Thread: Flocast cast iron bar available shapes

Originally Posted by Ueee

Thinking some more and looking at pics i think 125x50 would be too small a section size-probably need at least 150 x 60 or even more. That pic i linked looks like it would be 4:1 length:height.

Ew

I looked at some commercial ones before I made up my patterns. My length ratio is nothing like that one, much thinner but I did make my top flange considerably thicker than the commercial ones both for ease of machining and ease of casting. I don't like to think how much that one in the picture weighs. Yes it'd be stiffer, but....

Bottom flange width on my bigger one is a bit over 65mm.

PDW

Originally Posted by Ueee

We have not heard from Josh or his cast cubes in a while, did anything ever come of those?

Hi Ewan,

It's still an active project, I'd hope we get the castings done later this year. Last year was derailed somewhat by trips..

Ray

Ew,

Just something to be aware of if you end up with some Flowcast cast iron.

All the cast iron I have used has been Flowcast purchased from Interlloy and Bohler. Some of the round bar had hard spots, hard enough to cause sparking while being turned. These spots varied in size. While turning the outside of a piece of 165mm bar, 40-50 mm of the circumference was hard. I mentioned this to the blokes at Bohler and they said other users had encountered the same problem.

Bob.

Originally Posted by Anorak Bob

Ew,

Just something to be aware of if you end up with some Flowcast cast iron.

All the cast iron I have used has been Flowcast purchased from Interlloy and Bohler. Some of the round bar had hard spots, hard enough to cause sparking while being turned. These spots varied in size. While turning the outside of a piece of 165mm bar, 40-50 mm of the circumference was hard. I mentioned this to the blokes at Bohler and they said other users had encountered the same problem.

Bob.

Yeah - this is why the foundry guys leave my castings in the mould until completely cooled. They know I'm going to machine them, therefore slow cooling is better to reduce/eliminate hard spots.

Regardless a good soak at elevated temperature and a slow cool before machining at home doesn't hurt anything. Wrong time of year for the wood fire caper though.

PDW

I have not found the outside hard on the bar i have had, but i'm not sure where it comes from. I think there are more than one manufacturer of CI bar in Aus.

Pete F also gave me Stephen Thomas's name from the US but shipping in a car container would have to be cheap going by the 5yro prices. straightedge castings - reorder or no?

Ew

Originally Posted by Ueee

Hi Andrew,
The straight edges i'm talking about really should be called spotting masters, for spotting surfaces to be scraped flat. Flat and straight to at least .0002" at a guess.
I'll stick a pic on to give you an idea. What your talking about, without being rude, is like a banana in comparison, and not nearly rigid enough to stay straight. The only way to get something this flat is to scrape it against a known flat like a granite plate.
Here's some light reading Which cast iron straight edge type is better?
Cheers,
Ew

Attachment 302281

No problem Ew, obviously we are talking apples and bananas here
I just need something to check cylinder heads and blocks for straightness before reassembly, nothing like the precision (or size/weight) you are going for...