Cast iron.

[bigegg]

Has anyone had anything cast in iron - at a uk foundry?
Im thinking just pattern and a one off casting.

What sort of cost?
Im guessing the pattern is by far the big cost.

Any size item would give me an idea.
Ta

 

[Wendelspanswick]

Ask OllyO as I know he has parts for coal fired ranges cast in CI.
http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/members/ollyo.20352/

 

[bigegg]

@OllyO ?

 

[Tigman]

I had some cast ballustrades made from the original they were quite costly but we had to have them to match the railings , we had quite a few so cost was not too bad Hoyle and sons Beehive Foundry London cant remember the cost tho sorry , as I recall the pattern ended up in his catalogue !

 

[Chris Stevens]

Castings themselves are charged for on weight. Not that expensive, but if you cant make patterns yourself, then these might cost a fair amount of money. Long time ago I was quoted £2.50 each for alloy bike intake manifolds, which was great until I got pattern cost which was £3k! Ended up making pattern myself, and getting manifolds done for £5 each, which was fine.

 

[TechnicAl]

My mates Father in Law used to own quite a big foundry and he always said that the Pattern needed 100 items off before it was paid for........and that was his own pattern shop. But that was years ago, nowadays it could be different.
He sold it a few years ago but the name still exists

 

[BarrieJ]

Has anyone had anything cast in iron - at a uk foundry?
Im thinking just pattern and a one off casting.

What sort of cost?
Im guessing the pattern is by far the big cost.

Any size item would give me an idea.
Ta

Most of the small foundries who'll cast iron have all gone. Might be worth having a look at the steam engine community, there might be a few good contacts there.
Of the bigger foundries, Hargreaves Foundry in Halifax, Yorkshire might be worth talking to, I think they've got a website.
It's been about fifteen years since I've had anything cast from a pattern, in that instance an obsolete fireplace part, about 15" x 9" with a lever protruding about 4" at about 30 degrees to the vertical, the pattern was fairly simple so making one wasn't too challenging. The foundry was apologetic at charging me £40 cash, stating that the price would have been substantially less if I'd wanted a hundred or so.
Really sorry I don't suppose that's much help to you? Prices could well have doubled in fifteen years.

Could you make your own pattern, or is it a really complicated/involved shape?

 

[Chris Stevens]

Its easy enough to make simple patterns yourself, have done a few no real problem at all. More complex patterns can now be printed from CAD drawings, which reduces cost and lead time substantially.

 

[TechnicAl]

If your thinking of making a pattern, remember the pattern dimensions are different to the finished casting.

The foundry is called Crosslands Foundry who were in Parkgate Rotherham but I think are now somewhere in Sheffield

 

[Maker]

I would imagine the cost of pattern making would have decreased massively with the advent of cheap 3D printers.

 

[bigegg]

Making the pattern's easy enough - I make plenty for casting in aluminium.

@Maker - it's not "making" the pattern that's difficult. It's knowing HOW to make it so you can remove it from the sand!

I was basically wondering how much it would cost to have a welding bench top cast vs. buying a piece of plate and having it machined/bored.
And then I wondered about a replacement lathe bed. and a new table saw top...

etc.etc.etc

 

[ford34/2]

Patterns----did them years ago,used Jelutong and Honduras Mahogany,, I`ll still have some "contraction rulers" some where.

Stan

 

[Robotstar5]

There's quite a few still going round here - iron foundries

 

[brightspark]

lanes foundry at Middlesbrough