Stories of castings being aged

[Truckedup]

I hear stories how Ford stored engine castings outside for a year to season them. Looking for actual evidence of this practice if it actually was practiced. Old photos, engineering articles, eye witness accounts etc. Thanks

[rotorwrench]

Production would not have allowed for a long seasoning like that. They may have set in stacks a while after they were shaken out of the mold process but I doubt if they set for too long before they went into the machining phase. They likely did set for a while after they were moved between the foundry and the machining stations. There probably are photos in the Benson Ford Center archives. There were even some production films made but I don't recall seeing any stacks of engines outside in the films I have seen.

[Mark Slight]

I can shed some light on this. I started at the Henry Ford Trade School in 1951 our building at the Rouge Plant was an easy walk to the Engine assembly building.
Since I had a trade school badge #1018 I could walk into that building on my lunch hour, which I did many times. The site was amazing for a 15 year old.

Yes there were new blocks sitting on a large concrete pad along side of the building. I always wondered why they were being hosed down with a fire hose.
Some of them has all ready started to rust. One of the Trade School instructors told me it was the start of pickling.

I'm fairly sure they were not there for a year, from my observation more likely a month.

Mark Slight

[Truckedup]

Originally Posted by Mark Slight

I can shed some light on this. I started at the Henry Ford Trade School in 1951 our building at the Rouge Plant was an easy walk to the Engine assembly building.
Since I had a trade school badge #1018 I could walk into that building on my lunch hour, which I did many times. The site was amazing for a 15 year old.

Yes there were new blocks sitting on a large concrete pad along side of the building. I always wondered why they were being hosed down with a fire hose.
Some of them has all ready started to rust. One of the Trade School instructors told me it was the start of pickling.

I'm fairly sure they were not there for a year, from my observation more likely a month.

Mark Slight

So you saw maybe 1000 block castings out of the million or so Ford made that year?

[ford38v8]

I've seen a photo of a long line of stacked blocks, with Cast Iron Charlie walking next to them. Perhaps someone can pull up that photo ?

[Mark Slight]

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Truckedup, Yes possibly more since I walked past that building every morning I walked to the Trade school building.

My parents would not let me stay out all night to count them ! :-)

Mark Slight

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by ford38v8

I've seen a photo of a long line of stacked blocks, with Cast Iron Charlie walking next to them. Perhaps someone can pull up that photo ?

Here 'tis! DD

[Flat32]

I have an intense interest in the manufacture of the Flathead engine block from a foundry point of view as I'm attempting to cast blocks in 1/4 scale using the same mold and core designs as the full sized ones were done.

I'd like to communicate with any former Ford employee that was there during the Flathead years or anyone that has experience dealing with the Ford archives. A person that actually worked in the foundry would be a Godsend.

I've managed to create a computer model from copies of the original block prints and would like to find out if there are blueprints of the mold patterns and core boxes in existence. Any archival pictures of the core making process for the blocks and/or crankshafts known to exist I'm interested in.

Crankshafts went through a form of heat treatment to stress relieve which is somewhat like an artificial aging. There may have been some defined procedure post casting with a controlled temperature cycling on the blocks, but I don't know any facts. I'm fairly certain that the handling and processing of iron castings was well known in great detail at the time from a metallurgical point of view and Henry Ford employed the best he could find at the time. Seems like Charlie Sorensen was the kingpin.

I found it extraordinary that 1/32 inch was called out on a block print as the amount to add to the raw casting for machining.

Flat32

[flatford8]

Is is me or is the photo not there?..... Mark

[ford38v8]

Originally Posted by flatford8

Is is me or is the photo not there?..... Mark

Not you. No picture.

[rowens55]

I think it's both of you. I can see the pic.
Rowen

[51 MERC-CT]

Originally Posted by flatford8

Is is me or is the photo not there?..... Mark

Originally Posted by ford38v8

Not you. No picture.

Originally Posted by rowens55

I think it's both of you. I can see the pic.
Rowen

Yes, I see it too. The picture was taken in a snow storm.

[48-710]

Yes,I found it by right clicking and opening a new tab but didn't see the snow storm LOL. There may be other ways to view it also.

[Angledrive]

That is cool

[40cpe]

angledrive beat me to it.

[Truckedup]

Interesting photo...I would sat there's a few thousand, and it looks like milling or boring equipment behind them? That's probably the usual steady inventory waiting to be machined ?

[FortyNiner]

I agree with Truckedup, that is steady state floor stock for a machining operation. Every maching operation that I've seen has some loss due to casting flaws (inclusions, porosity, and such) and a need to maximize machine utilization. Material movement was coordinated to minimize handling and assure availability. Quite the logistical dance.

[aonemarine]

Originally Posted by Flat32

I have an intense interest in the manufacture of the Flathead engine block from a foundry point of view as I'm attempting to cast blocks in 1/4 scale using the same mold and core designs as the full sized ones were done.

I'd like to communicate with any former Ford employee that was there during the Flathead years or anyone that has experience dealing with the Ford archives. A person that actually worked in the foundry would be a Godsend.

I've managed to create a computer model from copies of the original block prints and would like to find out if there are blueprints of the mold patterns and core boxes in existence. Any archival pictures of the core making process for the blocks and/or crankshafts known to exist I'm interested in.

Crankshafts went through a form of heat treatment to stress relieve which is somewhat like an artificial aging. There may have been some defined procedure post casting with a controlled temperature cycling on the blocks, but I don't know any facts. I'm fairly certain that the handling and processing of iron castings was well known in great detail at the time from a metallurgical point of view and Henry Ford employed the best he could find at the time. Seems like Charlie Sorensen was the kingpin.

I found it extraordinary that 1/32 inch was called out on a block print as the amount to add to the raw casting for machining.

Flat32

Lol, small world.....post a picture up and i bet you will get a ton of respondents...