joining, screwing, casting, hardening/tempering, blacksmithing/forging, spinning and hammer work, sheet metal work.

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Default buying iron castings

does anyone have experience w/purchasing casting (from their own
patterns) for some project they were building? Better yet can they
recommend someone in northeast Pennsylvania that does onezies? I'd
like to build a replica of an early Hardinge vertical mill. Nothing
over 40 lbs. I don't think. Thanks.

A direct offlist e-mail would be even more appreciated.

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Chris wrote:
does anyone have experience w/purchasing casting (from their own
patterns) for some project they were building? Better yet can they
recommend someone in northeast Pennsylvania that does onezies? I'd
like to build a replica of an early Hardinge vertical mill. Nothing
over 40 lbs. I don't think. Thanks.

A direct offlist e-mail would be even more appreciated.

Foundries are fewer and fewer, and the ones that are still around, are
because they charge a pretty high price.

A bud just did a small run of Cast Iron engine parts.

IIRC the price was based on a per pound cost, poured, with a minimum
of $40 or $60 per flask.

To get that price, he had to provide matchplates to the satisfaction
of the foundry, and take his chances that the sandcrabs at the foundry
didn't wreck the patterns. The patterns were built by a proffesional
patternmaker. Not really cheap. Flasks that required handwork to ram up
were really expensive, as I recall.

There are still a few small outfits around. Most are running on
borrowed time, between the costs of staying in business, and the ever
increasing gamut of environmental laws being put in place.

Why would I reply offlist? That is pretty much counter to the whole
point of the newsgroup, innit?

Cheers
Trevor Jones

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Where abouts in NE PA? There are a lot of foundrys in the area.
Benton, Stradsburg, Weatherly, Wilkes Berra. What metal did you want to
use?

John

Chris wrote:

does anyone have experience w/purchasing casting (from their own
patterns) for some project they were building? Better yet can they
recommend someone in northeast Pennsylvania that does onezies? I'd
like to build a replica of an early Hardinge vertical mill. Nothing
over 40 lbs. I don't think. Thanks.

A direct offlist e-mail would be even more appreciated.


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Default buying iron castings



Trevor Jones wrote:

Chris wrote:

does anyone have experience w/purchasing casting (from their own
patterns) for some project they were building? Better yet can they
recommend someone in northeast Pennsylvania that does onezies? I'd
like to build a replica of an early Hardinge vertical mill. Nothing
over 40 lbs. I don't think. Thanks.

A direct offlist e-mail would be even more appreciated.

Foundries are fewer and fewer, and the ones that are still around, are
because they charge a pretty high price.

A bud just did a small run of Cast Iron engine parts.

IIRC the price was based on a per pound cost, poured, with a minimum of
$40 or $60 per flask.

To get that price, he had to provide matchplates to the satisfaction of
the foundry, and take his chances that the sandcrabs at the foundry
didn't wreck the patterns. The patterns were built by a proffesional
patternmaker. Not really cheap. Flasks that required handwork to ram up
were really expensive, as I recall.

There are still a few small outfits around. Most are running on
borrowed time, between the costs of staying in business, and the ever
increasing gamut of environmental laws being put in place.

Why would I reply offlist? That is pretty much counter to the whole
point of the newsgroup, innit?

Cheers
Trevor Jones



One of the big problems is that all the foundrys around here are very
busy. Having professionally done patterns makes getting the job done
easier. Other problems are scheduling it to be poured with other
castings of the same metal. They want to pour a full furnace load.

The foundrys that have kept up with the enviormental regulations will do
well. The ones that are running on borrowed time are the ones that
didn't reinvest into newer equipment for upcoming epa regs.

John

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Default buying iron castings


"Chris" wrote in message
ps.com...
does anyone have experience w/purchasing casting (from their own
patterns) for some project they were building? Better yet can they
recommend someone in northeast Pennsylvania that does onezies? I'd
like to build a replica of an early Hardinge vertical mill. Nothing
over 40 lbs. I don't think. Thanks.

A direct offlist e-mail would be even more appreciated.

Several years ago, someone on RCM recommended an Amish run foundry (think no
phone, and no internet), that I think Pa. I think the name was Cattail
Foundry.

google found this article with a name and an address
http://steamtraction.com/archive/5088/

Is Gordonville, Pa. close to you?

Search RCM archives, I think that self addressed stamped envelope is the
contact method.

Carl Boyd




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Well, I was at Cattail Foundry (10 miles more or less, northeast of
Lancaster, if you don't want to launch MapQuest) in the summer of 05, and
they were very much in business then, and the prices they quoted for the
work we were proposing were VERY much within reason for the parts. We could
have them in any conditionor finish, (as cast, barely cleaned, sprues cut
off and ground, ready to be machined, or points inbetween) nice people to
speak with, deal with.

I'm just sorry my collaborator couldn't finish up the design so we could go
on with the project. (Diabetes overcame his eyesight, then his ambition.)

But Cattail would be my first choice, even if I had to drive a hundred miles
or more. The 40 pound part would be well within their capability.I sawparts
and atterns there of greater ambition.

From sitting in the truck, parked at the door, it looked like we were going
to enter a dairy-barn, rather than a foundry/machine shop. (Have you ever
seen a lathe run by compressed air?)

Patterns and core boxes lying about, looking exactly like the stuff in the
museum of the company I worked for. Men and boys working there were quiet,
reserved, and of such a politeness that made me cease to wonder why they
lived that way in a world of modern everything.

Flash





"Mike Henry" wrote in message
...

"Carl Boyd" wrote in message
...

"Chris" wrote in message
ps.com...
does anyone have experience w/purchasing casting (from their own
patterns) for some project they were building? Better yet can they
recommend someone in northeast Pennsylvania that does onezies? I'd
like to build a replica of an early Hardinge vertical mill. Nothing
over 40 lbs. I don't think. Thanks.

A direct offlist e-mail would be even more appreciated.

Several years ago, someone on RCM recommended an Amish run foundry (think
no phone, and no internet), that I think Pa. I think the name was
Cattail Foundry.

google found this article with a name and an address
http://steamtraction.com/archive/5088/

Is Gordonville, Pa. close to you?

Search RCM archives, I think that self addressed stamped envelope is the
contact method.


A search of www.owwm.com might also prove fruitful. ISTR that some folks
there had replacement casting made from broken parts by that same Amish
foundry and were happy with the results.

Mike



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Default buying iron castings


"Carl Boyd" wrote in message
...

"Chris" wrote in message
ps.com...
does anyone have experience w/purchasing casting (from their own
patterns) for some project they were building? Better yet can they
recommend someone in northeast Pennsylvania that does onezies? I'd
like to build a replica of an early Hardinge vertical mill. Nothing
over 40 lbs. I don't think. Thanks.

A direct offlist e-mail would be even more appreciated.

Several years ago, someone on RCM recommended an Amish run foundry (think
no phone, and no internet), that I think Pa. I think the name was Cattail
Foundry.

google found this article with a name and an address
http://steamtraction.com/archive/5088/

Is Gordonville, Pa. close to you?

Search RCM archives, I think that self addressed stamped envelope is the
contact method.


A search of www.owwm.com might also prove fruitful. ISTR that some folks
there had replacement casting made from broken parts by that same Amish
foundry and were happy with the results.

Mike

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I was last positioned in the WB area (Bear Creek to be precise).
Location is pretty much irrelevant - I'd be more then willing to drive
down to Lancaster or wherever.
I had thought the Amish didn't work cheap. Great peeps no doubt. I
hadn't expect them to get into that kind of stuff. Live and learn.
I'll check that out, and thanks for the tip/s. I *could* go as far
building a cupola furnace - what's the probability of getting decent
castings going that route? I have built a *foundry* so far, or tried
to . Pictures can be seen at

http://ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/Hom...os/browse/c924

Not bad for a foist attempt I was told. *Hoped* to melt a significant
quantity of yellow brass - NOT. Very poor planning on my part. Make
that no planning.

As far as pattern making, I dunno, I thought it wouldn't be too bad.
I have a copy of "the Charcoal Foundry" by Gingery (Lindsay pubs.) and
figured that would be tutorial enough for more or less simple
patterns.

This is what I want to make (or something close):

http://ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/vin...os/browse/8bce

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Default buying iron castings

On Wed, 05 Sep 2007 11:03:41 -0700, Chris
wrote:

I was last positioned in the WB area (Bear Creek to be precise).
Location is pretty much irrelevant - I'd be more then willing to drive
down to Lancaster or wherever.
I had thought the Amish didn't work cheap. Great peeps no doubt. I
hadn't expect them to get into that kind of stuff. Live and learn.
I'll check that out, and thanks for the tip/s. I *could* go as far
building a cupola furnace - what's the probability of getting decent
castings going that route? I have built a *foundry* so far, or tried
to . Pictures can be seen at

http://ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/Hom...os/browse/c924

Not bad for a foist attempt I was told. *Hoped* to melt a significant
quantity of yellow brass - NOT. Very poor planning on my part. Make
that no planning.

As far as pattern making, I dunno, I thought it wouldn't be too bad.
I have a copy of "the Charcoal Foundry" by Gingery (Lindsay pubs.) and
figured that would be tutorial enough for more or less simple
patterns.

This is what I want to make (or something close):

http://ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/vin...os/browse/8bce


can't log on w/o registration.

For a one off consider lost foam casting. You make up the part
in styrafoam or urathane foam, and the runners, pack sand around
it, vent with wire or soda straws and pour in the metal. The
foam flashes and burns out. You can coat the foam with a
refactory for an even better finish.
or you can buy Lindsays pattern making books [lots of work for a
one-off]

The other Lindsay casting books are very good. I like Chastain.

http://lindsaybks.com/bks7/chas1/index.html
http://lindsaybks.com/bks8/chas2/index.html

The Navy casting manual that Lindsay sells is also very good.
http://lindsaybks.com/bks/foundry/index.html


Unka' George [George McDuffee]
============
Merchants have no country.
The mere spot they stand on
does not constitute so strong an attachment
as that from which they draw their gains.

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826),
U.S. president. Letter, 17 March 1814.
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On Sep 5, 4:19 pm, F. George McDuffee gmcduf...@mcduffee-
associates.us wrote:
...
For a one off consider lost foam casting. You make up the part
in styrafoam or urathane foam, and the runners, pack sand around
it, vent with wire or soda straws and pour in the metal. The
foam flashes and burns out. You can coat the foam with a
refactory for an even better finish.
or you can buy Lindsays pattern making books [lots of work for a
one-off]

The other Lindsay casting books are very good. I like Chastain.

http://lindsaybks.com/bks7/chas1/ind...as2/index.html

The Navy casting manual that Lindsay sells is also very good.http://lindsaybks.com/bks/foundry/index.html

Unka' George [George McDuffee]


You might want to show them the pattern with sprues and vents first.
Lots to go wrong there.

jw

jw



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what if I made sample patterns, rammed them up, and poured in
aluminum. Shouldn't they be safe at that point? I appreciate the point
about consulting w/the facility though (if they ain't right, they'd
tell you right then and there anyway).

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On Wed, 05 Sep 2007 15:19:32 -0500, F. George McDuffee
wrote:

For a one off consider lost foam casting. You make up the part
in styrafoam or urathane foam, and the runners, pack sand around
it, vent with wire or soda straws and pour in the metal. The
foam flashes and burns out. You can coat the foam with a
refactory for an even better finish.

========
If lost foam sounds like a possibility for more info click on
http://www.lostfoam.com/assets/conte...e_castings.pdf

http://www.thomasnet.com/products/ca...2280228-1.html
http://www.sculpture.net/community/s...ead.php?t=4880
http://ezinearticles.com/?Sand-Mould...ting&id=332403
http://ezinearticles.com/?Lost-Wax-a...sses.&id=85804

One thing to remember if you try lost foam is that clouds of
black smoke are generated. Both urethane foam and styrofoam
smoke are toxic and you must not breath it. Not a good idea to
be choking and half blind and trying to control/pour molten iron
or aluminum...

Good luck and let us know how you make out.
Unka' George [George McDuffee]
============
Merchants have no country.
The mere spot they stand on
does not constitute so strong an attachment
as that from which they draw their gains.

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826),
U.S. president. Letter, 17 March 1814.
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