The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-06-10
CITY AND STATE NEWS.
The Gold and Other Markets. ana
miscellaneous Matter, TO be found ON
tho Fourth Page.
A Day Among the Foundries.

ing employs a vast amount OF capital anu
affords employment to a large number OF
men. 1t is in fact one of the chief
sources of our wealth, and bid fair to be-
come even more important than at the
present time. Improvements are beng
made in the various mills, shops ana
foundries, the facilities for work are De-
inc extensively enlarged, and the trade
= all its departments is largely on the
.lcreaSe.
A brief description of the process OF
making iron castings may furnish some
information to orr younger readers and
perhaps the facts we have gathered con-
corning the various foundries in this
city may be useful and interesting to all.
Whenit is desired to make any article
Of east metal an exact pattern of the re-
quired article is prepared, generally OF
wood. The pattern is made very smooth
and is carefully carved into the exact
shape desired, except that it isa little
Larger in every part than the metal is de-
sinned to be, in order that when the
metal shrinks in cooling the casting may
he of the proper size. About one eighth
If an inch per foot is allowed for shrink
acre. These patterns are very expensive
and constitute a large portion OF the ex-
pcnse necessary for the prosecution OF
the foundry business. Patterns OF gen.
rraI or miscellaneous castings are gen.
orally made in a shop attached to the
foundry, but stove patterns, upon which
a patent right has been obtained, are
made IL establishments where nothing
else * done. The greater portion OF the
stove patterns now in use here were pur-
chased in Troy. New York, or i'll New
York city, aud cost from fifty to one hun
bred and fifty dollars per set.
The pattern is first laid npon a board
ON the earthcn floor of the foundry, and
\ rough wooden frame or box, open at
ton and bottom, called a flask, Is put
over il. The moulding sand is arranged
i'm hcaps on the floor. and moistencd with
wafer 50 as TO adhere and become hrm
by pressure. The earth used for mould
mo is what is called loan it must he
free from pebbles or hard humps. For
heavy castings, sand is used, which, al
ter receiving the impression OF the pat
tern. is baked until it becomes very
hard. The loan or sand is thrown on
the pattern in the flask and pressed or
ramlncd down tight Care must be
taken to pack il so firmly that 1t will not
Give WAY beneath the weightof metalthat
Is to be poured upon il, and thus make the
casting thicker than the pattern, and at
fbc same time il must not he pressed so
firmly as to prevent the escape of the gas
which i, generated by the melted metal.
Having flied the first flask even with Its
for with loan, u board is laid ON the top,
and the flask, together with the pattern
and the hoard on which il rests. is turn
ed upside down. The board now on top
is removed. exposing the pattern imbed-
dcl in the loan. Another flask is then
put ON top of this, having first smoothed
the loan in the lower flask and sprinkled
II with fine sand. Loan is then thrown
into thc inner flask and rammed tight,
IS before. having first inserted a stick
called Il gate, leading to the edge OF the
uattcrn. When the upper flask is filled
it is carefully lifted from the lower one
aud the pattern is then removed, taking
care not Ia disturb the position OF the
loom in which it is imbedded. The up,
pcr flask is then replaced in its forme
n~nsition over the lower One, the gate
having been removed, and leaving a hole
through the loan in the upper flask com
mnnicating with the cavity formerly
occupied 10y the pattern, into which the
metal is to be poured. When it is desir.
ed to make a casting with a smooth sur
face. the surface of the loan which bears
the impression OF the pattern is sprin'
Killed. with fine dust made from coke or
cinders, or, in some cases, a peculiar kind
of earth mined in some of the eastern
States. The mould is then ready to be
filled.
The metal is then placed in layers,
with layers of charcoal or coke between,
in Il tall furnace and the fire kindled be-
,eath it. A small quantity of limestone
is also thrown into the furnace along
with the metal, which collectsand unites
with the impurities of the metal and
prevents them from flowing out when
the furnace is opened. The fire is famed
by a wheel driven by steam, and In from
twenty minutes to an hour the metal is
melted. A hole or spout is then opened
at the bottom of the furnace and the
melted metal drawn off in large iron la,
dies. in which it is carried and poured
into the mould, where it cools. After
cooling, it is taken ont of the loan, the
sand which clings to it is scraped of and
the casting is complete.
The excellence of iron for castings de
pends upon the relative proportions OF