Iron Pot Factory

Thermite steel spear.

https://m.facebook.com/davidbakerweaponsmaker/videos/pouring-iron-with-thermite/969888110676003/

Can't find the pic of the raw casting...I hate facebook.

 

Handy contour tool.

 

v-process

 

The guy in the "Casting a bronze Age Head ..." video uses a weird furnace design. He uses an ordinary roofworkers roaring burner blowing straight into a gaping hole in the front center of the furnace, without swirling around the crucible. I thought that the furnace does not get as hot that way.

 

Does anyone have an inkling a what metal was used for the mo(u)ld and casted-in cores in the axe head video?

 

I thought about that too. I don't have an answer, but a couple of observations:
Since his torch is set a distance from the tuyere and blasting in, it must be sucking air into the tuyere and mixing it with the burning fuel as it blasts in. Our customary burners introduce fuel and air into the furnace simultaneously and not yet burning. Part of our swirling action not only serves to mix the fuel and air, but has to give time to both initiate and complete the combustion process. He is, in large part getting a headstart. Whether the setup is optimal or not, who knows. It appears to get the job done though.

Pete

 

This is an amazing high tech continuous casting company from Scotland (No I am no shareholder and have no affiliations). They do strip casting in non-ferrous metals and I saw some photos of 4" dia 'aluminum' billets which appeared to be silver and 2" x 3" continuous cast 'brass' bar which appeared to be gold.

https://www.rautomead.com/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr0jMZpDlBA1IQ3ljQ7vSbA

The continuous casting of wire, sheet and strip is (I think) a booming business as it eliminates much of the rolling afterwards. Unfortunately not (yet ?) for amateurs as these machines are for commercial metalworking shops because of their size and price. I hope in the near future smaller casting machines will appear for e.g. jewelry.
Currently when I need silver sheet I melt it and pour it into a sheet blank of about 4mm thickness which I roll into sheet of the desired thickness on my rolling mill.
Even the steel industry is moving towards strip casting which allows continuous casting of steel only a few centimeters thickness which elinimates the time and energy consuming reheating and roughing mills.

 

https://youtube.com/shorts/pVoRgAzFHQk?feature=shared

 

Holy Crap! If ever there was an argument to be made for the existence of something like OSHA, that's it!

 

Wonder what the mixture is. Aluminum shavings that converts to aluminum oxide?