Metal Casting Zone

ive been thinking! when you place the pattern in the sand can you tilt the pattern over rather than place it square as per pic. i checked my gingery book and dave suggests tilting over the tail stock pattern . try and put as much metal down hill and place a large gate and riser opposite to the sprue and gate. place the gate and sprue on the rounded edge and the gate and riser on the flat edge.try it with aluminium first then cast iron.

i would say that you have added carbon. with old pots and pans (cast iron) that have been used in the fire you cant drill a hole in them with a high speed drill. fire grating is the same. ive always been told that cast iron hardens up in the fire. (wood fire). try some "fresh" iron and maybe cover the melt with a peice of fire brick????please note im only talking theory and not from experience except for the pots and pans lol lol

Wow! I like it in Bronze.

What kind of alloy were you using?

They look like Vickers Vane pumps. Are they defective or you don't have e-bay?
Looks like good cast and good Aluminium bodies.