The Encyclopedia of Founding

Twelve hundred entries from the golden age of cast metal — how bells are founded, why brass is not bronze, what a cupola melts and a core withstands — by Simpson Bolland, the trade's great teacher.

I

17 entries in this part of The Encyclopedia of Founding.

Imitation Silver

An alloy of metals for manufacturing articles of jewelry, etc., in artificial silver. An alloy having the same specific gravity as silver…

Impact

An instantaneous blow communicated from a moving body to another body either moving or at rest. Impressions on Cast Iron.--See EMBROIDERY…

Incombustible

Cannot be decomposed, burned, or consumed by fire. See REFRACTORY MATERIALS. India Cast Steel is a species of steel of extraordinary…

Indigo-copper

A native sulphuret of copper, generally found uncrystallized, but sometimes occurring in hexagonal crystals. Its color is indigo-blue…

Ingot

A mass of metal which has been cast in a suitable mould for convenience in subsequent working by the various processes of rolling…

Ingot-mould

The metal, sand, or fire-brick moulds in which metals are cast to form ingots suitable for manufacturing and commercial purposes. The…

Intaglio

A kind of engraving distinguished from cameo by having the engraved figures sunk into the substance instead of being raised in relief…

Iridium

A white brittle metal, which may be fused by means of a powerful oxyhydrogen blast-furnace. In its isolated form it is unacted upon by any…

Iron

Of all metals iron is the most important. The pure metal is found only in such rare instances as in the case of meteorites which have…

Iron Alloys

Very few of the metals alloy with cast iron in such a manner as to be of any practical value to the founder. True, there is a marked…

Iron Carrier, Foundry

The Hayes patent carrier for molten metal is described as follows: There is a continuous overhead track, which runs from the cupola to the…

Iron Furnace

A furnace in which some operation connected with the manufacture of cast iron, malleable iron, or steel is conducted; as cupola, smelting…

Iron-lustre

This lustre is obtained by dissolving zinc in muriatic acid, and mixing the solution with spirit of tar. To be applied on the surface of…

Iron-statue Moulding

Moulding statuary in iron. This branch of the art is necessarily more difficult than any other of the processes followed for the production…

Isinglass

A very pure form of gelatine prepared from the entrails and air-bladders of fish, notably the sturgeon. It is semi-transparent when pure…

Ivory-imitation

A good imitation of ivory statuettes may be obtained by casting into warm plaster-moulds a mixture composed of finely pulverized…

Imitation Gold – Iron-wire Cloth

An alloy of baser metals which produces a yellow compound metal resembling gold. See GOLD ALLOY; TOMBAC. Wanting in coherence or cohesion…

Rights & ReuseThe complete text of The Encyclopedia of Founding (1894) is in the public domain in the United States — like all works published before 1928 — and is free to read, download, quote, teach from, and reuse. This digital edition (its transcription, restored images, and site design) is © 2026 PhotoOpAI, and any editorial commentary we add is clearly marked as ours; the underlying public-domain text carries no such restriction.