The record-union., 1896-04-12
AMONG THE M0LDERS;
THEIR WORK,
AND HOW THEY DO IT.
Turning Out Wheels and Castings
Wonderful Sights in the Foundry

very lively f1uid-four copolas have been
erected. They are very voracious cupo-
las too; regular Oliver Twists-always
crying for more. Two are in the General
Department, one with capacity of
twelve tons, the other of twenty-four
tons daily; while Of the two in the
Wheel Department, one has a capacity
of thirty-five tons, and the other of fifty
tons daily, making total daily capacity
of 121 TONS
Each Of those cupolas or furnaces
has floor of sand, and their sides and
ends and roofs are composed of fire
bricks eight inches in thickness, with
shell covering of three -eighths inch
wrought iron. The fuel is laid upon the
floor, and the iron on top of the fuel
and then the match is applied and the
fans started. Those fans have the same
work to perform as a blackSmith'S
bellows has, only on a much larger
scale. Iron will not melt unless the fuel
is urged on by wind, and plenty of it,
and this is one of the instances in which
wind amounts to something. To melt
cast iron requires ZOO degrees Faren-
heit, so 1t may be seen that the wind
is blowing to some purpose. 1t requires
the services of seven men to fire those
cupolas, and they are kept busy, and
no one can doubt for a moment but
what they have very hot time Of it.
And it takes fuel to fire those cupolas,
and plenty of it. For every seven
pounds of iron melted one pound of
coal is consumed, and nothing but the
best article will answer the purpose.
That article of coal is mined in the
Lehigh, Pa, district, and every pound
of coal shoveled in by those f1remen
was mined in far away Pennsylvania
and hauled across the continent for use
in the Sacramento shops.
And the iron which is laid on top of
the coal also has a history, and has
been something of a traveller. A small
percentage of it comes from Scotland,
and another small quantity is brought
from Pennsylvania, but by far the
greater portion comes from the mount
aims Of Northwestern Alabama. 1t is
interesting to some of us to know that
the wheels of the cars that carry US to
see our wives people reposed for mill
ions Of years under the roots of the
pines which grace the sunny hills Of
Dixie Land"
After the iron is melted the cupola
is tapped and the metal drawn off into
a huge ladle, from which 1t is poured
into smaller ladies, or pots, whence it
is run into the molds already prepared
|. for its reception. Now, molten iron, if
poured into a cast iron receptacle, will
run through it as readily as water runs
through a spout and these ladies are
all castings. So to prevent diSagreeable
consequences of the aforementioned de-
scription the ladle is lined with coat
ing of pipe clay, or ''potter's" clay, as
it is commonly called the composition
of which is free from iron and imper-
vious to penetration by the molten
metal.
And there are different degrees of
molten heat, too. though the tempera-
ture is rather high when the metal be-
gins to run. The higher the tempera-
ture the firmer the texture of casting.
Therefore when an extra strong plate
or casting is required those furnaces
are heated TO a point undreamed Of be-
fore the introduction of coal as a heat
producer.
The iron worked into those castings
is not all pig iron fresh from the
mines. Not by any means. In
fact, only about 35 per cent. is of
new iron. The other IS per cent is of
cracked, broken or condemned cast
ings, which have been turned into the
shop to be worked over; but that 30
per cent. of new pig-iron costs the rail-
road company, delivered at the shops,
about one and one-half cents a pound,
which is cheaper rate than has ever
before been secured, there having been
times in the past when rate of four
cents a pound was not considered ex
orbitant. 1t takes money to buy pig
iron.
Each casting made at the foundry
must have a pattern or be Of kind that
the article itself may answer the pur
pose of one. Those patterns, which accu-
rately outline the shape of the casting to
be made, are covered with sand, which is
tamped down until, when the pattern is
carefully lifted out, its impress is left
in the sand without single deviation
from the lines of the model. To secure
correct top and bottom impressions,
most patterns are furnished with plates
or TASKS for those purposes, and when
holes are required in castings, either
large or small, the difficulty is overcome
by inserting a core box" A core box
is made on the dry-sand mold principle.
and is merely bit of sand, flour and
sea coal we'll baked, which is stuck
through the hole in the pattern, which
represents the hole in the casting, and
is easily knocked out after the mold
has been cast and the piece has cooled
off
Orders for castings are often sent in
from different divisions of the road
accompanied only by a drawing exc
euted by an expert draughtsman, and in
cases the drawing is turned over to the
pattern makers department, where
cunning fingers set to work, and in
time a model is returned which fills the
bin to dot; but the pattern makers
are a set of men apart.
There are turned out from the foun-
dry castings, both large and small-the
tiny boxing through which a quarter
inch rod plays back and forth, or re-
wolves with lightning rapidity. and the
heavy drive-wheels for giant mountain
locomotives; the intricate mechanism
of the steam engine, and the huge punch
or shear for use in other departments.
| There are a thousand and one things
made each day which would be Greek
| to the uninitiated, and he would ponder
over the matter and attempt to figure
out what, in the name of wonder, all of
those castings could be used for. but
would be no wiser for all his pondering.
| Then If Mrs. Partington Gf it be per-
missible to refer to that lady again) was
| to stop before either of the ten giant
| hydraulic cranes used by the foundry
1 men. she would certainly throw up
both her hands and exclaim, How
| stupendous!" They are indeed affairs
of some magnitude, eight of which have
| Eftinr 90 rAa nitu Of fan tons ga ch and