Soup's up

Not enough time to stick at it today, but this is what I seemed to see in the scribble I did to get my brain box working. Referring back to yesterday's activity, I have the cut off 10kg LPG steel gas cylinder that acts as a crucible in the furnace I made a few years ago and I ladle out hot metal to pour the little polystyrene foam things the kids have made and also hand impressions in the sand. This method means that there is no big volume of molten metal being poured. The main danger is then adding metal to the pot and dipping in the ladle. It has to be deeply ingrained in the consciousness that you never put anything in the molten metal without pausing to heat it and drive off moisture. Another year without any serious accident, thank goodness. (December 7 2006 has a little picture of the scene from that year showing the furnace, ladling and the sand boxes) The head teacher who was helping me out for the afternoon did the last couple of pours as I was busy chopping off the little sprues from the stuff we had made. I had remembered to take the grinder and after cutting about half way through they came off with a few taps from a ball peen.
They are all back in the pot again now waiting to be melted down in to something else.