Found Dreaming

Hi. I am relatively new to casting. Got started less than a year ago. I've been working on my Gingery lathe for a while now and have made quite a bit of progress. Just poured the head stock last week(for the third time because of shrink cavities). This process and the metallurgy involved is incredibly interesting to me. I started my college career as a chemisty major but changed to computer science after three years. Finished an MS in computer science 20 years ago and taught college courses at a community college for 12 years before I started working as an administrator for Southern Illinois University in Carbondale(go Salukis!). I've studied multiple foreign languages over the years and now working on a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Anyway, the point is that I am interested in many things but I don't think that I have ever been as enthralled as I was the first time I melted aluminum in a two bucket furnace in my back yard and poured the feet for my lathe. I've been hooked ever since and progressed from charcoal to propane pretty quickly. Building a burner from stuff I picked up at the hardware store was another eye opening experience. I have been a wood worker for years and like to build furniture of my own designs and I can see this being a huge extension of that hobby as well. I am sure that I will probably have many questions along the way so I hope that everyone doesn't get tired of answering.

welcome to the forum...

Thanks Heimo. I'm already leaning from this forum. Glad I ran across it today.

Yes, welcome to the forum.
You will need to show as some pics of your lathe. Cos we love pics.

Nudge, thanks for the welcome. I do plan on posting some pictures. As I said, I certainly am NOT an expert so everything is not perfect but I'm trying to learn and I'm getting a little better as I go along.

welcome Mike, none of are perfect, so as you get better you get to go back and redo the things that are just that little bit off. Anyway post some pictures of your lathe, I have had that book for over 20 years and still have to start it, but I got three other lathes to help make it with if I ever do get started on one.

Hi mike and welcome

Mike

Welcome aboard!!

belated welcome! A lathe is definitely a big item on my to do list...I have it all worked out in my head...kind of

I have found this site, and Harry in particular, VERY helpful - not only because A). the people here are great, but also because B).the ideas NEVER stop. That second point is a huge factor...its easy to get caught up in your own mind or talk yourself out of trying b/c you think youre gonna fail. I Constantly think of reasons why something WONT work. But, when you see someone has a great idea or a workaround or just a method you never though of, it really can get the juices flowing and puts me into innovation mode. I love this group!

I am finding that I have a lot of new ideas after reading through some of the posts. LOL, I guess I am a little on the opposite end of the spectrum. I tend to give it a try whether or not I think it may fail. Especially something like this that really doesn't cost that much if it does fail. I've tried several castings to have them fail badly but I just hack it all up and give it another go. Reading some of the things that I am doing wrong, I realize that I was probably just lucky most of the time.