Stadium Casting
Group at 9/17/2024 meeting
Although it might not be apparent from this website (which hasn’t been updated in a while), Foundry Club is still active and creating consistently. I’m a new member of the board (that page will be updated shortly), and I’ll try to keep this site up to date since it is a helpful way to document our activities. We’ve had another successful return this semester, with an impressive member turnout and exceptional casting results at our first floor meeting (9/17/2024).
As we usually do at the beginning of every semester, we cast aluminum stadiums and chess pieces. One full set of stadiums and two sets of chess pieces were completed. We also threw in the gator for gaffs. This is more casting than we would fit into a normal meeting; we had to mix a second batch of sand to pack four molds. This provided plenty of opportunities for hands-on involvement from club members and exposure to all parts of the mold prep process.
Chess Piece Castings
Alligator Nutcracker Casting
The team that worked on the stadiums did an amazing job. It was a 6/6 winner, to say the very least, as all stadiums came out unusually crisp, clean and defect-free – the highest quality outcome of this pattern we’ve ever seen!
The team that worked on the chess sets did a good job as well, with a majority of pieces coming out well-defined, with minimal flash. However, some sand stuck to the pattern, leaving an unwanted cavity that merged pieces/erased some detail. This occurred in both attempts. More talc powder on the surfaces between pieces should help with this in the future, as well as more uniform ramming.
The alligator did not turn out as well. It’s a tough pattern for us to get right every year because its rough surface is easy for even under-moistened sand to stick to. One day, we will master you, gator. One day.
That summarizes tonight’s activities. People are already sharing their project ideas and showing interest in Cast in Steel 2025, which means we’ll be taking a stab at George Washington’s Swords. We’re excited to see it.
Thank you to everyone who joined us, it was a blast! Stay tuned for updates and a future meeting schedule in our Groupme chat.
Until next time,
NA