Casting an iron wheel

First part of the casting process is the  preparation of the mould the bottom half  of the molding box or flask is set onto  the floor where one part of the pattern  is laying we oddly-shaped block in the  corner will form cavity to hold a  special filter to keep the slack out the  other blocks are through patterns they  form the channels which will lead the  molten iron to the mold cavity  and here comes a big sand dispenser  the sand is poured into the flask and  pushed by hand into the corners .

The flask is filled to the rim and after  some compacting the top is trimmed flush  with the rim  after  to  minutes the resin that is  mixed with the sand has hardened so the  mold can be turned upside down  it's now in the same position that it  will be later for pouring  after cleaning away the dust the top  molding box the cope is set upon the  bottom one the drag  then the other half of the pattern is  put in place  although the other parts of the pattern  and an internal feeder  the graphic powder is used to make it  easier to separate the pageant's from  mold later on the left and iron pipe is  visible that's the pattern for the  vertical parts of the sprue the internal .

Feeder is covered with sand completely  it's just a cavity with an opening  towards the pattern the iron will fill  this space and provide additional liquid  iron when the iron in the wheel is  cooled down and shrinking  now the halves of the mold are parted to  remove a pattern  the two protruding knobs that are  visible on the top part are there to  interlock the two parts in the right  position so that's the moment when my  threaded inserts in the model become  important three hooks are screwed into  them and with carefully knocking upwards .

The pattern will eventually come loose  of course the pattern has to have new  undercuts and the vertical surfaces need  to be slightly tapered  when they finally put the model of the  wheel aside after six times of moulding  it looked quite okay at first but a  closer look revealed some damage if I had wanted more wheels I should have  used better wood next step is the  preparation of the mold of the casting  this reddish liquid fizzes suspension of  schemata it will form a thin layer on  the mold as a protection against  overheat of the liquid steel  because it's alcohol-based it can be set  on fire so it dries and hardens petrol  at the same time  now the filter is inserted and some  fireproof pretty base laid around the  cavities in the mold  then the top is set upon button members  who parts are pressed together with  clamps .

The second part is the casting process  itself here's the liquid iron in an  induction furnace slag is removed from  time to time  but the furnace isn't full yet so  another container of scrap metal goes  into it maximum load is  tonnes  you  when the temperature is above one  thousand three hundred and fifty degrees  Celsius the iron is filled into a  casting ladle and brought to the molds  the final measurement of the temperature  then about  kilograms of cast iron are  poured into the mode  to leave  while cooling down the iron and the  other components mostly carbon will form  microscopic crystals and their shape  influences the material properties.

This  will be ordinary cast iron with lamellar  craft on it  also known as great iron some days later  I came back and looked for the wheels in  this part of the factory where the  peddling and finishing is done oh here  they are   kilogram each and already sandblasted  next we will have to drill the holes  into them then we will be ready for use  in our tenon project..