Hey
All three pours are done. Most of the participants have gone home either in Alaska or out of state. Last to leave was Donnie Keen and his Daughter Christy.
After the Kenai pour we took a couple of days off and just rested.Donnie started to get restless facing a long trip home. But we both felt we had one more thing to do. The monument for Wiseman was still in parts on the floor of my shop. Part of it was cast at Wiseman and the rest at the Wasilla pour. We got to work sandblasting and grinding until the monument was ready for the trip. We loaded it and all the tools we thought we would need and on Wednesday morning we headed back to Wiseman.
This time we drove straight through with only a quick stop at Fairbanks for food and fuel. About 15 hours later we were in Wiseman again. We checked in at the Arctic Getaway with Bernie and Uta. The next morning after a good breakfast of sourdough pancakes and eggs. We got busy with installing the monument.
The locals had approved the installation next to the flagpole at the community center. Using river water to mix concrete we made a base out of river rocks and set the first piece of the monument in place. Bernie and Uta along with their children Julia and Leo joined Kristen and Jack another local couple in participating in the assembly. We stacked the pieces filling them with concrete as we went until the last piece was installed.The completed monument is an obelisk about 6ft tall made up of sections stacked on each other. Butch Jack Professor at La Mar University in Beaumont Tx Designed the monument. The molds were made in Texas and hauled all the way to Wiseman in Donnie's truck.
In Wiseman the molds were opened and all the artists and local residents were invited to inscribe their own designs on the faces of the molds. When all the molds were inscribed the molds were closed for casting. The final result turned out wonderful. The monument is covered in designs both whimsical and classic.It truly reflects the personalties of the participants at the Pour. Photos will be added to the site asap.
Its hard to believe that its over. After a little more than a year of planning, a lot of work and some wondering what we had gotten ourselves into. We accomplished the goals we had set for ourselves. We poured Iron above the Arctic circle, Donnie and his group drove from Houston Texas to Wiseman Alaska a trip of approximately 4374 miles with stops at Clarenden Texas for a pour, and at Denver to participate in the Western cast Iron Conference.
While in Alaska we demonstrated that Iron could be poured successfully and Art could be created by an Ad Hoc group of artists, Professors and students. Not only above the arctic circle but across the state from north to south. All it takes is the desire and some ingenuity. It also takes a lot of work and effort. Iron seems to be a medium that attracts the kind of people who are passionate about their art and aren't afraid to get dirty making it.
There are so many people to thank for their help in making Iron Trail to the Arctic a successful and memorable event, from the residents of Wiseman who invited us to their beautiful village and showed so much hospitality. To the participants all who traveled long distances to join us in trying to accomplish something that had not been done in Alaska. To people who were unable to join us but were none the less crucial like Michael Cottrel who set up our website. Joe and Barbara Hettrick who were faithful and friendly supporters along the long road to Alaska and helped at every pour. Forrest Goodhue the photographer of all things Iron. Bruce Bush here in Alaska for use of forklifts and equipment. Carmen Summerfield and the Valley Arts Alliance for the organizing and promotion of the Art on Fire event. The sponsors who helped with materials and shipping.
Magic Metals Custom Fabricating Kenai AK
Keen Foundry Houston TX
Arctic Fires Bronze Sculptureworks Palmer AK
Bushes Bunches Palmer AK
A.B.C. coke Birmingham AL
City of Kenai Kenai AK
Spenard Builders Supply Kenai AK
Alaska Museum Transportation and Industry Wasilla AK
Ironpour.com
Again thanks to all who supported and participated in this adventure.
Whats next? Well Donnie and I were thinking....................
Friday, July 18, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
The final stop on the Trail, Kenai River of Iron pour
With the pour done in Wasilla we took a day off and went to the museum in Anchorage.
Forrest went to the airport and left the trail. D'j and Susan also left on Sunday night. Butch and Rhonda left on Monday. With our shortened crew we spent Tuesday loading the trailer and the trucks for the trip to Kenai. We decided we only needed two vehicles so we put the trailer on Joe Hettricks truck and loaded up the miscellaneous stuff in my pickup. We set out early Wednesday for the 200 mile trip south to Kenai.
On arriving in Kenai we unloaded and set up the mold making equipment at Scott Hamann's "toy box" This is a building where Scott keeps his "Toys" Hot rods, forging equipment,casting equipment, motorcycles, etc. Laura and Eric West from Fresno California where Laura is a professor at Fresno city College and Eric is a jeweler also arrived. We soon got busy making molds.
On Thursday we continued our mold making. That morning Wendy Croskrey from Fairbanks showed up and a little later 3 more people from Fairbanks Hannah, Aeron, and Tamara arrived. We were glad to see the crew from Fairbanks as we were short of experienced people for this pour. They were a big help in Wiseman and in Wasilla so were glad they made all the Alaskan pours.
Friday arrived with rainy skies. We had arranged with the city of Kenai to pour at the city's multi purpose facility. They had set up a sand covered area inside the building and another outside the building so we could pour inside or outside depending on the weather. We finally decided to set up the molds inside and the furnace outside. We had to move the outside sand but after a little scrambling around we got the furnace set up.
After the experience we had Gained running the furnace in Wasilla we decided to drill another slag hole lower in the well to allow us to remove slag at a lower level and tap when less metal had collected in the well. We got the furnace fired up and in a couple of hours we were ready to melt metal. With Scott tapping and the Fairbanks women pouring we made our first tap. The new slag hole turned out to be at the right height to produce a full but not too full ladle of good hot iron. We began pouring molds and after a few more taps we had all the molds filled in a couple of hours.
There was a pretty good turnout of spectators to watch the pouring. We had been advertised in all the city's newspaper ads about the fourth of July activities.
After the pour we cleaned up the smaller stuff and went to dinner followed by a relaxing evening in Scott's beautiful yard with its ocean view. On Saturday we were invited to Scott's again for a party in the yard with lots of locals , live cannon fire,a bowling ball mortar that shot 16 lb. bowling balls into the air until they were out of sight, and automatic weapons fire. But no fireworks as they are illegal in most of Alaska.
Forrest went to the airport and left the trail. D'j and Susan also left on Sunday night. Butch and Rhonda left on Monday. With our shortened crew we spent Tuesday loading the trailer and the trucks for the trip to Kenai. We decided we only needed two vehicles so we put the trailer on Joe Hettricks truck and loaded up the miscellaneous stuff in my pickup. We set out early Wednesday for the 200 mile trip south to Kenai.
On arriving in Kenai we unloaded and set up the mold making equipment at Scott Hamann's "toy box" This is a building where Scott keeps his "Toys" Hot rods, forging equipment,casting equipment, motorcycles, etc. Laura and Eric West from Fresno California where Laura is a professor at Fresno city College and Eric is a jeweler also arrived. We soon got busy making molds.
On Thursday we continued our mold making. That morning Wendy Croskrey from Fairbanks showed up and a little later 3 more people from Fairbanks Hannah, Aeron, and Tamara arrived. We were glad to see the crew from Fairbanks as we were short of experienced people for this pour. They were a big help in Wiseman and in Wasilla so were glad they made all the Alaskan pours.
Friday arrived with rainy skies. We had arranged with the city of Kenai to pour at the city's multi purpose facility. They had set up a sand covered area inside the building and another outside the building so we could pour inside or outside depending on the weather. We finally decided to set up the molds inside and the furnace outside. We had to move the outside sand but after a little scrambling around we got the furnace set up.
After the experience we had Gained running the furnace in Wasilla we decided to drill another slag hole lower in the well to allow us to remove slag at a lower level and tap when less metal had collected in the well. We got the furnace fired up and in a couple of hours we were ready to melt metal. With Scott tapping and the Fairbanks women pouring we made our first tap. The new slag hole turned out to be at the right height to produce a full but not too full ladle of good hot iron. We began pouring molds and after a few more taps we had all the molds filled in a couple of hours.
There was a pretty good turnout of spectators to watch the pouring. We had been advertised in all the city's newspaper ads about the fourth of July activities.
After the pour we cleaned up the smaller stuff and went to dinner followed by a relaxing evening in Scott's beautiful yard with its ocean view. On Saturday we were invited to Scott's again for a party in the yard with lots of locals , live cannon fire,a bowling ball mortar that shot 16 lb. bowling balls into the air until they were out of sight, and automatic weapons fire. But no fireworks as they are illegal in most of Alaska.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Next stop on the trail Art on Fire
Hey
our group left Wiseman on Sunday and drove straight back to Palmer to get ready for the next pour.
We got to Palmer about 4 am needless to say we didn't get much done on Monday.
On Tuesday we felt better and got to work organizing the stuff we were going to need in Wasilla. Some people started making molds others broke iron. Tuesday night about midnight Donnie and his crew rolled in having spent an additional night in Wiseman and a night in Fairbanks on the way to Palmer.
Wednesday and Thursday we continued to get ready making molds, breaking iron,,constructing ladles, etc. We also burned in the new copulette.
Scott Hamann and I designed the furnace using ideas from different furnaces I had been around and info from people who had built furnaces before. Scott built the furnace down in Kenai at his Fabricating business and had delivered it to me in Palmer a week or 2 before. With a couple of minor additions it was ready for Saturday.
Friday was a flurry of activity with everyone busy with making molds or breaking iron and making equipment, charging stand, ladles,and making up charges of iron and coke.
Saturday we were up early loading the furnace on the trailer and loading the trucks with all the equipment and off to the Alaska Museum Of Transportation and Industry we went.
The Museum is located on the northern edge of Wasilla and houses a large collection of trains ,planes and automobiles from Alaska's past. The collection includes outboard motors ,chainsaws and construction equipment as well as snow machines. We had thought that the museums Historical displays of Alaska's industrial past as well as nice grounds would be an appropriate venue for an Iron pour, as casting art from iron is an example of co-opting an industrial process for cultural expression.
I had Talked about the Idea of holding an Iron pour at the Museum with Carmen Summerfield the director of a local arts group the Valley arts Alliance. Carmen set up a meeting with members of the museum board and in the course of discussion at later meetings it was decided that not only was an iron pour a good idea why not expand the concept and invite other artists who use fire in the process of creating their art and call the whole thing Art on Fire.
Carmen and the Arts Alliance recruited raku pottery artists, encaustic wax artists and several blacksmiths to demonstrate their talents.Food vendors were also invited to make the whole experience a good opportunity for Families to spend an afternoon at the museum and enjoying the live demos.
Arriving at the Museum we unloaded the trucks and trailers and began to set up the equipment after a few false starts we got everything oriented and started up the furnace. This was the first time the furnace had ever melted metal and we didn't know what to expect. When the coke was hot we cut in the main blower and began charging.
After the first charge we had iron at the tap hole in 4 minutes. We botted the hole and kept charging, it wasn't long until we had slag at the slagger and soon after we had iron.
We Tapped and filled the first ladle until the pour team said they had enough weight, then botted in mid flow. The pour team poured that ladle and switched out and we tapped again, this time we filled the ladle and again botted in mid flow. After pouring that ladle we tapped again and got about a half full ladle. we estimate from the weight of the charges we were getting between 200 and 220#s of iron in the well when it showed iron at the slagger.
We continued pouring until all the molds were filled. We only had one mold that leaked and were able to still save most of that piece. All the other pieces poured successfully and the onlookers were treated to a good show and expressed interest in the process and the medium.
After we finished pouring we dropped the bottom and cleaned out the furnace without too much trouble. After loading up the smaller equipment we went back to Palmer for showers and relaxation.
our group left Wiseman on Sunday and drove straight back to Palmer to get ready for the next pour.
We got to Palmer about 4 am needless to say we didn't get much done on Monday.
On Tuesday we felt better and got to work organizing the stuff we were going to need in Wasilla. Some people started making molds others broke iron. Tuesday night about midnight Donnie and his crew rolled in having spent an additional night in Wiseman and a night in Fairbanks on the way to Palmer.
Wednesday and Thursday we continued to get ready making molds, breaking iron,,constructing ladles, etc. We also burned in the new copulette.
Scott Hamann and I designed the furnace using ideas from different furnaces I had been around and info from people who had built furnaces before. Scott built the furnace down in Kenai at his Fabricating business and had delivered it to me in Palmer a week or 2 before. With a couple of minor additions it was ready for Saturday.
Friday was a flurry of activity with everyone busy with making molds or breaking iron and making equipment, charging stand, ladles,and making up charges of iron and coke.
Saturday we were up early loading the furnace on the trailer and loading the trucks with all the equipment and off to the Alaska Museum Of Transportation and Industry we went.
The Museum is located on the northern edge of Wasilla and houses a large collection of trains ,planes and automobiles from Alaska's past. The collection includes outboard motors ,chainsaws and construction equipment as well as snow machines. We had thought that the museums Historical displays of Alaska's industrial past as well as nice grounds would be an appropriate venue for an Iron pour, as casting art from iron is an example of co-opting an industrial process for cultural expression.
I had Talked about the Idea of holding an Iron pour at the Museum with Carmen Summerfield the director of a local arts group the Valley arts Alliance. Carmen set up a meeting with members of the museum board and in the course of discussion at later meetings it was decided that not only was an iron pour a good idea why not expand the concept and invite other artists who use fire in the process of creating their art and call the whole thing Art on Fire.
Carmen and the Arts Alliance recruited raku pottery artists, encaustic wax artists and several blacksmiths to demonstrate their talents.Food vendors were also invited to make the whole experience a good opportunity for Families to spend an afternoon at the museum and enjoying the live demos.
Arriving at the Museum we unloaded the trucks and trailers and began to set up the equipment after a few false starts we got everything oriented and started up the furnace. This was the first time the furnace had ever melted metal and we didn't know what to expect. When the coke was hot we cut in the main blower and began charging.
After the first charge we had iron at the tap hole in 4 minutes. We botted the hole and kept charging, it wasn't long until we had slag at the slagger and soon after we had iron.
We Tapped and filled the first ladle until the pour team said they had enough weight, then botted in mid flow. The pour team poured that ladle and switched out and we tapped again, this time we filled the ladle and again botted in mid flow. After pouring that ladle we tapped again and got about a half full ladle. we estimate from the weight of the charges we were getting between 200 and 220#s of iron in the well when it showed iron at the slagger.
We continued pouring until all the molds were filled. We only had one mold that leaked and were able to still save most of that piece. All the other pieces poured successfully and the onlookers were treated to a good show and expressed interest in the process and the medium.
After we finished pouring we dropped the bottom and cleaned out the furnace without too much trouble. After loading up the smaller equipment we went back to Palmer for showers and relaxation.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Iron above the Arctic Circle
Hey
Its been a while and many miles since the last update. the Wiseman pour was a success. It wasn't perfect but iron was poured and art was created above the Arctic Circle.
Our group left for the circle in 2 vehicles. Myself and Shane Morgan in the pickup and D'jean Jawrunner professor at Mesalands Community College and Susan Byrnes and the Wests Laura and Eric in the Tahoe. we left as early as any six people with different dispositions , multiple bags and various molds could manage.
After multiple stops we were actually on the road by 11 am Thursday. we proceeded at a good rate up the parks highway stopping at the Denali viewpoint to get a glimpse of the mountain. We made our way north to the entrance of Denali national park and drove in as far as they allow private vehicles. We saw beavers, caribou and eagles.
We arrived in Fairbanks about 7 pm and stopped for a nice meal at the Chena pump house. after that we gassed up and headed for the Dalton highway. The Highway was in pretty good shape with several sections improved over last year. We drove into the night. Though not dark, as at that latitude night is a concept more than a reality.
When we crossed the Yukon river we decided to stop and sleep a while in the cars, it was about 1;30 am and when we parked I noticed the flat on the Tahoe. Being tired we decided to leave it till morning another concept at this latitude. we slept until 4;oo am got out and changed the tire and continued on our way. We stopped at the arctic circle marker for photos and bathroom breaks. Then we continued on to Cold foot the only truck stop above the arctic circle. After much needed coffee and breakfast we had the tire repaired and pushed the last of the way to Wiseman.
When we arrived Donnie and Butch and Rhonda were already setting up the copula . We unloaded the stuff we brought and helped set up. we spread the molds into pour lines and assembled equipment . Butch burned in the copula for a couple of hours to be sure it was dry and ready for Saturday.
We checked in with our hosts Bernie and Uta of the arctic getaway lodge
and put our stuff in the charming 2 story cabin we had rented. Wiseman was beautiful ,the weather was nice though not warm enough for the non Alaskans.
The pour site was the yard of the Wiseman community center a large log building used for community purposes. We were about 50 yards from the Koyokuk river where we hauled buckets of water from to use in case of fire. Wiseman has about 13 full time residents and about double that in the summer. The residents are living the lifestyle of real alternative energy as the whole village is off the grid and all electricity is generated by each individual home owner by various means including water, solar ,wind, or gas and diesel generators or a combination of all depending on their needs.
After setting up, we relaxed and visited. The other group were staying at the Boreal lodge the other b&b in town . About midnight, still not dark. Wendy Croskrey and 3 of her students Hannah, Margaret and Tamara arrived from Fairbanks.
On Saturday we fired the furnace and began the preheat. set out the mold lines and prepared the ladles, after a couple of hours we began charging and in short order had iron at the slag hole. We tapped and poured the first pieces. We had a second successful tap and then the trouble began. On the third tap we couldn't get through to the liquid iron, after several attempts to tap
We tipped the furnace on its side and dumped the contents on the ground. We then knocked as much metal and slag out of the furnace as we could, cleared the tap hole set the furnace back upon its stand and refired it with fresh coke,after another preheat we were able to tap a couple more times before we had trouble again. We dumped it out beat on the inside and cleared it again, re heated it and got one tap before it froze up for the third time. We dumped it tried to clear it and finally admitted defeat.
We did manage to get about half the pieces poured including several scratch blocks made by the locals some of which were very nice pieces. The weather for the pour was typical Alaska summer, bright warm sunshine for awhile, cloudy for a while, rain for about 20 minutes and then clearing to partly cloudy . All in the same day. We had about 16 participants about a dozen from outside and the rest from Alaska. The locals came out and watched and participated in making scratch blocks . Bernie and Uta even brought the participants coffee and cookies after the rain storm. We estimated about 50 people at times between participants and spectators. If we include the mosquitoes we had over a million . Yes the mosquitoes were thick.
Like I said , the pour wasn't perfect but we did melt and pour iron in the village of Wiseman.
We had a good time and the locals including some from cold foot and Nenana enjoyed watching and participating. All in All we put it down in our book as a success.
Its been a while and many miles since the last update. the Wiseman pour was a success. It wasn't perfect but iron was poured and art was created above the Arctic Circle.
Our group left for the circle in 2 vehicles. Myself and Shane Morgan in the pickup and D'jean Jawrunner professor at Mesalands Community College and Susan Byrnes and the Wests Laura and Eric in the Tahoe. we left as early as any six people with different dispositions , multiple bags and various molds could manage.
After multiple stops we were actually on the road by 11 am Thursday. we proceeded at a good rate up the parks highway stopping at the Denali viewpoint to get a glimpse of the mountain. We made our way north to the entrance of Denali national park and drove in as far as they allow private vehicles. We saw beavers, caribou and eagles.
We arrived in Fairbanks about 7 pm and stopped for a nice meal at the Chena pump house. after that we gassed up and headed for the Dalton highway. The Highway was in pretty good shape with several sections improved over last year. We drove into the night. Though not dark, as at that latitude night is a concept more than a reality.
When we crossed the Yukon river we decided to stop and sleep a while in the cars, it was about 1;30 am and when we parked I noticed the flat on the Tahoe. Being tired we decided to leave it till morning another concept at this latitude. we slept until 4;oo am got out and changed the tire and continued on our way. We stopped at the arctic circle marker for photos and bathroom breaks. Then we continued on to Cold foot the only truck stop above the arctic circle. After much needed coffee and breakfast we had the tire repaired and pushed the last of the way to Wiseman.
When we arrived Donnie and Butch and Rhonda were already setting up the copula . We unloaded the stuff we brought and helped set up. we spread the molds into pour lines and assembled equipment . Butch burned in the copula for a couple of hours to be sure it was dry and ready for Saturday.
We checked in with our hosts Bernie and Uta of the arctic getaway lodge
and put our stuff in the charming 2 story cabin we had rented. Wiseman was beautiful ,the weather was nice though not warm enough for the non Alaskans.
The pour site was the yard of the Wiseman community center a large log building used for community purposes. We were about 50 yards from the Koyokuk river where we hauled buckets of water from to use in case of fire. Wiseman has about 13 full time residents and about double that in the summer. The residents are living the lifestyle of real alternative energy as the whole village is off the grid and all electricity is generated by each individual home owner by various means including water, solar ,wind, or gas and diesel generators or a combination of all depending on their needs.
After setting up, we relaxed and visited. The other group were staying at the Boreal lodge the other b&b in town . About midnight, still not dark. Wendy Croskrey and 3 of her students Hannah, Margaret and Tamara arrived from Fairbanks.
On Saturday we fired the furnace and began the preheat. set out the mold lines and prepared the ladles, after a couple of hours we began charging and in short order had iron at the slag hole. We tapped and poured the first pieces. We had a second successful tap and then the trouble began. On the third tap we couldn't get through to the liquid iron, after several attempts to tap
We tipped the furnace on its side and dumped the contents on the ground. We then knocked as much metal and slag out of the furnace as we could, cleared the tap hole set the furnace back upon its stand and refired it with fresh coke,after another preheat we were able to tap a couple more times before we had trouble again. We dumped it out beat on the inside and cleared it again, re heated it and got one tap before it froze up for the third time. We dumped it tried to clear it and finally admitted defeat.
We did manage to get about half the pieces poured including several scratch blocks made by the locals some of which were very nice pieces. The weather for the pour was typical Alaska summer, bright warm sunshine for awhile, cloudy for a while, rain for about 20 minutes and then clearing to partly cloudy . All in the same day. We had about 16 participants about a dozen from outside and the rest from Alaska. The locals came out and watched and participated in making scratch blocks . Bernie and Uta even brought the participants coffee and cookies after the rain storm. We estimated about 50 people at times between participants and spectators. If we include the mosquitoes we had over a million . Yes the mosquitoes were thick.
Like I said , the pour wasn't perfect but we did melt and pour iron in the village of Wiseman.
We had a good time and the locals including some from cold foot and Nenana enjoyed watching and participating. All in All we put it down in our book as a success.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Update to now
Last entry was from
Wiseman is a long established northern most outpost for the gold rush, the place where the first air travel in
We arrived on Thursday evening, the eight of us: Donnie, Kristi, Forrest, Barbra, Joe, Mandy, Rhonda Mc Nally (who met us in
Friday morning we unloaded the trucks and began setting up the furnace, etc. Just at the opportune moment Pat Garley, Shane Morgan (from
Saturday morning we started by unloading molds and charges. We had made the molds in
Next time we went to three full charges of 25 pounds each. And we got lots of very hot metal. Several molds got poured. That seemed to be the answer. BUT, when we tried the same regime the next time we got NOTHING, no metal and the tap hole was frozen.
At that point we had the choice of shutting down or trying to clear the cupolette. We dumped the entire thing, all coke, whatever metal, etc. And started again from new bed coke & back burning to ensure that we had a hot well. Again we got hot metal, more molds got poured; BUT the next time we had a well full of slag and no metal. We decided to call it off and dumped every thing once more. We never did get metal again.
We did cast a plaque, the “cap piece”, the base & one section to the obelisk, plus several of the molds that had come up from Pat’s molding workshop. In retrospect, its obvious that I had made the well too deep and the metal was cooling before the third charge was melted. So much for calculations versus experience. I SHOULD have taken the measurements from the furnace that worked in NYC and raised the slagger and tuyere an inch or so to give us the 50 pounds we needed. But I had recalculated and went with those measurements.
As Pat said, it wasn’t a runaway success, nor was it an unqualified failure. Somewhere in between. The plaque, which poured slightly “short”, but OK, is now installed next to the flag pole at the Wiseman Community center, the base, cap, and section, and other section molds are on their way to Palmer to be finished out and/or poured at the Wasilla pour next Saturday, or, God forbid, at Kenai the Friday after. The entire project will be complete sometime between now and next August.
We cleaned the site on Sunday, after the Saturday pour. Its pretty much the same as when we arrived, except there is a lightly used cupolette sitting next to the 55 gallon, burn barrel and a few chunks of mold waste that will be carved into molds before next year’s Wasilla pour.
But, as far as the residents of Wiseman were concerned, it was a smashing success. When we stopped at the Visitor’s Center and cafe in Cold Foot this Monday morning to get our “certificates” that verify that we have crossed the arctic circle, everyone was happy and still excited. It had been exhilarating for them to have us come and even attempt to pour iron, and the plaque was just gravy after the fact.
And, Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that mid-pour we got about twenty minutes of rain and that the mosquitoes were vicious. Kristin, one of the ladies who invited us to Wiseman, always had a lit mosquito coil in her hand as she walked around. We had to make do with the Off that we brought.
Further Update to Now, Now Having Changed
The current NOW is in Palmer,
The big draw is, of course,
Preparations for the Wasilla Pour are underway. Scott Hamann had delivered the furnace that Pat designed and we burned it in, twice. With a couple of minor modifications it looks ready to run and should tap out between 120-200 pounds, depending.
We have fabricated two ladles, one standard refractory lined and one that D’Jean made with fiber lining, plus we still have two of our smaller fiber ladles as backup, just in case. We still have to make some cupola tools and finish up molds.
Further down the new Now.
The Wasilla pour is history, we haven’t cleaned up the site yet, but its done. Most importantly, it went very well. Lots of good hot iron. The new cupolette tapped 220 pounds, or would have if we’d had a ladle big enough; we had to bott mid-stream and the crew didn’t like a heavy ladle, so we took three taps per set of charges. All the molds poured, only one had any mis-casting, & I suspect that the core was too thick at that point, or it shifted in transit.
The piece for Wiseman is all cast and ready to be finished at leisure. The Wasilla plaque is ready to clean and install. And the
The public information has been spotty and somewhat inaccurate, but great fun. In the local Palmer newspaper D’Jean Jawrunner is the “featured” artist because she is a known quantity here. Pat, Donnie, & I have given her a hard time about it, mostly Pat who is local and can’t get much of a mention in his home town. They have known each other for so long now its difficult to know who did what first, but D'Jean is the "teacher of record". My father always used to say that “a prophet’s mouth is always ‘stopped’ in his own land”, it seems to still be true. We shall see what the Anchorage paper has to say in its Wednesday section.
Pictures and extensive info to follow. Internet access is mostly not easily available, sorry.
Butch
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Finally to the Interior
I’m not sure exactly what to say about the ferry ride to Haines, it was a boat trip. It was a big boat, but even the biggest isn’t the same as our normal perceptions of space. We normally operate over a much wider area than we think about and its not until you’re in a confined space that you realize just how much area we’re used to occupying.
It was pleasant, the crew seemed efficient, & the cabin was small for the four of us: myself, Forrest, Donnie & his daughter Kristi. I spent much time in the lounge areas or on deck, either reading or watching the mountains go by. I’ve never been to
The ship had selective WIFI connectivity, at its discretion, not ours; and when we were at or around a city some had cell phone connectivity, but not me.
What the isolation did for me was to make me wonder just why I prefer to pour iron. Why was I spending this much time, effort, and money to go to an end of the earth to pour iron? I’ve been on “why iron” panels at conferences, but I’ve never felt that I succinctly stated its allure. Physically its heavy, at pouring temperatures its dangerously hot, it has more intrinsic energy, when spilled it “bounces”, and at the proper temperature it runs into thin sections better than any other metal. It’s a common metal, most of the earth’s surface contains at least some iron, so its fitting for the proletariat in me that works hard at difficult tasks for not much reward. It’s a very “moral” metal, almost Puritanical in its difficultly and demand, but more positive in its feedback in the form of an object than any religion can promise. And at its most basic, its beautiful; regardless of what stage of the object making process you look at it. Fresh from the mold its black and gritty, cleaned and blasted its pristine yet soft appearing, and once it begins the patina process of corrosion it reveals nuances of color. There’s a reason why iron is the most versatile glaze colorant for potters, it runs the gamut from reds, oranges, and yellows to the celadon blues or greens to browns, a “temoku purple” and deep and mysterious black. Truly phenomenal and it lasts. We stopped at a museum with objects from the “gold rush” days and there were objects that, while not in their original usable condition, gave mute testimony to some long forgotten person’s efforts.
So I gazed at my navel when I wasn’t looking at scenery.
Now we’re in
The scenery through
The major impediment to enjoyment was the weather. It was cold and rainy most of the trip, it still is as I type this. Hopefully we will get at least dryer conditions when we get to Wiseman.
And this is probably a good time to introduce our “shadow group” from
Another welcome addition will be D’Jean Jawrunner. I was so pleased when I read Pat’s post saying that she had arrived. It was at her place in
And the link is current at IRONPOUR.COM, thank you Michael.
If dryer lint is a “feminist material”, what is belly-button lint?
Butch
they're here
Hey
Well we have some new arrivals in Alaska. Donnie keen and Butch Jack and company have arrived in Haines and are making thier way to Wiseman.
Tonight I picked up 4 participants at the Anchorage airport. Laura and Eric West are here and D'jean Jawrunner and Susan Byrnes also arrived . They managed to arrive within the same hour on 3 different flights by 3 different carriers.
We will be spending the next couple of days making sand molds and preparing stuff for the trip to Wiseman trip. We plan to leave early Thursday and head for Wiseman.
Speaking of new arrivals Scott Hamann of Kenai came up to Palmer this last saturday and dropped off the new cupolette. The Metal Magic Melter Is a beauty and hopefully will live up to her name. we will be doing a trial run next week to make sure we are ready for the Wasilla and Kenai pours.
Thats all for now.
Pat
Well we have some new arrivals in Alaska. Donnie keen and Butch Jack and company have arrived in Haines and are making thier way to Wiseman.
Tonight I picked up 4 participants at the Anchorage airport. Laura and Eric West are here and D'jean Jawrunner and Susan Byrnes also arrived . They managed to arrive within the same hour on 3 different flights by 3 different carriers.
We will be spending the next couple of days making sand molds and preparing stuff for the trip to Wiseman trip. We plan to leave early Thursday and head for Wiseman.
Speaking of new arrivals Scott Hamann of Kenai came up to Palmer this last saturday and dropped off the new cupolette. The Metal Magic Melter Is a beauty and hopefully will live up to her name. we will be doing a trial run next week to make sure we are ready for the Wasilla and Kenai pours.
Thats all for now.
Pat
Sunday, June 15, 2008
The last day ashore & aboard the Good ship Columbia
The last day ashore & aboard the Good ship
The last day before boarding the ferry was spent getting some warmer clothes at REI and a trip to the campus of
We went to check in for the ferry loading and were put in line with the other vehicles that were bound for Haines, the last stop of the voyage. Because we were going to the end of the line, we were among the last to load, but only after the home-land security dog decided we were OK.
It has occurred to me that many folks who would be likely to read this, think of a ferry in the same size, scale, & configuration as the ones at Boliver peninsula; the
As for the passage itself, the scenery is very green & grey. The sea reflects the grey of the overcast sky and the mountains on both sides of the channels are vertical slabs of evergreen trees. The mountains aren’t that tall compared to the Rockies, they stick straight up out of the water for as much as 3000 feet, but there is snow on the wind scoured tops and the grey of the sky blends with the snow, so the only way to judge the height is to follow the trajectory of the trees going up the edges. The cloud ceiling is low enough that some of the mountain tops are obscured. We have traversed some open water; there were whales and dolphins in those areas; I have to admit I didn’t see them, but there are crowds of people at the front viewing areas who did. We get to
And, there are some who don't know Forrest Goodhue of Beaumont, TX. He is the "Photographer of all things iron" & has been for the past ten years and it is our good fortune to have him along on this journey of iron.
Friday, June 13, 2008
time is flying
Hey
On the Alaska end of things its going to get hectic soon with the arrival of the road travelers and others who are flying in. four people are arriving Monday into Anchorage where I'll pick them up.
Our furnace for the Wasilla and Kenai pours is built. The refractory cast. The blower is being mounted and accessories are being fabricated, Ladles, skimmers etc.
We will be making sand molds at my studio in Palmer on Tuesday and Wednesday and are planning to leave for Wiseman on Thursday morning. The weather in Alaska has been on the cool side with highs in the upper 50s and lows in the 40s. but I hope for a little warmer weather next week.
In a little research about casting in Alaska I have found references to Iron foundries set up first by the Russians in what is now Sitka. They used charcoal to cast iron fittings for the ships they built to service the fur trade. Later references to a Iron foundry in Juneau which used coal to make and repair equipment for the gold mines in the area. Other references and photos around 1920 talk about the coking of coal for an iron foundry in Anchorage operated by the railroad.
With Alaska's long history of major mining operations even above the Arctic Circle such as Nome.
I would hesitate to say this will be the first Iron pour above the Arctic circle. Though it may be.
It will definitely be the first for the purpose of creating art work.
well back to work.
Pat
On the Alaska end of things its going to get hectic soon with the arrival of the road travelers and others who are flying in. four people are arriving Monday into Anchorage where I'll pick them up.
Our furnace for the Wasilla and Kenai pours is built. The refractory cast. The blower is being mounted and accessories are being fabricated, Ladles, skimmers etc.
We will be making sand molds at my studio in Palmer on Tuesday and Wednesday and are planning to leave for Wiseman on Thursday morning. The weather in Alaska has been on the cool side with highs in the upper 50s and lows in the 40s. but I hope for a little warmer weather next week.
In a little research about casting in Alaska I have found references to Iron foundries set up first by the Russians in what is now Sitka. They used charcoal to cast iron fittings for the ships they built to service the fur trade. Later references to a Iron foundry in Juneau which used coal to make and repair equipment for the gold mines in the area. Other references and photos around 1920 talk about the coking of coal for an iron foundry in Anchorage operated by the railroad.
With Alaska's long history of major mining operations even above the Arctic Circle such as Nome.
I would hesitate to say this will be the first Iron pour above the Arctic circle. Though it may be.
It will definitely be the first for the purpose of creating art work.
well back to work.
Pat
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Just about to ferry to Alaska
Tomorrow we board the ferry to Haines, Alaska. Its more of an adventure than the pour, since I'm a native of Kansas and we didn't have such large bodies of water. And its the closest thing to a vacation on the trip because there's nothing that we can or have to do. I do have a new phone, but it may or may not work, partially their fault, partially where we're going. And I no longer have anyone's phone numbers, so I can't call anyone anyway. It is passing strange how dependent we become on these technological props, I avoided it as long as I could, but even I succumbed to the convenience.
I suppose to be "accurate" about the whole event we should somehow use a natural draft system and eschew the generator that we brought to power the blowers; maybe a bellows of some description. Technology doesn't so much change, as get more productive through an automation and development of sorts. We won't sit around in a circle puffing into the furnace because the electric blowers do it for us. But otherwise the processes are basically the same as two millenniums past; a worker from the Darby furnace in Ironbridge, England would recognize everything we have to make our job easier than was his. He might not prefer it to what he was used to, but it wouldn't be that foreign to him.
Oh well, its late; it brings on idle speculation.
Always know where the lifeboats launch,
Butch
I suppose to be "accurate" about the whole event we should somehow use a natural draft system and eschew the generator that we brought to power the blowers; maybe a bellows of some description. Technology doesn't so much change, as get more productive through an automation and development of sorts. We won't sit around in a circle puffing into the furnace because the electric blowers do it for us. But otherwise the processes are basically the same as two millenniums past; a worker from the Darby furnace in Ironbridge, England would recognize everything we have to make our job easier than was his. He might not prefer it to what he was used to, but it wouldn't be that foreign to him.
Oh well, its late; it brings on idle speculation.
Always know where the lifeboats launch,
Butch
Spokane Blues
Got the
‘Cause all it does is rain
I suppose it could be worse,
‘Cause snow would be a pain (in the ****).
We started off Wednesday morning with high hopes that we would be in
We had an “extra” day programmed in, so no time should be lost getting to the ferry in
They have incredible detail and thin-ness for the technology of the time and place.
It is somewhat ironic (if you’ll pardon the expression) that we have the arrogance to consider ourselves ferrous-temperature foundry-men, when it has been done with as good or better craftsmanship for many centuries now. It makes me wonder if those who preceded us had the same feelings. There is a certain commonality of experiences through the centuries when we compare what we produce. The Chinese foundry-men were making an object for veneration of a spiritual vein; I make things for contemplation that I suppose could be spiritual but outside of an organized dogma. Are the two comparable? Should they be compared? Has human endeavor progressed or are we just fooling ourselves? A certain humility and skepticism would seem to be appropriate.
Iron casting originated in eastern Europe some thousands of years ago, before recorded history, its not unreasonable that someone took that technology northward above the arctic circle before. At the same time, ferrous temperature foundry didn’t happen on the North American continent until European settlement, as far as we know. So we could be the first on this continent at least. We didn’t really set out to be in the Guinness Book of Records, but we could be.
It’s easy to fall into such speculation while waiting for parts and repairs under the grey skies of eastern
I hope your “cam shaft position sensor” is in the proper condition.
Butch
Monday, June 9, 2008
Onward from Denver
Onward from
The Western Cast Iron Art Conference was a good meeting, although I missed some of the most interesting parts getting there late. The metallurgy panel that Elliot Brown, Donnie, & I did seemed to be well received. Elliot is a “real” metallurgist and gave a technical presentation, Donnie described how he approaches the same thing from a “seat of the pants” viewpoint, and, as moderator, I just took notes and summed up what seemed to be most important.
The “Iron Tribe” exhibition opening featured a celebration of the life of Charlie Hook by his widow Deborah LaGrasse. I knew Charles for more years than either of us wanted to admit and I’ll miss his participation in things iron.
The exhibit itself was a remarkable survey of works from old & new guard, foreign & domestic. Some were just the molds that were to be cast the next day during the production pours. They were just as interesting as sculptures in sand as the eventual castings. Great presentation of the work, in a nice space. Kudos to David Lobdell.
The “performance casting” night went off without any apparent hitches. Bowling will never seem the same after watching freshly cast, glowing cast iron balls run down the ramp towards a set of ceramic shell bowling pins.
The production pour day seemed to go well too. We didn’t participate because our furnace didn’t work, but the furnaces that did run functioned well. Furnaces from the
While the pouring action was happening, students from
The “Trail” continued Sunday, getting as far as
As I say it was somewhat surreal, but one of the most surreal facets was that, as I was walking back down from the scene of the conflict, I was met by a bus-load of Japanese tourists climbing up the hill. I can’t imagine what they took away from the experience.
So for tonight, from lovely downtown
Butch
Note: any photographs will be by Forrest Goodhue, official photographer for all things Iron.
we are getting closer
Hey,
Things here in Alaska are moving along, we just got word that some more coke we are having shipped up is ready to be loaded on a ship, which should arrive in the next week or so.
We are continuing to collect Iron . We plan on using mostly automotive scrap brake drums, rotors and exhaust manifolds. there is still a lot of breaking to do.
More people have signed up to join us in Wiseman .
Logistics are the key to that pour. From my house in Palmer AK we will be driving approximately 650 miles to Wiseman. we will be driving up the Parks Highway Past the entrance to Denali National Park. up to Fairbanks AK. Then on to wiseman we will be on the Dalton highway or as it is known in Alaska the Haul road. Its called the Haul road as it was built to allow equipment and supplies to be trucked to the oil fields on the edge of the Arctic Ocean.
The haul road from Fairbanks to Wiseman is about 250 miles and about 100 is paved the rest being maintained gravel road. On arrival in Wiseman Pop13 year round residents. we will set up at the Wiseman Community center which is near the bank of the Koyokuk river. A beautiful setting.
Wiseman is a village off the grid, no public electricity and no running water. the only electricity is what the residents generate themselves by fuel or wind.
So as I said logistics is everything. we will be hauling all of our food and equipment including coke ,iron molds, etc the whole distance. the crews coming from Houston will have come thousands of miles to reach Wiseman and are bringing the furnace.
We will need to be self sufficient as the nearest hardware or grocery store will be over 200 miles away.
Things here in Alaska are moving along, we just got word that some more coke we are having shipped up is ready to be loaded on a ship, which should arrive in the next week or so.
We are continuing to collect Iron . We plan on using mostly automotive scrap brake drums, rotors and exhaust manifolds. there is still a lot of breaking to do.
More people have signed up to join us in Wiseman .
Logistics are the key to that pour. From my house in Palmer AK we will be driving approximately 650 miles to Wiseman. we will be driving up the Parks Highway Past the entrance to Denali National Park. up to Fairbanks AK. Then on to wiseman we will be on the Dalton highway or as it is known in Alaska the Haul road. Its called the Haul road as it was built to allow equipment and supplies to be trucked to the oil fields on the edge of the Arctic Ocean.
The haul road from Fairbanks to Wiseman is about 250 miles and about 100 is paved the rest being maintained gravel road. On arrival in Wiseman Pop13 year round residents. we will set up at the Wiseman Community center which is near the bank of the Koyokuk river. A beautiful setting.
Wiseman is a village off the grid, no public electricity and no running water. the only electricity is what the residents generate themselves by fuel or wind.
So as I said logistics is everything. we will be hauling all of our food and equipment including coke ,iron molds, etc the whole distance. the crews coming from Houston will have come thousands of miles to reach Wiseman and are bringing the furnace.
We will need to be self sufficient as the nearest hardware or grocery store will be over 200 miles away.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Denver at Last
It took a small disaster to avoid a larger disaster, but we actually got to the Western Cast Iron Art Conference in Denver. I lost my cell phone just as we were leaving Houston, the extra time that it took to unsuccessfully search for the phone put us an hour later getting to the Texas panhandle region. Just as we pulling in to Vernon, TX, all traffic stopped for a about a mile. It turned out that there had been a major tornado in Vernon about an hour before, power lines were down and there were a series of detours around various impediments to traffic. It cost us a couple of hours time, but we were safe.
After an all night drive we arrived in Denver about noon on Friday, we were scheduled to give a panel on metallurgy at 2:45. A little close for comfort but OK. The panel went well, Elliot Brown, an actual, real metallugist presented the "scientific" aspects of cupola operation, Donnie gave a "seat of the pants" operational presentation, and I merely listened to both and gave my observations. There was a video recording going, so it should be available somewhere after the fact. The panels that I was able to observe were well presented and interesting, which makes me wonder, what about the ones that we missed trying to get the cupola to work? Sigh...
Today, Saturday, is the production pour day. We were supposed to be operating as well, but the furnace is just a pile of materials and good intentions as we speak. We shall see...
Watch out for meterological abberations,
Butch
After an all night drive we arrived in Denver about noon on Friday, we were scheduled to give a panel on metallurgy at 2:45. A little close for comfort but OK. The panel went well, Elliot Brown, an actual, real metallugist presented the "scientific" aspects of cupola operation, Donnie gave a "seat of the pants" operational presentation, and I merely listened to both and gave my observations. There was a video recording going, so it should be available somewhere after the fact. The panels that I was able to observe were well presented and interesting, which makes me wonder, what about the ones that we missed trying to get the cupola to work? Sigh...
Today, Saturday, is the production pour day. We were supposed to be operating as well, but the furnace is just a pile of materials and good intentions as we speak. We shall see...
Watch out for meterological abberations,
Butch
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
3 Days late for Denver
Another busy and frustrating day. Donnie & Forrest stayed up half the night putting a windbox and four tuyeres onto the machine, and it still doesn't work right. After the second try of the day, Donnie just looked over at me and said,"Lets build a trashcan." For those of you who don't have a history with us, I built the first "Oscar the Grouch" cupolette (so named by Wayne Potratz) at the 2nd International cast iron conference at Sloss furnaces in Birmingham, AL in 1992. It was my intention to make something that anyone could make and run by themselves if necessary. And it works, better some times and not so better others. We Built another version at the 5th Int'l Conference in Iron Bridge, UK in 2006. I ran the original machine in NYC a couple weeks back and it made hot metal right on schedule. Unfortunately, I left it with the Texas Firehouse for their use in future.
So, we will not be pouring in Denver, we'll be building a furnace that we will pour with in Wiseman. For all those folks in Alaska who have never seen such a thing, it will be interesting. The folks in Wiseman probably don't know what to expect and will most likely be surprised by this 20 gallon trashcan that will melt iron.
But now its on to Denver and the Western Cast Iron Art Conference (wciac.org, not wicca, I was mistaken). Donnie and I are still on the metallurgical panel, I think, and fortunately its the very last panel of the conference, so we have time to get there. Leaving tomorrow (Thursday) and driving straight through. Not the original plan, but one must be flexible. My father would have said that it keeps one young, and it worked for him.
So, til we're on the road and posting from a Starbuck's hot spot, keep you tuyeres clean.
Butch
So, we will not be pouring in Denver, we'll be building a furnace that we will pour with in Wiseman. For all those folks in Alaska who have never seen such a thing, it will be interesting. The folks in Wiseman probably don't know what to expect and will most likely be surprised by this 20 gallon trashcan that will melt iron.
But now its on to Denver and the Western Cast Iron Art Conference (wciac.org, not wicca, I was mistaken). Donnie and I are still on the metallurgical panel, I think, and fortunately its the very last panel of the conference, so we have time to get there. Leaving tomorrow (Thursday) and driving straight through. Not the original plan, but one must be flexible. My father would have said that it keeps one young, and it worked for him.
So, til we're on the road and posting from a Starbuck's hot spot, keep you tuyeres clean.
Butch
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Hi Everybody,
This is Pat Garley on the Alaska end of Iron Trail. Things here in Alaska are going well preparations are coming along. This past weekend Wendy Croskrey Sculpture professor at University of Alaska Fairbanks and several of her students came down to Palmer and we made sand molds.
There will be 3 pours here each about a week apart. The first will be in Wiseman about 50 miles above the Arctic circle. Wiseman is a small village with about 13 year round residents. there is no electricity or running water in Wiseman unless you count the Koyokuk river. But the people are friendly and the scenery is beautiful. To reach Wiseman you must travel the Dalton Highway 300miles north from Fairbanks . Its called a highway by Alaskan standards because at least 100 miles of it has some pavement. During our stay in Wiseman the sun will not drop below the horizon and we will have 24hrs of Daylight.
The second Pour will be in Wasilla about 350 miles south of Fairbanks. This pour will take place at the Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry. We thought that this would be an appropriate venue for demonstrating old technology as the Museum has a collection of planes ,trains, and automobiles as well as boats ,snow machines and equipment from Alaska's past.
The iron casters will be joined at the Museum by Artists demonstrating Blacksmithing, Raku fired pottery and other artists for a day long art festival complete with art vendors, food booths and live music.
The third and final stop for the Iron trail will be in the city of Kenai about 150 miles south of Anchorage. There we will be casting on the 4th of July as part of the City's Independence day celebration.
So you can see we will be traveling quite a bit within Alaska over 800 miles from wiseman to Kenai. Pouring 3 times in 3 weeks. Its going to be fun.
This is Pat Garley on the Alaska end of Iron Trail. Things here in Alaska are going well preparations are coming along. This past weekend Wendy Croskrey Sculpture professor at University of Alaska Fairbanks and several of her students came down to Palmer and we made sand molds.
There will be 3 pours here each about a week apart. The first will be in Wiseman about 50 miles above the Arctic circle. Wiseman is a small village with about 13 year round residents. there is no electricity or running water in Wiseman unless you count the Koyokuk river. But the people are friendly and the scenery is beautiful. To reach Wiseman you must travel the Dalton Highway 300miles north from Fairbanks . Its called a highway by Alaskan standards because at least 100 miles of it has some pavement. During our stay in Wiseman the sun will not drop below the horizon and we will have 24hrs of Daylight.
The second Pour will be in Wasilla about 350 miles south of Fairbanks. This pour will take place at the Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry. We thought that this would be an appropriate venue for demonstrating old technology as the Museum has a collection of planes ,trains, and automobiles as well as boats ,snow machines and equipment from Alaska's past.
The iron casters will be joined at the Museum by Artists demonstrating Blacksmithing, Raku fired pottery and other artists for a day long art festival complete with art vendors, food booths and live music.
The third and final stop for the Iron trail will be in the city of Kenai about 150 miles south of Anchorage. There we will be casting on the 4th of July as part of the City's Independence day celebration.
So you can see we will be traveling quite a bit within Alaska over 800 miles from wiseman to Kenai. Pouring 3 times in 3 weeks. Its going to be fun.
The furncae is NOT working
And Donnie & Forrest Goodhue took the new furnace to Clarendon, TX to do a test pour, that was going to be our first stop on the "Trail". It didn't work, one tap of cold metal and nothing. Had to use an oxygen lance to open the tap hole, skulled the ladle, got zilch. So today, or rather this evening into this morning, was spent trouble shooting the machine; we know its an air problem, but too much or too little, too high a verocity, too much volume? The coke at the tuyere goes black under blast. That says too much air, or it could be that the well hasn't fully burned in and is stealing heat to cure.
After fighting it for a few hours I'm ready to agree with Donnie & Forrest that its too much air, but I ran a trashcan furnace in NYC a week ago with the same blower, & its a lot smaller. So now to ascertain what blower will give us the right amount and what kind of connection. In NYC I used an aluminum dryer vent hose from Home Depot and cut a slot in it to "spill" excess air, Home Depot isn't open 24 hours like it used to be, so its another day shot testing. We will be lucky to get to Denver by Thursday at this rate.
Two students are wandering around Denver waiting for us; I wish I could remember the name of the pool hall that had those great "billiard" tables, I'd send them there, they could get a little culture.
Tomorrow will bring what it will, til then don't take any wooden bott sticks.
Butch
After fighting it for a few hours I'm ready to agree with Donnie & Forrest that its too much air, but I ran a trashcan furnace in NYC a week ago with the same blower, & its a lot smaller. So now to ascertain what blower will give us the right amount and what kind of connection. In NYC I used an aluminum dryer vent hose from Home Depot and cut a slot in it to "spill" excess air, Home Depot isn't open 24 hours like it used to be, so its another day shot testing. We will be lucky to get to Denver by Thursday at this rate.
Two students are wandering around Denver waiting for us; I wish I could remember the name of the pool hall that had those great "billiard" tables, I'd send them there, they could get a little culture.
Tomorrow will bring what it will, til then don't take any wooden bott sticks.
Butch
Friday, May 30, 2008
The trail begins, sort of...
Here it is late Friday, early Saturday, the day we are due to leave on the first leg of the Iron Trail to the Arctic, and...well some of us will indeed leave tomorrow/today and some won't. Donnie and Forrest Goodhue will go to Clarendon, TX to pour the first iron pour of the trail, I will still be here, finishing up stuff, making molds, etc. Donnie and Forrest will pour on Sunday evening as planned, then they turn around and come back to Houston. The Clarendon pour will be the first test of the new, 10 inch diameter furnace that will continue to the arctic.
The first refractory lining didn't set-up. After a reline with a ramable refractory instead of the castable, it has been burned in, maybe... the coke is still lit, and a small blower is on overnight, backburning the furnace to try to get the well area burned in better. It is always better to have the well of the furnace burned in completely or you get cold metal until it burns itself in.
The Clarendon crew will have all the charges broken and weighed. An evening pour on the prairies of panhandle Texas should be pretty spectacular. I hope all goes well.
When Donnie and Forrest get back, Donnie ships castings from his last pour, we finish all molds that go to Wiseman, AK in the arctic, load and pack and then set off once more with the complete complement on the road to Denver for the Western Iron Conference (info, www.wicaa.org, I need to ask someone abut that acronym). The plan is to get there for Wayne Potratz's keynote speech, pick up the students who flew in, bivouac at my sister's house, participate as much as possible, and join in the group production pour next Saturday. We're not really a production machine, but its what we have.
And the news of the blog itself is that Pat Garley from Palmer, AK will be posting the progress from the Alaska end. It has the advantage that we all know whats going on and where we stand time-wise, who has made it to various gathering points, and also keep anyone who is interested abreast of the project. No pictures yet of much of anything, perhaps later.
Until next time, may your botts stick.
Butch
The first refractory lining didn't set-up. After a reline with a ramable refractory instead of the castable, it has been burned in, maybe... the coke is still lit, and a small blower is on overnight, backburning the furnace to try to get the well area burned in better. It is always better to have the well of the furnace burned in completely or you get cold metal until it burns itself in.
The Clarendon crew will have all the charges broken and weighed. An evening pour on the prairies of panhandle Texas should be pretty spectacular. I hope all goes well.
When Donnie and Forrest get back, Donnie ships castings from his last pour, we finish all molds that go to Wiseman, AK in the arctic, load and pack and then set off once more with the complete complement on the road to Denver for the Western Iron Conference (info, www.wicaa.org, I need to ask someone abut that acronym). The plan is to get there for Wayne Potratz's keynote speech, pick up the students who flew in, bivouac at my sister's house, participate as much as possible, and join in the group production pour next Saturday. We're not really a production machine, but its what we have.
And the news of the blog itself is that Pat Garley from Palmer, AK will be posting the progress from the Alaska end. It has the advantage that we all know whats going on and where we stand time-wise, who has made it to various gathering points, and also keep anyone who is interested abreast of the project. No pictures yet of much of anything, perhaps later.
Until next time, may your botts stick.
Butch
Monday, May 26, 2008
Iron Trail to the Arctic
“Iron Trail to the Arctic”
Arctic Circle Iron Pour: Summer Solstice 2008
The Project
What do you do with 24 hours of daylight? For the participants of the “Iron Trail to the Arctic”, we pour cast iron sculptures north of the Arctic Circle; something that hasn’t been attempted on the North American continent, as far as we have been able to ascertain. The team of sculptors and commercial foundrymen will pour sculptures in cast iron using a small version of a traditional coke fueled cupola furnace. The pieces will become a permanent installation at the Wiseman Village, Alaska site. Taking advantage of the extended daylight period, the sculptures can be cast, cooled, surface finished, and installed in a single “day”.
Sculptors Wendy Croskrey, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Patrick Garley of Arctic Fires Bronze Sculpture Works in Palmer, Alaska, and Meredith Jack, Lamar University, Beaumont, TX will be under the direction of Donnie Keen of Keen Foundry, Houston, TX to produce the commemorative cast iron sculptures. Students from the participating universities and other participants may be added as the project continues.
The Beginnings
As is usual in unusual events, the project germinated following a chance meeting. Pat Garley and Donnie Keen were both participating in an academic iron pour event at New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, NM. The Alaskan sculptor and Texas commercial foundry owner found that they had a mutual fascination with both iron casting and the arctic. Subsequent conversations and general planning sessions brought Wendy Croskrey and Meredith Jack, who have been casting iron in academic venues for a number of years, into the group. It was decided that the only truly appropriate day of the year for such an event would be a summer solstice.
One of the primary impediments to such a project is the prohibitively high freight charges for bulk materials such as coke fuel when shipped to Alaska. Our solution is to bring it with us from Texas in sufficient quantity to supply both the project and a number of academic and sculpture studios in Alaska. Final costs to these venues will depend on the prevailing price of coke fuel at the time and transportation expenses for the coke fuel and the project participants.
Objectives
Obviously the primary objective is to successfully cast and install cast iron sculptures north of the Arctic Circle. However there are several other facets to the program; one is to spread the use of cast iron as a sculptural material and to train participants from the workshop areas to make their own sculptures in the media. The inclusion of students from various institutions into the project furthers their educational experience; and the availability of the coke fuel that we will transport will spread the use of cast iron as a sculptural material
Another major facet of this project is to demonstrate that casting iron really isn’t rocket science and that any reasonably competent person can build and operate an iron casting facility, anywhere.
The cast iron that will be used to create the art pieces will be cast iron scrap from local sources. This iron will be melted and recast into objects of art both functional and conceptual.
Outcomes
The project will be presented at academic and industrial conferences. Both Meredith Jack and Donnie Keen have been involved with the past International Conferences on Contemporary Cast Iron Art and the biennial Southern Iron Conferences, where the project will be presented. Modern Casting, the journal of the American Foundry Society, has indicated an interest in printing an article about the project. Other media outlets are being explored and we expect extensive local coverage around the workshops. There will be exhaustive documentation from beginning to end.
Scope of the Project
The operational plan is to drive a truck from Texas to Alaska with the coke fuel and any necessary materials and equipment. The trail will begin in Houston, TX on Sunday May 31, 2008. Our first stop is in Clarendon, TX where we have scheduled our first iron pour; however, there is a “burn-ban” in place right now that may postpone that pour until after Alaska. From Clarendon we travel on to Denver, CO where we will take part in the new Western Cast Iron Conference from June 3-7. Both Donnie Keen and Meredith Jack will participate on panels for the conference and we may do a demonstration pour; that hasn’t been ascertained yet. From Denver the trail leads to Bellingham, WA, where on June 13th the truck and passengers board the coastal ferry to Haines, AK.
The ferry arrives in Haines on June 16th, and then the trail becomes a driving trip once more with the run towards Wiseman, with a stop in Fairbanks to pick up participants who have flown there. Also the truck participants meet up in Fairbanks with the group that has started from Palmer and Anchorage. We estimate that the last drive to Wiseman from Fairbanks will take one to two days.
Wiseman is 50 miles north of the arctic circle, a journey 300 miles north of Fairbanks up the Dalton Highway. Upon arrival, we set up the equipment and materials for the iron pour on Saturday June 21st. On Sunday we clean up the site and Monday begin the long trek back down the Dalton Highway, through Fairbanks where those participants who are flying out of Fairbanks will leave the trail.
Further travel gets us to Wasilla, AK, northeast of Anchorage, to do a second iron pour and workshop. The iron pour will be on Saturday June 28th at the Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry in Wasilla. This pour will be part of the “Art on Fire Festival” which will also feature artists demonstrating other art forms that use fire as part of the process such as blacksmiths and raku fired ceramics. Arctic Fires Bronze Sculpture Works and the Valley Arts Alliance are the contacts for this event. Prior to the Wasilla Pour, there will be mold making workshops held at Arctic Fires Bronze sculpture works in Palmer, AK. Those participants who are flying out of Anchorage will leave the trail after the Wasilla workshop.
The final event will be a workshop and iron pour in the city of Kenai, AK, 200 miles south of Anchorage, on July 4th. Presented by Arctic Fires Sculpture Workshop and Metal Magic Custom Metal Fabrication, the pour will be part of the City of Kenai’s Fourth of July celebration.
Those participants who are flying out of Anchorage can leave the trail after the Wasilla workshop or the Kenai Iron Pour and the vehicle will begin the long trail back to Houston.
Meredith Jack and Donnie Keen will be available for lectures &/or workshops while in transit to the arctic and back. Everything from a complete iron casting foundry to plans and specifications for a cupola furnace and ancillary equipment are available.
Meredith Jack and Donnie Keen have over half a century of iron casting experience between them. Keen Foundry was founded in 1959 by Donnie Keen’s father. Donnie has operated the foundry since 1987 and has iron and aluminum capacities to 5000 pounds.
Meredith Jack has been casting in academic venues since the 1970’s and has worked with Keen Foundry since 1994. He has built and demonstrated furnaces with capacities from eight to 450 pounds. He and Lamar University have the unique distinction of having built &/or operated cupola furnaces at all five of the International Conferences on Contemporary Cast Iron Art, beginning in 1988 in Birmingham, AL, through the Ironbridge, England conference in 2006.
Contact Information:
Donnie Keen
Keen Foundry
1518 Mesquite
Houston, TX 77093
keenironman@cs.net
Meredith Jack
5219 Cochran
Houston, TX 77009
jackmm@hal-pc.org
Patrick Garley
15615 Outer Springer Loop
Palmer, AK 99645
garleyp@gci.net
Scott Hamann
Metal Magic custom metal fabrication
P.O. box 934
Kenai, AK 99611
Metalmagicalaska.com
Project Sponsors
At this point in the project we have sponsorship from:
Ashland Chemical Co.
Through their local distributor in Houston, Porter-Warner SW.
ABC Coke Co.
Birmingham, AL
Keen Foundry
Houston, TX
Arctic Fires Sculpture Workshop
Palmer, AK
Village of Wiseman
Wiseman, AK
Metal Magic Custom Metal Fabrication
Kenai, AK
City of Kenai
Kenai, AK
Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry
Wasilla, AK
Valley Arts Alliance
Wasilla, AK
IronPour.com
Jacksonville, FL
Further sponsorship is actively solicited, contact Patrick Garley, Meredith Jack, or Donnie Keen for details and opportunities to participate.
Arctic Circle Iron Pour: Summer Solstice 2008
The Project
What do you do with 24 hours of daylight? For the participants of the “Iron Trail to the Arctic”, we pour cast iron sculptures north of the Arctic Circle; something that hasn’t been attempted on the North American continent, as far as we have been able to ascertain. The team of sculptors and commercial foundrymen will pour sculptures in cast iron using a small version of a traditional coke fueled cupola furnace. The pieces will become a permanent installation at the Wiseman Village, Alaska site. Taking advantage of the extended daylight period, the sculptures can be cast, cooled, surface finished, and installed in a single “day”.
Sculptors Wendy Croskrey, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Patrick Garley of Arctic Fires Bronze Sculpture Works in Palmer, Alaska, and Meredith Jack, Lamar University, Beaumont, TX will be under the direction of Donnie Keen of Keen Foundry, Houston, TX to produce the commemorative cast iron sculptures. Students from the participating universities and other participants may be added as the project continues.
The Beginnings
As is usual in unusual events, the project germinated following a chance meeting. Pat Garley and Donnie Keen were both participating in an academic iron pour event at New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, NM. The Alaskan sculptor and Texas commercial foundry owner found that they had a mutual fascination with both iron casting and the arctic. Subsequent conversations and general planning sessions brought Wendy Croskrey and Meredith Jack, who have been casting iron in academic venues for a number of years, into the group. It was decided that the only truly appropriate day of the year for such an event would be a summer solstice.
One of the primary impediments to such a project is the prohibitively high freight charges for bulk materials such as coke fuel when shipped to Alaska. Our solution is to bring it with us from Texas in sufficient quantity to supply both the project and a number of academic and sculpture studios in Alaska. Final costs to these venues will depend on the prevailing price of coke fuel at the time and transportation expenses for the coke fuel and the project participants.
Objectives
Obviously the primary objective is to successfully cast and install cast iron sculptures north of the Arctic Circle. However there are several other facets to the program; one is to spread the use of cast iron as a sculptural material and to train participants from the workshop areas to make their own sculptures in the media. The inclusion of students from various institutions into the project furthers their educational experience; and the availability of the coke fuel that we will transport will spread the use of cast iron as a sculptural material
Another major facet of this project is to demonstrate that casting iron really isn’t rocket science and that any reasonably competent person can build and operate an iron casting facility, anywhere.
The cast iron that will be used to create the art pieces will be cast iron scrap from local sources. This iron will be melted and recast into objects of art both functional and conceptual.
Outcomes
The project will be presented at academic and industrial conferences. Both Meredith Jack and Donnie Keen have been involved with the past International Conferences on Contemporary Cast Iron Art and the biennial Southern Iron Conferences, where the project will be presented. Modern Casting, the journal of the American Foundry Society, has indicated an interest in printing an article about the project. Other media outlets are being explored and we expect extensive local coverage around the workshops. There will be exhaustive documentation from beginning to end.
Scope of the Project
The operational plan is to drive a truck from Texas to Alaska with the coke fuel and any necessary materials and equipment. The trail will begin in Houston, TX on Sunday May 31, 2008. Our first stop is in Clarendon, TX where we have scheduled our first iron pour; however, there is a “burn-ban” in place right now that may postpone that pour until after Alaska. From Clarendon we travel on to Denver, CO where we will take part in the new Western Cast Iron Conference from June 3-7. Both Donnie Keen and Meredith Jack will participate on panels for the conference and we may do a demonstration pour; that hasn’t been ascertained yet. From Denver the trail leads to Bellingham, WA, where on June 13th the truck and passengers board the coastal ferry to Haines, AK.
The ferry arrives in Haines on June 16th, and then the trail becomes a driving trip once more with the run towards Wiseman, with a stop in Fairbanks to pick up participants who have flown there. Also the truck participants meet up in Fairbanks with the group that has started from Palmer and Anchorage. We estimate that the last drive to Wiseman from Fairbanks will take one to two days.
Wiseman is 50 miles north of the arctic circle, a journey 300 miles north of Fairbanks up the Dalton Highway. Upon arrival, we set up the equipment and materials for the iron pour on Saturday June 21st. On Sunday we clean up the site and Monday begin the long trek back down the Dalton Highway, through Fairbanks where those participants who are flying out of Fairbanks will leave the trail.
Further travel gets us to Wasilla, AK, northeast of Anchorage, to do a second iron pour and workshop. The iron pour will be on Saturday June 28th at the Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry in Wasilla. This pour will be part of the “Art on Fire Festival” which will also feature artists demonstrating other art forms that use fire as part of the process such as blacksmiths and raku fired ceramics. Arctic Fires Bronze Sculpture Works and the Valley Arts Alliance are the contacts for this event. Prior to the Wasilla Pour, there will be mold making workshops held at Arctic Fires Bronze sculpture works in Palmer, AK. Those participants who are flying out of Anchorage will leave the trail after the Wasilla workshop.
The final event will be a workshop and iron pour in the city of Kenai, AK, 200 miles south of Anchorage, on July 4th. Presented by Arctic Fires Sculpture Workshop and Metal Magic Custom Metal Fabrication, the pour will be part of the City of Kenai’s Fourth of July celebration.
Those participants who are flying out of Anchorage can leave the trail after the Wasilla workshop or the Kenai Iron Pour and the vehicle will begin the long trail back to Houston.
Meredith Jack and Donnie Keen will be available for lectures &/or workshops while in transit to the arctic and back. Everything from a complete iron casting foundry to plans and specifications for a cupola furnace and ancillary equipment are available.
Meredith Jack and Donnie Keen have over half a century of iron casting experience between them. Keen Foundry was founded in 1959 by Donnie Keen’s father. Donnie has operated the foundry since 1987 and has iron and aluminum capacities to 5000 pounds.
Meredith Jack has been casting in academic venues since the 1970’s and has worked with Keen Foundry since 1994. He has built and demonstrated furnaces with capacities from eight to 450 pounds. He and Lamar University have the unique distinction of having built &/or operated cupola furnaces at all five of the International Conferences on Contemporary Cast Iron Art, beginning in 1988 in Birmingham, AL, through the Ironbridge, England conference in 2006.
Contact Information:
Donnie Keen
Keen Foundry
1518 Mesquite
Houston, TX 77093
keenironman@cs.net
Meredith Jack
5219 Cochran
Houston, TX 77009
jackmm@hal-pc.org
Patrick Garley
15615 Outer Springer Loop
Palmer, AK 99645
garleyp@gci.net
Scott Hamann
Metal Magic custom metal fabrication
P.O. box 934
Kenai, AK 99611
Metalmagicalaska.com
Project Sponsors
At this point in the project we have sponsorship from:
Ashland Chemical Co.
Through their local distributor in Houston, Porter-Warner SW.
ABC Coke Co.
Birmingham, AL
Keen Foundry
Houston, TX
Arctic Fires Sculpture Workshop
Palmer, AK
Village of Wiseman
Wiseman, AK
Metal Magic Custom Metal Fabrication
Kenai, AK
City of Kenai
Kenai, AK
Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry
Wasilla, AK
Valley Arts Alliance
Wasilla, AK
IronPour.com
Jacksonville, FL
Further sponsorship is actively solicited, contact Patrick Garley, Meredith Jack, or Donnie Keen for details and opportunities to participate.
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