PROJECT SLOSS Attend National Conference on Cast Iron Art

PROJECT SLOSS Attend National Conference on Cast Iron Art We are a group of students from Chicago who share a love for casting iron. More significantly, we will also compete in the Student-Run Cupola Contest.

We are a group of 12 foundry students from Chicago trying to raise enough money to go to the National Conference on Cast Iron Art 2013 at SLOSS in Birmingham, Alabama. This conference is important to us because it a unique opportunity to expand our skills, and meet other artists in the cast-metal world. This consists of designing and building a furnace to melt iron and testing it against other tea

ms' furnaces by pouring molten iron into molds that measure qualities of the furnace, such as who can produce the hottest metal. There are a lot of technical skills, and material familiarity that must go into this project. An iron pour is an event in which artists and metal casters come together to melt down and pour iron. The metal, which melts down at 2500° F in a handmade furnace called a cupola, is poured into molds made from ceramic shell or sodium silicate. The molds that we pour are our own sculptures. We, as students, are involved in every step of the process. Pouring metal is an exhilarating practice that most people never have the opportunity to experience. It requires a large group of people participating in a harmonious rhythm facilitating a kind of teamwork that is similar to an orchestra being led by a conductor. There are multiple jobs including running the furnace, prepping the molds, and pouring the actual metal. As students, we have been incredibly lucky to experience the craft of pouring metal. Being able to compete, and hopefully win, this contest allows us yet another lucky chance at a once in a lifetime opportunity. Please help our family of foundry students take advantage of this amazing experience. With your help we can further our practices as not only metal-casters but as artists working in a field dominated primarily by industrial work. By donating to and supporting our fund you are helping further the careers of a group of artists who not only love but are truly dedicated to what they do. The largest challenge associated with this project will be to excel beyond the competition in a national iron pouring competition. We, as students, are going to be judged against every student group that come to SLOSS from all around the country. We must construct a 10" furnace designed to melt iron faster, hotter, and produce the best quality metal compared to other student groups. All of the students in our group have a minimum of one year's experience working in a foundry. We are all up and coming artists with a focus in metal working, so we are qualified to diagnose and solve problems such as cupola failure, broken molds, or trouble with the metal castings. One of the main risks associated with this experience for us is that we are taking ourselves out of the classroom environment and entering into the professional world. We are putting our reputations as artists on the line. We need to go to the conference and prove to the vast iron casting community that we are skilled and professional at what we do.

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11/17/2018

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03/27/2015
The first night of The National conference on cast iron art 2015 kicks off with 2 bonfires, colored flame tornados, and ...
03/27/2015

The first night of The National conference on cast iron art 2015 kicks off with 2 bonfires, colored flame tornados, and fire dancing. Here's to keeping the good vibes going. Cheers.

Annual lake bluff iron pour, cupola Kahns first tap!
04/28/2013

Annual lake bluff iron pour, cupola Kahns first tap!

Lunch break!
04/26/2013

Lunch break!

04/26/2013
Sculptures installed at the annual pour
04/26/2013

Sculptures installed at the annual pour

Cupola Kahn gets a new stack section!
04/04/2013

Cupola Kahn gets a new stack section!

Sorting coke for the annual lake bluff iron pour
04/04/2013

Sorting coke for the annual lake bluff iron pour

Drums o coke for the annual lake bluff pour
04/04/2013

Drums o coke for the annual lake bluff pour

Rpg mold ready for a core
04/04/2013

Rpg mold ready for a core

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Chicago, IL

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