Back to casting.

[RONALD]

I have not been able to cast any metal for almost three years, our RR was going right where the foundry gas line was located, and the grading was ~ 20"s below the gas line that goes to my foundry, so I removed the 2" line in the fall of 2009. It took until last fall to have everything ready, and until now to get back to casting metal.

I have a back log of needed parts, the first of which are rail joiners, can't lay more track without them.

Wednesday, we cast our rail joiners out of C99700 bronze. I made up 14 flasks of rail joiners using a match plate I had made several years ago, and those 14 flasks made 252 rail joiners, enough for ~ 630 feet of track. Cutting apart the castings, takes about the same time as pouring, and of course there is clean up, and drilling six (1512) holes, which I'm doing today, while it's in the 90's outside.

Luckily, I'm doing this for our own RR, and don't have to justify the time and expense, or be in any hurry.

Next castings will be #8 switch frogs out of the same metal.

http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/vie ... mp%3B+Tell

[GlennW]

1943:

Now:

Much safer.

I remember casting aluminum in high school metal shop with no protection other than a pair of gloves!

[RONALD]

The topic of safety came up last fall, and can be read about in:

http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/vie ... 14&t=91274

If you go to some of the casting groups like http://www.alloyavenue.com/vb/forum.php , and read all the crazy and dangerous ideas some people have about casting, it's a wonder that they are still around.

Here again is that 106 year old photo that exemplifies the kind of working environment those who want to get rid of all regulations, would return us to; notice the child laborer in the background.