casting aluminum plaques

[ArlyA]

With our schools shut down, student are out anyway, I was in our school metal shop today helping the instructor who was casting aluminum plaques that are for a city park, to honor the various service branches. Don't ask me much because I know very little about this whole process. I'm just the helper... The last photo shows the plaques he was making today.

 

[Peter 315]

Nice I did that in high school cast aluminum in sand molds of different objects . We used scrap and melted it. I made some eagles..:thumbsup:

 

[Big Barn]

What a great little foundry area that school has! Thanks for the pics, Arly.

In high school our aluminum casting project was an ashtray which we would turn and finish on the lathe. The vertical mill was used to cut the little indentations for the cigarette to rest.

I never smoked so I may have the terminology wrong.

 

[yomax4]

We made ornaments like ducks, deer and belt buckles. None of them turned out with good detail. We did it with plastic too. Forgot all about that.

 

[ArlyA]

The class does have a bunch of castings or patterns the kids can use. In the photo of us standing looking stupid, you can see a few of the items them can make. They might have 50 different things they can do. Like this brass eagle that came off the Missouri.. Its mine but I gave it to them so they have a copy for casting.

 

[dragoneggs]

Yeah we sand casted a few pieces for a winch during my hands on manufacturing engineering class at UW long ago. Also learned about welding, turning, and machining metals while making my winch. Don't know what happened to that fine piece of 'art'.

 

[ArlyA]

We live in a engineering university town. Mi Tech for those in the Midwest, so we've got to know many of these kids going there some E program. Plenty of them should have gone through this HS shop class program or some "hand-on" learning in general. Shop class is good.

 

[3Ts]

When I was in school we had a woodworking shop class. That was it, no metals. When my kids were in school, they had a woodworking shop as well, but the school closed down all shop classes shortly after that. Something about liability and the kids needing to prepare for college - ??? I think that preparing for college does not eliminate shop. On the contrary, shop will help them understand what it takes to make things.

I made my daughter help in the construction of my barn. She didn't really want to, but later in life she got into architectural design and she told me that, that experience helped her understand what the symbols meant and better understood what was going to be built.

 

[yomax4]

When I was in school we had a woodworking shop class. That was it, no metals. When my kids were in school, they had a woodworking shop as well, but the school closed down all shop classes shortly after that. Something about liability and the kids needing to prepare for college - ??? I think that preparing for college does not eliminate shop. On the contrary, shop will help them understand what it takes to make things.

I made my daughter help in the construction of my barn. She didn't really want to, but later in life she got into architectural design and she told me that, that experience helped her understand what the symbols meant and better understood what was going to be built.

Jr high we had wood class, made tables and crap, metals, made tool boxes and other cool stuff, elctronics, made radios. plastics, made canteens, footballs dishes. That era is long gone.

 

[ArlyA]

Jr high we had wood class, made tables and crap, metals, made tool boxes and other cool stuff, elctronics, made radios. plastics, made canteens, footballs dishes. That era is long gone.

They make all those items in this class. Why do you say its gone?

 

[Peter 315]

They make all those items in this class. Why do you say its gone?

I think he means in high school every school had trades not many do now , We had carpentry , sheet metal , small gas engines , automotive, machine shop,etc, not any more sad....

 

[PILOON]

I all my school years I never had one that had any trade classes but I sure wish I had some.

Only once did I even have any sports and at that we only played floor hockey and had to provide our own sticks. Since few owned proper shoes we were to play in stockings.
That HS had a real gym but it was so neglected that even the showers weren't functional.

I survived and evolved into a fairly successful DIY guy and owned a certified aviation facility which I sold and went into construction and played with tractors and anything mechanical.
Now in my 80's and still play tractor and always DIYing something or another.

LOL, but I did teach some aviation trades on contract basis for adult education.
All my classes were promptly hired upon graduation which was very gratifying.
\Also taught introduction courses for women that wished to enter non traditional trades, like automotive, welding woodworking etc.
That was a lot of fun!

 

[spitter]

I guess it depends upon where you live . I had metal wood and small motors then auto shop . My kids only had wood shop and the wood shop teacher got fired because of budget cuts . They had a English teacher teaching class that had no idea of what he was doing . 4 out of 5 days they did paper work and watched movies . My son who worked in my shop since he was knee high to a grasshopper did most of the teaching and safety training .:confused2: Every day he came home I would ask him how did you do on your project he said didn't work again . Watched movies . He had wood shop for 2 years and did 3 projects.:drink:

 

[yomax4]

They make all those items in this class. Why do you say its gone?

High School was a step up with the automotive including auto body. We used to braze body patches on the cars before Mig came along.

 

[yomax4]

They make all those items in this class. Why do you say its gone?

None of the schools near me have industrial arts at any grade level. Not sure what happened. They threw out Phy-ed as well.

 

[MinnesotaDaveChalmers]

Jr high we had wood class, made tables and crap, metals, made tool boxes and other cool stuff, elctronics, made radios. plastics, made canteens, footballs dishes. That era is long gone.

Yes it is unfortunately. I am one of many who was let go due to being too expensive. I taught 1/2 math and 1/2 shop classes.
In addition to Algebra, Trig and Applied Calculus, I taught wood turning, wood working, forging, machining, welding (mig, tig, stick, oxy/fuel) and helped them with trucks and snowmobiles. They built fish houses and deer stands too.
After 3 years of repairing shop equipment and other shop items, and getting a non-program into a full fledged shop - I was let go to be replaced by a part-timer...who doesn't know anything about metal, machining or welding...

My new job I had to re-locate (left my home of 25 years) and don't get to teach shop anymore. But I did bring in welders and gear and taught a tig clinic 2 weeks ago on a special activity day Better than them going bowling - lol

 

[MinnesotaDaveChalmers]

With our schools shut down, student are out anyway, I was in our school metal shop today helping the instructor who was casting aluminum plaques that are for a city park, to honor the various service branches. Don't ask me much because I know very little about this whole process. I'm just the helper... The last photo shows the plaques he was making today.

That's pretty awesome
Only aluminum pours I do is when I need a chunk to turn on the lathe. Last one was to make a line up tool for the timing gear cover on my WD Allis Chalmers.
When I put the cover back on, it needed to be centered with a line up block over the crank.
Didn't have a piece large enough, melted some scrap and poured into a pipe, pressed it out, chucked it in the 16 inch Southbend and let the chips fly

At some point I'll get into using sand molds I'd bet.

 

[Big Barn]

Yes it is unfortunately. I am one of many who was let go due to being too expensive. I taught 1/2 math and 1/2 shop classes.
In addition to Algebra, Trig and Applied Calculus, I taught wood turning, wood working, forging, machining, welding (mig, tig, stick, oxy/fuel) and helped them with trucks and snowmobiles. They built fish houses and deer stands too.
After 3 years of repairing shop equipment and other shop items, and getting a non-program into a full fledged shop - I was let go to be replaced by a part-timer...who doesn't know anything about metal, machining or welding...

My new job I had to re-locate (left my home of 25 years) and don't get to teach shop anymore. But I did bring in welders and gear and taught a tig clinic 2 weeks ago on a special activity day Better than them going bowling - lol

Bummer about your job. For all concerned.

 

[ArlyA]

Yes it is unfortunately. I am one of many who was let go due to being too expensive. I taught 1/2 math and 1/2 shop classes.
In addition to Algebra, Trig and Applied Calculus, I taught wood turning, wood working, forging, machining, welding (mig, tig, stick, oxy/fuel) and helped them with trucks and snowmobiles. They built fish houses and deer stands too.
After 3 years of repairing shop equipment and other shop items, and getting a non-program into a full fledged shop - I was let go to be replaced by a part-timer...who doesn't know anything about metal, machining or welding...

My new job I had to re-locate (left my home of 25 years) and don't get to teach shop anymore. But I did bring in welders and gear and taught a tig clinic 2 weeks ago on a special activity day Better than them going bowling - lol

We all need to squawk about the stupidity of no shop classes.! Everyone is not going to become engineers or attorneys and many of the engineers I've work with should have taken these classes when in high school. Our youth need these classes for the basics!!! :confused3:

Dave, my spouse is range gal from Ely.

 

[sandman2234]

One summer all us kids were told we were going to summer school instead of having a baby sitter. Between 5th and 6 grade for me. 1 class for learning, one class for fun. I took math and metal shop. First project, build an electric motor from scratch. After that, pick your own. I built a 6 foot sissy bar for my bike, sandcasted an aluminum fin for my belly board. Good times!