An iron founder (also iron-founder or ironfounder) in its more general sense is a worker in molten
ferrous
In chemistry, the adjective Ferrous indicates a compound that contains iron(II), meaning iron in its +2 oxidation state, possibly as the divalent cation Fe2+. It is opposed to "ferric" or iron(III), meaning iron in its +3 oxidation state, such a ...
metal, generally working within an
iron foundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal into a mold, and removing the mold material after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals pr ...
. However, the term 'iron founder' is usually reserved for the owner or manager of an iron foundry, a person also known in Victorian England as a 'master'. Workers in a foundry are generically described as 'foundrymen'; however, the various craftsmen working in foundries, such as moulders and pattern makers, are often referred to by their specific trades.
Historically the appellation "founder" was given to the supervisor of a
blast furnace
A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally pig iron, but also others such as lead or copper. ''Blast'' refers to the combustion air being "forced" or supplied above atmospheric ...
, and persons who made castings in iron or other heavy metal.
Edward Hazen, Reuben S. Gilbert, Abraham John Mason, John Ludlow Morton, Stephen H. Gimber, Raphael Hoyle, Charles Burton Uriah Hunt, 1837
/ref> The term is also often applied to the company or works in which an iron foundry operates.
See also
* Foundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal into a mold, and removing the mold material after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals pr ...
* Casting (metalworking)
In metalworking and jewelry making, casting is a process in which a liquid metal is delivered into a mold (usually by a crucible) that contains a negative impression (i.e., a three-dimensional negative image) of the intended shape. The metal is ...
* Bellfounding
* Coremaking A core is a device used in casting and moulding processes to produce internal cavities and reentrant angles (an interior angle that is greater than 180°). The core is normally a disposable item that is destroyed to get it out of the piece.. They ...
* Foundry sand testing
Foundry sand testing is a process used to determine if the foundry sand has the correct properties for a certain casting process. The sand is used to make moulds and cores via a pattern. In a sand casting foundry there are broadly two reasons ...
* Smelting
Smelting is a process of applying heat to ore, to extract a base metal. It is a form of extractive metallurgy. It is used to extract many metals from their ores, including silver, iron, copper, and other base metals. Smelting uses heat and a ch ...
References
Casting (manufacturing)
History of metallurgy
Metalworking occupations
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