Be Careful of What You Let Get Away

[Ironracer]

Instead of looking for the strongest or best castings I can find lately, I’m collecting the scrap to experiment with and try things out on. I’m looking into getting into some “Backyard Foundry” activity and seeing what iron I can chop up and melt down to pour the water jackets full on the throw away last overbore sized blocks. And whatever cracked heads, too. Looking at the whole truck and tractor puller mentality of cooling it with a river of methanol poured down its throat. But admittedly, I’m more just wanting to experiment with seeing if a production iron smog head could be turned into a tunnel port (or worse, stacks out of the top of the head, like a sprint engine) design. Cast on another port and next to the pushrod pinch and shape the center divider made from the port wall like a wing where it goes into the bowl. Of course, it would take a custom manifold (and probably a whole lot of unforeseen patience with getting the casting right) to make it happen. But I would like to find out how two ports divided by the pushrod pinch flows compared to one with the pushrod moved over.

I always figured you as a really smart dude, I didn't know you were mad rocket scientist smart! That's Some really cool ideas there, it's not like they still make those things, so anyway you can beef them up, make them stronger, give em a third or fourth life, and keep them rolling is a good thing, plus you're probably having fun, and learning at the same time (you can probably charge admission for that man)

 

[Garrett Ellison]

It’s going to blow up. I heard this on Facebook.

 

[Garrett Ellison]

I would really like to have a shaper, because it’s the easiest way to cut a lot of cast iron for the least amount of $$$ because you can use High Speed Tool Steel and mist coolant and make “Big Boy Chips.” I’m wanting to say .030 per pass drama free through cast steel. But yeah, I got the resource materials to start studying. Now if I can just make more time, lol!

 

[Ironracer]

I would really like to have a shaper, because it’s the easiest way to cut a lot of cast iron for the least amount of $$$ because you can use High Speed Tool Steel and mist coolant and make “Big Boy Chips.” I’m wanting to say .030 drama free through cast steel. But yeah, I got the resource materials to start studying. Now if I can just make more time, lol!

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That's Tail Kickin! Wow, I had no idea that book existed.....

 

[Garrett Ellison]

I didn't know you were mad rocket scientist smart!

I don’t think it’s so much smart as it is the mad part, lol! But… when you think about it, guys like Vic Sr., MT, Barney Navarro, and many others took up the art and started making their own parts from scratch.. When you start studying the learning curve involved with doing that sort of thing when it comes to casting metal, it’s really amazing that they were able to become as successful as they were. Having known several foundry workers and managers before, it takes a lot of work just to get things to pour correctly and then stay in one piece during cooling.

 

[Ironracer]

I don’t think it’s so much smart as it is the mad part, lol! But… when you think about it, guys like Vic Sr., MT, Barney Navarro, and many others took up the art and started making their own parts from scratch.. When you start studying the learning curve involved with doing that sort of thing when it comes to casting metal, it’s really amazing that they were able to become as successful as they were. Having known several foundry workers and managers before, it takes a lot of work just to get things to pour correctly and then stay in one piece during cooling.

I had a job in a Foundry that mainly made small runs of Flathead parts and what not, intakes, all aluminum though. Believe it or not, that green sand, for an aluminum intake you're picking up 80 lb off that conveyor belt..... they didn't do any cast iron though (so if I told you I had any experience with that I'd be lying) and I really didn't do much there, my job was labor...

 

[Garrett Ellison]

Yeah, iron is a whole ‘nother material to work with altogether, for sure. Usually a couple of slide rule and pocket protector guys working with the shift foreman to figure out how to properly vent the molds during the pour and how to compress the raw casting in the molds during cooling. The lead pourer at a foundry that used to operate here always had some interesting stories to share when he was up for conversation.