WTD: Foundry for one off work?

Marty Escarcega wrote in news:Xns96C63D6BD58E4escarcegacoxnet@68.6.19.6:

Whoops, that is, a foundry that can Cast Iron....

Awhile ago, someone posted to this NG:

"$2 per pound at Pomona Foundry in Southern California. Grey or malleable. $30-50 minimum depending phases of the moon. Top notch work. Absolutely artists at what they do."

I have no idea if this is true or not. I did follow up once on the Amish thing and got a letter in the mail back from a guy who said he no longer did one-off castings. - GWE

You don't need Amish, you just need a small-run foundry run by somebody that's in a good mood. Look in your yellow pages and call around. Be ready to make what you're doing sound interesting.

I'd get a book on shop techniques that details patternmaking, so you can make sure that your pattern isn't a piece of c---, and make sure you know if you want gray cast or if it needs to be heat treated, if sand casting is good enough, what kind of a finish you need (having a sample that you can point to would be good). Understand shrinkage so you can prove that you'll be happy with the result, etc., etc.

Some re-builders on the Yahoo OWWM group really seem to like these guys:

Cattail Foundry

Emanuel King

167 West Cattail Road

Gordonville, PA 17529

They are apparently Amish, so communication would have to be by snail mail. Here's a link with pics of one guy's experience:

Mike

Coulda been me.

Pomona Foundry is no more.

regards,

Jim

Noted and deleted, will cite no mo' ... - GWE

A friend and colleague of mine, (I put some tools of his on eBay some time ago) built a custom draw bench for drawing wire and tubing. Several parts were cast in iron. He had made the patterns for them.

I don't know exactly where they were cast, but I know they were cast in the Bay Area. If you still need a name and address, please post it or contact me directly, and I'll find out for you.

Abrasha

I'll look around - gosh :-) I"m a member of the local area of American Foundry Society :-)

There is a good bunch of sites in the bay - many in the Oakland area and south of SFO. I'll look around my stacked to the hilt office and see If I have a news letter - and some addresses. I get monthly news letters still though I live in Texas now and in fact a town that has one of the great casting companies. BIG Oil field castings are done here.

Can't find the journal either - it is the first of the month - so maybe soon I'll get a newsletter with ads and a journal with more.

Martin Lufkin Cutting Edge Design, LLC Member AFS

Martin Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net NRA LOH, NRA Life NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder

Abrasha wrote:

Several summers back I visited Winnebago Foundry in Beloit Illinois. See

for photos of their plant.

They indicated at that time that they could handle casting from 4oz. to 3000 pounds. One offs were welcome.

Their web page is at

Regards,

Errol Groff

Instructor, Machine Tool Department

H.H. Ellis Technical High School

643 Upper Maple Street Danielson, CT 06239

New England Model Engineering Society

Thanks Martin, if you turn up something, let me know? Marty

"Martin H. Eastburn" wrote in news:1125980713 snipped-for-privacy@spool6-east.superfeed.net:

Let me know what you are looking for - may different types. There are some in Washington and Oregon as well... still alive in the U.S.A.

Martin Martin Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net NRA LOH, NRA Life NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder

Marty Escarcega wrote:

"Martin H. Eastburn" wrote in news:1126317971 snipped-for-privacy@spool6-east.superfeed.net:

Joe at Plaza Machinery lost his casting vendor. He reproduced small parts like Steady and Follower rest for hobby size lathes. He has all the patterns. East Coast would have been better.

The only reason I selfishly bring it up is that I am looking for a Clausing

5900 series Steady Rest and he used to reproduce them. :-)

Marty

Enterprise Foundry in Lewiston ME is still in operation. I've run into Joe at auctions a couple times, he's in located in VT, yes?

Ned Simmons

Hi Marty -

I think your friend (JOE) to start calling around -

Since he is in Vt - Hitchiner Manufacturing Co Inc is an AFS member and might be of help. They are in New Hampshire. If they don't or can't maybe they know someone who can.

There are a number in 'New England' - Mass and all.

This list is just names of knowledgeable foundries not abilities or willingness..

Martin

Martin Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net NRA LOH, NRA Life NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder

Marty Escarcega wrote:

I met a fellow who is apparently operating a small foundry in Western Mass. I met him while he was trying to buy a plant that was a foundry here in NY... but the locals made sure the deal did not happen... seems like a good fellow and willing to do different types of work.

He was willing to do a short run in bronze or brass for me, but I have yet to get together the core print and pattern... if I could only grow extra arms and hands, or clone myself...

I think I can scare up his email and name... email me to: bearlabs at localnet dot com.

If you email via hitting REPLY, I will NOT get the email.

_-_-bear