Jammer's Foundry, Forge and CNC Work

[Jammer]

This is some general pictures of stuff I've been working on. Metal related places I've gone and interesting people. Interesting to me anyway.
This is the Choo Choo Forge in Chattanooga. I've been learning a little blacksmithing and mainly joined to use their saws and welders. Great shop and Great bunch of guys.

[Jammer]

There are 3 forges set up and 7 anvils, so many guys can work at the same time. Coal forges with electric blowers. You just have to watch that the guy across from you doesn't jack the fire up and melt your piece. It all works pretty good. There's a huge scrap pile to pick from and a lot of low carbon rods of all different sizes. Just put some money in the kitty to cover the costs. Three welders, saws, and a plasma torch, a couple gas torches, 2 power hammers and a couple foot powered treadle hammers. I can really screw up a lot of metal fast here.
Homebuilt Power hammer, works great but kind of loud.

Little Giant Power hammer.

One of the two Steam Engines they have for trips.

[Jammer]

See if this works. I've been making patterns for stuff I want or need. One thing I need is a block to mount a light on my garage. I'm a little OCD so I want it centered and to look like it belongs. I made up one pattern and poured it as Lost Foam.


I don't think I got a picture of the pour but it must have built up gas and made the piece really thick. I was going to try to grind it down and use the lathe to clean it up. I decided it would be easier to start over. Also, it's too heavy and thick to start with. New pattern is more of a shell and not solid. I was going to cast it today but when I rammed it up the sand fell out so I decided to try again later. I had done a brass pour of a hammer and thought while furnace was hot I would do a quick Aluminum pour. Too hot outside, so probably good thing I quit for the day, plus, my wife told be to get my butt inside.

[Jammer]

Ok, Now the Brass pour. Made up a pattern with a core for a Brass hammer. The foam is pretty dense but not sure it's dense enough to ram up in green sand. Seemed to work OK, I took it easy on ramming and I think the sand was a little dry. Felt too wet at first, but the more I packed it, I think it was dry. Came out OK, I'll have a lot of clean up. Definitely going to get some petrobond soon.



I'll get the pictures of the pour downloaded and show you a few things I've been playing with.

[Jammer]

I'll try to explain my end pouring flask. I made this last year and have used it a couple times. I thought it could give me a good way to pour small items or for filling from the bottom like a horn gate. I used it today on the brass hammer pour. I need to figure out how to cut the gating better but it wasn't too bad. Looks like a regular flask to start with and then I screw on the side pieces of plywood and remove the end pieces.

[Jammer]

Flask is ready and metal is hot. Maybe a little too hot, I pulled the crucible out of the furnace and let it set for about 5 minutes so the zinc would stop burning. I put the crucible in the little pitcher type pouring thing I made. I can just pick it up and pour like coffee. The bail on top acts like a skimmer to hold back the dross. Almost didn't have enough metal, I'm usually way over. The big sprue took a lot of metal. Now all I have to do is clean it up and mount the handle on it. The core looks like it worked great, I may have to shape the hole a little for a taper to hold the handle tight.

Just good to get out and melt something.

[Jammer]

No one doing anything on here? I'm still remodeling so I haven't had a chance to do anything. Trying to get my son to come help me move the CNC machine to the basement so I can get it set up. I've got lots of projects in mind but no time to do anything. Going to try to go to the Algonquin Mill festival next month. Hang around with cae2100 for a couple hours. See some big steam engines.
http://carrollcountyhistoricalsociety.com/index.htm

[cae2100]

pretty cool stuff in here, Ive never seen a crucible pouring beer mug thing like that before, lol.

Ive just been working on the sand muller and little things here and there trying to get things finished up that I wanted to do.

[Jammer]

I can't believe I didn't put a picture of the finished hammer. I have a picture but it must be on one of my back-up drives and can't find it right now.

[latzanimal]

I just bought a small desktop CNC. Need to decide on software..

Lots of projects, but no time...