Buffalo, New York: April 8, 2010

Work on the molds for casting replica Worthington pump parts in iron continues with the packing of sand molds around the plastic replicas of the steam chest cover and damping piston cylinder head made at The Mariners’ Museum before we left Newport News. The sand molds were made by packing a mixture of fine casting sand and two part resin into wooden boxes in which the replica parts were mounted. One half is packed and allowed to set overnight, then flipped and the process is repeated, resulting in a two part mold.

The sand needs to be packed tightly for an accurate mold- here Will is tamping the sand/resin mix into the second side of one of our molds. Tomorrow the sand will be hard and we can remove the plastic form inside, making room for the molten iron to be poured in! Stay tuned for more news From the Foundry!