Cincinnati Shaper

[Jammer]

The small one I did in Aluminum, I ran a knife gate the full length of the pattern.

[dallen]

the one I'm using for a pattern and yours look like they came from the same foundy, only difference I can see is with the names yours looks like it was done with a tape, the one I'm using doesn't have that tape look.

Anyway I'm hoping that this change in the gating will work, the original looks to of had two gates on the long side, but it could just be where flash was cleaned off also.

It's been fun anyway I look at it.

I was looking at sources for coke last night online and was lucky and found a place that's close enough to drive to in Amarillo Tx now to just find the cash to make a run over there for some, $29.00 for a 50 pound bag. So if I can scrounge the cash and get a couple hundred pounds I would throw together a small cupola, something with say a 6 inch bore to give it a try, guy should be able to tap out 10 15 pounds at a time with one that size.

[Jammer]

My little one is only about a pound of lead per ingot. I just used the cast iron one as the pattern.

There was a guy about 20 miles from me that sold coke by the bag. He's a blacksmith but I haven't been able to get a hold of him for a while. Now I'm collecting a couple hundred pounds of charcoal for an Iron smelt. It should be going on sale since BBQ season is winding down.
A cupolette has always been on the drawing board. They have a larger bore but a short stack with a lid. A 12 to 14 inch bore can tap about 40 pounds at a time, 3 or 4 taps an hour. If you have molds for 130 pounds of Iron.

[dallen]

I probably will never have a need for that much iron at one time, I think something in the 6 inch bore would do me just fine. The coke that I found is at a farrier supply in Amarillo Texas so its not that far, they will ship it for 49.00 a bag but not knowing how much it would take to do a heat I hesitate to have them ship it, if I can scrounge up the cash me and little dog may do a road trip, I know one guy that will go and split the gas.

Anyway here's todays failure, this damn thing is about to get me POed, I had vents on all four corners of the damn thing plus a big vent on the handle tab, and the Iron was like water.

I had it hot enough today that I destroyed the block that I set the crucible on in the furnace. Came real close to having one of those moments when I couldn't sit the thing down without it trying to tip.

Anyway that's it for today, we said to heck with it and fired up the cooker and throwed in a slab of ribs and sweet tater for something to snack on this afternoon. See how bad I can mess this up.

[dallen]

didn't do any more then just check the damage in the furnace and crucible, the crucible is fine except for some stuff that's stuck on the bottom that won't knock off. The furnace its self is fine I was able to knock the rest of the block loose, so now its just a matter of finding some bricks that will take the temp to use, or go get a bag of castable 3000 degree high strength refractory and make some blocks.

Temps back up close to the 100 mark which with the ticker problems, anyway the shop monster says I need some inside time anyway.

[mite5255]

Pleased to here the furnace is fine Dave

[dallen]

Its pretty hard to melt one down like I did once, you gotta put the right stuff in the walls so it will take the heat that you need for whatever it is your trying to melt. Just need to snag the stuff to make a new block to set the crucible on.

Nice thing is that there are no needles in my refractory which if the wall gets hot enough will melt inside the refractory, and the wall is still as sound as the day I poured the refractory into it over a year ago.

Found a source for some Coke to fuel a cupola with if I can talk someone into splitting the gas money to go get a few bags, I don't see it taking much more then a couple of pounds to do a small melt with say 15/20 pounds. If I can pull this off its going to be a fun winter in the back yard.

Been working on drawings for a pattern to make a slotter attachment for the lathe to cut keyways in gears and such. Here's what the pattern needs to look like.

it needs a few more parts but that's what the base casting will need to resemble to fit my lathe.

[Jammer]

There was someone who built a slotter like that years ago. He cast it in Brass, can't remember who or where.

[dallen]

Rob Wilson in the UK

[Jammer]

I just remember he had trouble with shrinkage on the casting. I think he put a chill bar on the heavy part to solve it.