Sunday, March 31, 2013

Raking the Runner Box




PHOTOGRAPHER'S JOURNAL:  The runner box is a heavy, steel channel in the form of a "T." When set in place on the furnace, the base of the "T" catches the pour which flows along the channel to the two tips at the top of the "T."  From there the metal flows through holes on the bottom of the channel into two distributer cups that help to spread the metal flowing down into the molds so no air pockets develop. 

The channel is lined with insulating cement, and before the pour begins it is covered in a layer of charcoal.  As the hot metal flows over the charcoal, the charcoal burns to keep the metal from losing heat while flowing to the molds.  Periodically Mike rakes out the channel in the runner box to keep cooling metal from clogging the channel.