Cast iron cookware

Umm, standard gray iron AFAIK. Maybe 2% each of C and Si.

Castings look pretty straightforward, from what I can tell they use two part molds with a runner surrounding the pan and wide ingates around the perhiphery.

Designs? Ain't got one in your kitchen already? LOL!

Tim

You are asking for a lot of information. Go to the library or the internet and do some research. Just getting cast iron melted is a whole complex process in itself, and takes a lot of equipment. Not high tech, but labor intensive in all phases. A real popular source for cast iron for this process is old steam heat radiators. Best thing to do is to watch someone do it. Up here in Minnesota and western Wisconsin, there are several people/groups that do iron pours from time to time. Do some googling and find them. Pay up to get involved, bring your "originals" and have at it. The basic processes are:

-Pattern making--- a whole trade in itself.

-Mold making--- not quite as big a deal, but still requires a fair amount of knowledge and skill for success. Melting the iron--- Requires a furnace often called a cupola. Lots of things have to be done right at the right time.

Lindsay books has several that address all this.

Pete Stanaitis

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Q wrote:

---------------------------------------------------- The best book I've found on DIY iron casting is "The Complete Handbook of Sand Casting" by C. W. Ammen pub. by Tab books. He has several other books Donald Warner

Don't let the facts interfere with your prejudices

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