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Posts Tagged ‘cast irons’

Why cast iron bench ends are perfect for you

What is one way to ensure that you don’t have the same product design as other people in your place? You either make sure that the product is produced at a limited stock, or you make your own. Some people resort to the latter for a number of reasons. Either they would like to personalize their product and let their creativity get the best of them or they would very much like an inexpensive alternative. Making your own product provides that opportunity.

Making your own bench is easy, if it is wooden. You just gather the necessary materials and tools, and download a free tutorial from the internet on how to make one and voila! You have your wooden bench. But what do you do for a cast iron bench? Unless you’re into molding and soldering yourself, cast iron bench ends are the answer to your solution.

Bench ends are the sides of benches and are sold in pairs. They are intricately designed sides, and once you purchase them, the only thing you have to do is make the body of the bench yourself. This is fairly easy, and you could use any material, but the most common is wood.

The following are some of the features of cast iron bench ends.

Diversity of designs

The malleability of cast irons allows it to be soldered and molded into almost any design. The cast iron bench ends have a number of designs that are attractive, authentic and unique. Whether the buyer is into contemporary or modern designs, traditional designs or unconventional designs, the cast iron bench ends have it all.

The material used

Cast iron is very durable and it can withstand harsh conditions. Be it rain, snow, hail, the sun or the mist, cast iron can easily weather that. Products made of this material can last a number of years and if given proper care, it could last a lifetime. Cast iron usually refers to grey iron, and has a low melting point and good fluidity. It has excellent resistance to deformation, and wear resistance. These make it an ideal material to be used in benches.

Cast iron bench ends can be found anywhere. They can be found in malls. They can be found in antiques shops and thrift shops. But instead of strolling around under the heat of the sun, you could easily contact your local furniture dealer and he/she can help you locate a pair. Another alternative would be the internet.

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Properly Seasoning of Cast Iron Pans

Manufacturers usually treat traditional cast iron cookware in some form to prevent rust from occurring during a shipment. Generally, they use food oil, which is simple to wash off. The coating from the manufacturer must be removed before you proceed with seasoning your cookware.  Seasoning cast irons is critical for the maintenance and durability of your cookware. Traditional cast irons contain pores that if not properly seasoned could cause your food to stick to your pan. Improper care also promotes rust occurring on your cookware as well.  However, with the proper maintenance of your cookware, it can last for generations.

Use the instructions below for proper treatment of your NEW cast iron cookware:

Wash cast iron cookware with warm soapy water and use a Brillo pad or steel wool to scrub the cookware well.  This will help to loosen and release the prior treatment used by manufacturers or any rust that may reside on your cookware.
Rinse your cast iron thoroughly to ensure that the particles that you have scrubbed off no longer reside on your cookware.
Thoroughly dry the cast iron to ensure that there is no moisture left. It may help to heat the cast iron on the stove top for 5 – 10 minutes.
Lightly coat the inside and outside of your cookware with a congealed oil such as a vegetable oil, shortening, or lard.  (This aids to fill-in and coat the pores of your cookware. Note: Butter and margarine should not be used in this process.) Be sure to coat the handle and lid, if applicable.
Place the cast iron cookware in the oven, upside down, at 350 degrees for one hour. (Layer the bottom of your oven with aluminum foil to catch any oil drippings. Note: Turning the cookware upside down will aid in the prevention of gummy oil buildup. Another way to prevent gummy oil buildup is to wipe away excess oil after 15 minutes in the oven.) The heat helps to lock in the oils and create a smooth, non-stick surface.
Let the cookware cool to room temperature.
Repeat steps 4 – 6, three times.

Other considerations for the care and maintenance of your cast iron cookware include the following:

When using and electric range, pre-heat cast iron cookware slowly on medium to medium-low heat.
When your cast iron cookware is at high temperatures, do not place cold water in your cookware. This will cause your cookware to crack instantly.
Limit cooking with acidic foods (e.g. tomatoes, vinegar) as this breaks down the seasoning.
Do not keep leftover food in the cast iron cookware for too long. The acid in the food could begin to breakdown the seasoning. You can prevent this from happening by transferring leftover food into a glass or plastic container prior to refrigeration.
Do not boil water in your cast irons.
Do not store your cast iron pans and pots with a lid. Keeping the lid on could promote moisture, which could lead to rusting.
Do not use dishwashing soap to clean your cast iron cookware day-to-day.  This will open pores and over time make it susceptible to retain bacteria from food. Simply wipe and rinse your cookware under warm water. However, if you do decide to use dishwashing soap, it is necessary that you season your cast iron cookware in the oven as described above. However, do not let your cookware soak in soapy water or expose it to water for any length of time.

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Steel casting is a specialized form of casting involving various types of steel. Steel castings are used when cast irons cannot deliver enough strength or shock resistance. Examples of items that are steel castings include: hydroelectric turbine wheels, forging presses, gears, railroad car frames, bodies for valves and pumps, machinery used in mining, marine equipment, and engine casings. Steel castings are categorized into two general groups: carbon steel and alloy steel.

The methods of casting steel: The Szekely method consists of employing metal molds, one of the chief points being to coat the molds with chalk and paraffin. Shaw also employs metal molds. Slavianoff’s electric casting method appears to be simply a method of melting steel by connecting it to one terminal of a strong electric circuit, the crucible in which it is to be melted, or the plate on which it is to be cast being attached to the other.

In the so-called sand core process, a sand core is cast in the ingot which is afterward worked down as usual; it was claimed that the sand did not injure the material, but this, as well as any advantage, is extremely doubtful. In Norton’s fluid rolling process, fluid steel was to be worked direct into sheets by pouring it through revolving rolls properly adjusted, with the idea of preventing blowholes, and reducing the usual amount of scale.

Bessemer’s method for making continuous sheets consisted in running molten steel between two water-cooled steel rolls, separated a suitable distance; the speed of the rolls was regulated according to the thickness of the sheet. In Whiteley’s process for the production of plates, molten steel was run into a revolving cylinder and formed a shell which was taken out, cut open by a saw, and then rolled down. Pielsticker and Mueller’s process was devised for producing bars, rods, and similar material direct from fluid steel by first passing it through dies, and then finishing the resultant material in a rolling mill or under a hammer.

Malleable or cast-iron castings are sometimes united by heating in contact to a high temperature; this is termed “bumming” together. It is sometimes necessary to make an addition to a casting to complete or to replace a portion which has been broken off. For this purpose the casting already made is placed in a mold of the proper shape and molten metal poured in.

The solid metal must be heated up to a sufficiently high temperature, and there are two methods which are usually distinguished as (a) casting on, where the solid metal is heated with a flame, and (b) burning on, where the molten metal is first caused to run into and out of the mold until the solid portion has been sufficiently heated, when the outlet hole is closed, and the mold allowed to fill up.

Wm. Chalk’s method for uniting a sleeve or boss of cast iron, etc., on a wrought- iron shaft consists in heating the shaft to a welding temperature, putting it in a suitable mold, and pouring around it the molten metal.

Falk’s method is somewhat similar, and is intended for uniting the ends of rails; an iron mold is placed around the ends, and extremely hot metal is then poured around them until they are partially fused and will unite readily. Permanent mold casting (typically for non-ferrous metals) requires a set-up time on the order of weeks to prepare a steel tool, after which production rates of 5-50 pieces/hr-mold are achieved with an upper mass limit of 9 kg per iron alloy item (cf., up to 135 kg for many nonferrous metal parts) and a lower limit of about 0.1 kg.

General steel (http://www.generalsteelcorporation.com/) cavities are coated with a refractory wash of acetylene soot before processing to allow easy removal of the work piece and promote longer tool life. Permanent molds have a limited life before wearing out. Worn molds require either refinishing or replacement. Cast parts from a permanent mold generally show 20% increase in tensile strength and 30% increase in elongation as compared to the products of sand casting. The only necessary input is the coating applied regularly.

Typically, permanent mold casting is used in forming iron, aluminum, magnesium, and copper based alloys. In the modern era, the process is highly automated with the use of robotic equipment and computers.