iron pour project
TRANSCRIPT
Artists talk and wait as the furnace heats up to 3200 degrees before the iron is put in to melt down.
Jeanna Choate, a Lindenwood art student, feeding the furnace with iron and coke which fuels the fire to help melt the iron down.
The artist eagerly waiting for the furnace to warm and the iron to be molten at 3200 degrees to start the pour.
The iron starting to melt and run out of the furnace, they plug the opening bot, a type of clay like material until they are ready to pour.
The gravity feed furnace almost ready to go. It was set up between Lindenwood studio east and west on First Capital Dr. in St. Charles.
Clif and John, lindenwood students, putting on protective gloves, leather and masks preparing to starting pouring the iron into molds.
The back vent of the furnace stays open while waiting on the iron to melt to check on its statues during the process. Sparks fly from the opening as the iron melts down.
The first pour of the event, a student opens the furnace and lets the molten iron flow into the ladle.
One of the artists slowing guiding the iron from the ladle into scratch blocks that have designs etched into them.
The blow torch heats up the ladles between the pours. The iron pours are usually during the day but this one was at night which added to the visual show that iron pouring is.
An artist scrapping off the top of the iron. The top layer of metal can contain bot and material so it is taken off before pouring the iron into the molds.
The 3200 degree iron being poured into the scratch blocks. There were around 100 pieces submitted for the iron pour.
Marty Linson talking with the students and artists while waiting on the furnace and over seeing the event as a whole.
The single person ladle was used for molds that were really shallow to prevent to much getting poured into the molds.
The spout of the furnace had to be plugged in between the pours to stop the iron from pouring out and wasting it. Students took turns using fire proof gloves to plug up the spout.
The participants paying a lot of attention and detail because of the danger in pouring iron that is that hot.
The artists taking turns pouring the iron, there were many more complex bigger molds than the pour that took place on sibley day.
The gravity feed furnace glowing from the heat. Flames were visible well over the buildings and the glow at night was a good show for spectators.
The artists stay alert while pouring into the log mold because the tend to explode when being poured in to.