Small drill press...

[BillC.]

This was in '97, I needed a small drill press and couldn't see paying $800.00 or so for one like this - so I spent about $3000.00 in time and materials to build this one. They are iron castings except for the cover parts but they all could have been 356 aluminum just as well - but I like iron.

Thanks,
Bill C.

 

[vlmarshall]

Very impressive! :bow: I really need to get into foundry work.

 

[BillC.]

It's fun Vernon, just a bit intimidating to step up to a crucible of molten iron! Seething, glowing white hot just waiting to turn a droplet of water into a bomb of showering pellets of molten iron. Fun, fun!

Thanks,
Bill C.

 

[vlmarshall]

... just waiting to turn a droplet of water into a bomb of showering pellets of molten iron. Fun, fun!

Haha, yeah, well... I'll play with showers of aluminum and brass for a while before I step up to iron. ;D

 

[BillC.]

I found some of the old hard sheets of asbestos that I use to block some of the radiation from an iron filled crucible and still manage to smoke my jeans here and there. Looking into the foundry crucible down through the vent hole required cobalt blue glasses to protect the eyes from the intense radiation of white heat. I bought the full mylar heat apron and leggings and chrome leather shoe protectors to do this iron work. I should have bought the drill press!

I'm a staunch believer in safety and a home iron foundry is asking for trouble. You must not be distracted, and you must never forget what molten iron will do to you with just a slight touch with bare skin or bone (which iron has no respect for). I've done many castings in iron and had a few very close calls - I do not make iron castings anymore! One must be very prepared to play around with molten iron. A marble sized glob of molten iron will burn through the scalp, skull and cauterize a hole well down into the brain tissue - leaving a person very disturbed or dead. I guess I'm just disturbed by the thought!

Sorry for the rant there, but....

Thanks,
Bill C.

 

[Noitoen]

couldn't see paying $800.00 or so for one like this - so I spent about $3000.00 in time and materials to build this one.

I usually say that a "model engineer" has lot's of time and little money, so why spend money when you can do it in the spare time. :big: :big: Maybe that's why my "to do" list is always growing :wall:

 

[tmuir]

Impressive!
I do agree that the idea of molten iron does scare me.
I want to do some casting but only ever plan on working with aluminium and maybe brass. Molten iron is on a whole other level.
It does amaze me though when you think back to Roman times when they were smelting iron ore and doing castings with the most basic of gear.
I wonder what their accident rates were like?

 

[BillC.]

Yes, I've thought about those early 'adventurous' types too that did the unknown....they were smart and bold. Even copper is up near iron in melting temperature.

I believe the pursuit of artificially aging a home casting of 356 would be as rewarding as pursuing melting and casting iron. The surface can be sulfuric anodized and is just as hard or harder than cast iron so wear is drastically reduced over the raw casting; and - machining is very greatly improved with aging or heat treatment. The gummeyness is basically gone. A successful aluminum casting is so much easier and less painful than iron but the metal must be chosen properly to melt. No extrusions and no previously die cast aluminum alloys can be used for a successful aluminum casting - unless prepared and reduced for making sand castings....

This is not to say that iron does not have a very important and very practical place in model applications. Indeed; iron is irreplaceable in certain applications where stability and wear resistance is required. As said: I like iron but hold great respect for it in its molten state. And your hands are dirty with iron!

Thanks,
Bill C.

 

[Artie]

G'day Bill, if I was to ne honest I would say that iron scares the crap outta me. Seriously, as you say, the energy contained in a given pot of molten iron is frightening and deserves to be treated with the utmost respect.

So does aluminium but its a different league to iron, strangely brass doesnt scare me at all and its only a few of hundred degrees (c) less than iron. From memory Ali melts at just over 600 Deg (c) and brass at over to 900 and iron at close to 1200. Think how dangerous boiling water is at 100 deg (c)!

This is a great hobby but only if you are willing to respect it, seriously respect it. For you and your familys sake.

I made an aluminium pour today where the green sand was a little too wet and the steam vent holes not adequate for the excess moisture... I can put a crucible down and LEAVE quite quickly..... 8)..... it ruined the casting but didnt do anything silly... I still left for a few minutes...

(cautious) Artie

 

[johnthomp]

Impressive!
I do agree that the idea of molten iron does scare me.
I want to do some casting but only ever plan on working with aluminium and maybe brass. Molten iron is on a whole other level.
It does amaze me though when you think back to Roman times when they were smelting iron ore and doing castings with the most basic of gear.
I wonder what their accident rates were like?

their main fatality rate probably came from collapseing of heat exhaustion while pumping the bellows lmfao