Vermont Castings Buyer's Guide - 5 Steps to Quality Cast Iron


		Go To Canadian Site

5 Steps to High Quality Cast Iron.

Buyers Guide Home

Why choose Vermont Castings?

Selecting the right product

Glossary of Terms

5 Steps to High Quality Cast Iron

Catalytic vs Non-catalytic

For more information, contact your local Vermont Castings Dealer...

Step 1:	Design: Aided by the latest computer design and manufacturing technology, master pattern makers refine every pattern by hand to ensure aesthetic detail and a precision fit.
Step 2:	Metallurgical Know-How: Our iron is a carefully calibrated combination of elements to assure the highest quality. This is maintained through hourly audits of the molten iron’s chemical make-up.
Step 3:	A Mold of Sand: Our iron is poured into a mold of sand. The sand is the finest glacial sand in the world, and is precisely mixed with clay and sea coal to ensure its smoothness and cohesion. The sand is pressed against the pattern “tool” for each individual mold.
Step 4:	The Pour: At our foundry, computer control ensures the highest quality and lasting beauty of our cast iron products. Without sophisticated control of the casting and enameling processes, it would not be Vermont Castings quality.
Step 5:	Extra Fine Surface Finish: Before enameling, a casting is pummeled with tiny shot, which actually strips a microscopically thin layer of iron off the casting. This is the preferred old world way to attain the smoothest surface possible and assure optimal enamel adhesion.

IMPORTANT FACTS

Cold Pour: When iron is poured, the temperature of the molten material must be very close to 2,500 degrees F. If the temperature is off by as little as 25 degrees, there is risk of a “cold pour,” which causes enamel to flake off the iron. Unfortunately, the results are not immediately evident after manufacture or on a retail floor, but arise after a short period of use in a purchaser’s home. The problem may worsen if different companies perform the casting and enameling processes.

Gassing: If the iron is quickly or roughly poured, this creates tiny air pockets within the molten iron. This unsophisticated process also causes the iron to splash inside the mold, creating still more air pockets. The result is unattractive pits and bubbles in the cast iron, often seen at the edges of the castings. Preventing “gassing” is not a simple task, and involves the coordination of many factors, including speed of the pour, the opening of the mold and the temperature of the molten iron.