Cast Iron

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Cast Iron
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Everyone loves spending time around a campfire but not everyone has the time to go camping. A popular, affordable, and safe alternative is a cast iron fire pit. You can actually make your own pit with some materials. But the kits or already setup pits are generally more sturdy, safer, and affordable.

One advantage for a cast iron pit is they are portable and easy to set up. Find an open space in the backyard and put it there. Installation requires digging. Simply setup the firepit wherever seems appropriate. And you can always move it to another location later.

Since these are sold as actual fire pits rather than other materials being used to make one, they can be made to look nice. Just like a stainless steel grill, a cast iron fire pit can look nice. Unlike a grill or even a homemade firepit, these can actually be easier to clean. As soon as they cool off you can wipe off any attachments and get rid of the leftover ash.

Be sure to pick one that fits your needs, as there are many designs available. If you have a small backyard, a huge pit will not fit and leave enough room to comfortably entertain guests. If you plan to cook food over the fire and tend to invite many friends over, you may want a larger pit.

Before buying any firepit, be sure it is treated to be food safe. Pits made from some materials are not safe to cook on. Also food safe pits are more likely to have attachments like a grill or rotisserie to make outdoor cooking easier.

When you are not using your firepit, find out how easy it is to store or cover. Chances are, people will not use it much when there is snow outside. To prevent your cast iron from rusting avoid letting it get wet during rainy or snowy seasons.

Searching for the right firepit may be overwhelming at first. Just remember the advantages of cast iron and thinking about how portable it is, how easy it is to clean, if it fits your needs, if the pit is food safe, and where you can store it when you are not using it. With a bit of research and shopping you can find a great fire pit for an affordable price and enjoy spending time entertaining friends outside and cooking over an open flame.

Are you looking for the perfect fire pit for your backyard or patio? There are many fire pit designs to choose from. Be sure to visit my site and find out why the copper fire pit is a great choice.

Iron Casting, Iron Melting, and Iron Furnace Information

Many believe that iron casting is just simply out of reach for small furnaces but this is not the case. While alloys like aluminum are more prevalent in home foundries. Artists and hobbyists have also used brass, bronze, and even iron to fulfill their casting needs.

Industrial foundries commonly use iron for a variety of items like cookware, like cast iron pans, and even bridges. Casting iron provides an easy and effective method of making such large structural pieces and even smaller pieces for around the home.

The most common furnace type used by home foundries is the cupola furnace. The cupola is a basic furnace type that does not need a crucible as it allows the caster to pour the molten metal directly from the furnace into a ladle which is then poured into the mold. Cupola furnaces resemble smoke stacks and can be home made for those with enough confidence and some mechanical know-how to attempt it. The fuels used to heat the metal in a cupola furnace depend on the caster's resources and preference. Many will use propane and some will use coal. There are a select few that will use waste material such as old scraps of metal and the powder at the bottom of bags of barbecue coal to fuel the cupola. For iron many would recommend the use of propane, but there have been some casters that have succeeded with waste material. Don't be afraid to experiment with different fuel types to find the perfect fit for your furnace and need.

Finding a source of iron can be difficult and a trip to the scrap yard might be in order. This is just one of the exciting ventures that metal casting can provide you. After you locate your iron you will need to prepare your mold. This is assuming you have a pattern in mind that you want to cast. If not, then go ahead and figure something out even if it’s a small piece in order to test your iron casting ability. Since sand casting is the most popular casting method you might want to use it for the iron casting especially if you are familiar with the method and not with iron. 

After making the sand mold and placing the runner for the molten iron you will melt the metal. The melting point of iron is 2,800 degrees Fahrenheit or about 1538 degree Celsius. Since all metals melt at different temperatures don't be impatient if iron takes longer to melt and don't be surprised if it’s quicker.

When the molten iron is ready you are going to pour some into a ladle and the pour that into the sand mold. The sand mold is held in place by the cope and drag, which is the top and bottom part of the mold. The runners are in place in the mold to allow the molten iron a place to enter. When the iron is cool, remove the cast from the sand carefully and there you have a cast of iron.

As with all metal casts, you will need to follow the appropriate safety steps to avoid any accidents. Accidents with molten metal will always be very painful so make sure you wear gloves, jeans, boots, and a long sleeve shirt. You may also want a heavy duty leather apron and a pair of goggles.

Iron casting is a great way to create restoration items or pieces for around the home and even for artistic purposes.

About the Author

Go to Metal Casting Zone to get your free ebook on Metal Casting at http://www.metalcastingzone.com. Metal Casting Zone also has a Metal Casting Forum, Metal Casting Information, and a Metal Casting Blog that can all be found at http://www.metalcastingzone.com. Go to http://www.metalcastingzone.com to see the latest information on Metal Casting that has been added.

How do you season a cast iron reversible griddle?

I just brought a cast iron reversible griddle. For some reason , the seasoning instructions were missing. I want to season the griddle. Now, do I need to spray it with oil and let it cook on 425 for about an hour? How do I do this?

Here's instructions for one (may not be your brand, but probably works the same). Also, from personal experience, don't use vegetable oil to season cast iron, as it causes stickiness. Use shortening or bacon grease.

"Seasoning cast iron pieces isn't as awful as people make it out to be, and you should have to do a full seasoning only ONCE in the lifetime of the piece (forever, as far as I can tell).

How to do it? Melt a bit of shortening in a small bowl, grab a piece of paper towel, dip into the melted shortening and rub it onto the Lodge Pro Cast Iron Reversible Double Grill/Griddle. Just a thin coat -- no puddles.

Heat your oven to 350º, place the grill/griddle on the top rack and place a piece of aluminum foil below it on the lower rack (to catch any drips of excess shortening). Close the door and time it for an hour. You may want to open a window and/or use the exhaust fan over your range, because the iron and its beauty-mask coating of Crisco smell "hot" -- and that isn't a complimentary term, in this case.

When the timer goes off, turn off the oven and allow the Lodge Pro Cast Iron Reversible Double Grill/Griddle to cool inside the oven. When cool, remove it and you're set to use it.

What you'll see is a brownish hue on the iron surface, and it will feel smoother. With each use, the color will darken (usually in splotches, depending on how/what you cook) and the iron will become even smoother. It will never be 100% non-stick, but you'll swear it's 99.9%.

Upkeep is simple. After a cleaning just spread a little shortening on the Lodge Pro Cast Iron Reversible Double Grill/Griddle and stow it again. I don't rub on a coating of shortening every time, but more like 3 times a year. Works, and my cast iron looks and cooks exactly as it should.

You'll see the grill/griddle needs a rub-down when it looks like it has some dry patches. Of course, it doesn't hurt to "moisturize" the whole thing every time you use it, but it isn't necessary."

Paul Sorvino, son cast for upstate mining film
Actor Paul Sorvino and his son, Michael Sorvino, have been added to the cast of a movie being filmed at the old iron mines in the eastern Adirondacks.

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