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.

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30 entries in this part of The Encyclopedia of Founding.

Lacquering

Lacquers are varnishes applied upon brass, tin, and other metals to prevent them from tarnishing, and should always be applied soon after…

Lacquers of Various Tints

To 32 ounces of spirits of turpentine add 4 ounces of the best gum-gamboge, to the same quantity of spirits of turpentine add 4 ounces of…

Ladles

The business of making foundry ladles has, virtually, been monopolized by the numerous manufacturers of these and other foundry supplies…

Lake Ore-iron

Hydrated peroxide of iron is deposited in large quantities by certain lakes in Sweden and Norway. It is similar in composition to the bog…

Lamellar

Consisting of thin or extended plates, layers, or scales; distributed or disposed in thin, filmy processes. Lampblack consists of a very…

Lantern

A term applied to a temporary drying apparatus for moulds during their course of construction. It is oftentimes called a lamp or…

Lead

Ores of lead occur in great abundance in almost all parts of the world. They are generally in veins, sometimes in siliceous rocks…

Lead-Ladle

Ladles for melting and pouring lead may be of cast or wrought iron, of any dimension or form best adapted to the purpose for which they are…

Lead-shot

The common method of making small lead-shot is as follows: The melted lead is made to fall through the air from a considerable elevation…

Leaf Gold

See GOLD. Level is an instrument used to discover a line parallel to the horizon, and to continue it at pleasure. Water-level shows this…

Lever

The lever is the simplest of all machines, and is only a straight bar of iron, wood, or other material, supported on and movable round a…

Lift

When two parts of a flask are separated the operation is called lifting. Should the separation be a clean one, it is termed a good lift…

Lifting-tongs

A form of tongs with which to lift a crucible out of the furnace. They should always be strong, and of various sizes, so that each crucible…

Lighting the Cupola

Success in cupola-melting depends, to some extent, upon the manner of starting the fire. Carelessness in this particular may result in…

Lime

Lime is found in every part of the known world, the purest kinds being limestone, marble, and chalk. None of these substances however are…

Lime-kiln

An oven or a pit, built of brick, with an interior lining of fire-brick. Intermittent kilns are such as have the fuel on the bottom and the…

Limestone

The name given to all rocks which are composed to a great extent of carbonate of lime. The chief varieties of limestone are chalk; oolite…

Limestone-Flux

When the blast-furnace is in operation it is regularly fed with definite proportions of fuel, ore, and broken limestone. The latter is…

Lining Ladles

The process of daubing loam or ramming sand on the inner surface to protect them from the action of the molten metal. All ladles above 8…

Lining of the Cupola

The inner structure of fire-bricks built within the shell of a cupola to protect it from the intense heat during the process of melting…

Liquid Fuel

Liquid fuel, as petroleum, is used in a furnace specially constructed for the purpose. The oil is forced into the fire-box along with air…

Lixiviation

The process of extracting alkaline salts from ashes by pouring water on them. Loadstone, or natural magnet, is a species of iron ore found…

Loam

Foundry loam is a mixture of sand with clay and some form of venting medium. Refractory fire-sands suitable for loam are of themselves too…

Loam-cake

Flat cores, made by simply spreading loam of a stiff nature on a plate in the oven. They may be made any thickness desired, and…

Loam-moulding

Loam-moulding differs from sand-moulding in that the moulds proper are not contained in flasks, or bedded in the floor, but are constructed…

Loam-patterns

Numerous patterns may be readily made from loam and much pattern lumber saved thereby; many, also, may be made quicker by this means…

Lode

The term used for an ore-producing vein. Ore occurs in either beds or mineral veins; in the latter the veins are invariably found to have…

Log

A term of wide application in the foundry, meaning any piece of blocking-timber used for shoring purposes or as a bearing for flasks, etc…

Low Moor Iron

This iron is manufactured under exceptional conditions, as both ore and fuel employed for making the pig iron used in their forges are of…

Laboratory – Liquid Bronze

A place where operations and experiments in chemistry, pharmacy, pyrotechny, etc., are performed. See SHELL-LAC.

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