Shrinkage is normally taken care of by tapping the loose pattern before it is pulled. Iron generally shrinks one-eighth inch per foot and aluminum shrinks three-sixteenths per foot. This is an average and your mileage may vary.
I have received a few private inquiries asking about what places to avoid. I am only going to talk openly about the ones that are closed. I will only speak in general terms about the ones that are still open. I hate to waste good lead on such clowns.
Washington Foundry was the trap that cast me a pile of total junk. I returned the castings and they promised to pour them again. The second pour was shook out and chilled. It was impossible to machine them or even look cross eyed at those glass hard castings. I heard through the grapevine that they were going bankrupt. A good friend literally stole my patterns back for me. Three months after bankruptcy; they contacted me and wanted to sell me my patterns. Apparently they thought my patterns were still in their pattern barn. You boys across the pond might refer to this as 'cheeky'.
MtPleasant Foundry started off well for me. They started to provide castings that were machined before I got them. Suddenly the castings started to get shifted cores and the machining never was to print. They had stopped pouring my patterns and just started sending me all the rejects that accumulated. I just about died when they poured metal on a pattern that I had made for sentimental reasons. I never intended to sell this casting. I was going to give it to close friends as a keepsake. The foundry owner was a friend of the pattern maker that originally made this eight hundred dollar pattern. The pattern maker knew that this was a keepsake item and they both told me that, since I was not going to make money, no replacement pattern was to be made. I got ten pieces out of a pour of twenty-five and I should just pick what ten freinds were going to get the pieces. The place went bankrupt and the owner lost his house too. He was too interested in equestrian sports and such things to keep his grandfather's business alive.
Klink Foundry took three of my patterns and began pouring them. I got six pieces of one part and they made no more. I was told by one of the men on the floor that they poured a flask that had half of my wooden pattern still in there. The owners lied and told me that they misplaced my patterns. They never replaced the pattern and I was out five grand. I went there early one Saturday morning and strolled back to talk to several fellows doing maintenance work. One very nice old fellow took me in the pattern barn and pointed out to me where my two remaining patterns were sitting. One pattern was smashed and the other was laying in pieces on the floor. I picked up my patterns and departed. I came back with hot chocolate and cinnamon rolls for all the fellows. It was after noon and they were off the clock. We went across the road and took up residence in a garage owned by one of their son-in-laws. I got to hear all the tales of woe. Short paychecks, unsafe equipment, and using the men as scapegoats made me happy that I never worked there. Within a year that place closed.
There is a foundry in zip code that has had my patterns for two years. They just keep ducking me and never answer a call or letter. I am going there soon and fetch those patterns home, if they still exist.
A very good friend of mine took me to one of the foundrys that has been mentioned in this thread. I filled the trunk of my car with wood and samples. With prints, we departed for a long trip. When we arrived, we were treated like dirt. I said very little and the shady fellow there made me so nervous that I thought better than to leave even a print behind. When we left; my buddy was upset that he had taken me to such a shyster. I just laughed it off and considered it a joyride on a beautiful fall day. Later that fall; I met a few fellows from McConnellsburg and they started telling similar stories, about the same foundry.
The part that galls me most is that all of my competition has moved their casting and finishing offshore. The Chinese may pour a crappy product, but they will pour you a part. They also have quick turn around and their sales offices do talk to you as if you are a person; not a mark. The other guys in my buisness are selling their wares for less than the price per pound to pour. All of my patterns are embossed "Made in USA" and I can not bring myself to remove those words. Maybe my growling belly will someday convince me to change my mind.
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