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PSA: My foreman's advice on preheating the big ladle saved a pour

Frank, the old foreman at the Toledo plant, always told us to preheat the 500-pound ladle for a full 20 minutes before a big gray iron pour, even if it felt warm. I thought it was overkill until last week when I rushed it on a job for a municipal gear casting. The metal started to freeze off early, and we almost had a cold shut. Anyone else have a specific preheat time they swear by for different alloys?
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2 Comments
river_scott
My uncle's old trick was a blowtorch on the spout.
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emeryfox
emeryfox21d ago
Wait, a BLOWTORCH on the spout?
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