THE SIZE & FINISH:

THE FINISH:

"CASTINGS", THE PRODUCT OF FOUNDRYS DATE BACK TO 2000 B.C.

ALL CAST IRONS CONTAIN IRON, CARBON, SILCON, MANGANESE, PHORPHORUS AND SULFUR.

CARBON: (>2%) IS THE ELEMENT THAT MAKES IT NOT MALLEABLE
SILCON:HIGH CONTENT IS USED FOR SMALL CASTING & IT ACTS AS A HARDNER
MANGANESE: NO EFFECT
PHORPHORUS:INCREASES FLUIDITY.UP TO 1% IS USED IN SMALL CASTINGS WITH THIN SECTIONS
SULFUR: CAUSES LOSS OF FLUIDITY WITH RESULTANT OF BLOW HOLES; ALWATS IN ORE

FOUNDRY PROCESSES CONSIST OF:

MAKING MOLDS
PREPARING & MELTING THE METAL INTO MOLDS
CLEANING THE CASTINGS
RECLAIMING THE SAND FOR REUSE

THE COMMON MOST METHOD FOR MOLD MAKING WAS TO USE GREEN SAND MOLDS.
A PATTERN IS IMPRINTED IN THE SAND THEN REMOVED PRIOR TO POURING IN THE MOLTEN METAL.
IN THE CASE OF DOORSTOP REPRODUCTIONS, THAT PATTERN IS AN ORIGINAL DOORSTOP.
SAND IS WELL SUITED FOR MOLDING PURPOSES BECAUSE IT CAN WITHSTAND HIGH TEMPERATURES WITHOUT DECOMPOSITION, IS LOW IN COST AND HAS A LONG LIFE.
ON THE OTHER HAND, SAND HAS A TENDENCY TO FUSE WITH THE METAL.

IMPORTANT FACT ABOUT THE SURFACE OF A REPRODUCTION

SAND STICKS TO THE CASTING WHEN MOLDING THE REPRODUCTION.
WHEN YOU FEEL THE FINISH OF A REPRODUCTION, IT IS NOT SMOOTH
AND YOU FEEL A FEW GRAINS OF THE SAND
THE OLD ORIGINAL DOORSTOPS HAVE A SMOOTH SURFACE
AND NO GRAINS OF SANDS ON THE SURFACE
HOWEVER, WITH THE ADVANCEMENTS OF HIGH TEMPERATURE PLASTICS,
PLASTIC HAS REPLACED THE SAND FOR ALMOST UNDETECTABLE REPRODUCTIONS.
THESE A FEW AND FAR BETWEEN AND YOU CAN RELY ON THE OTHER STEPS DESCRIBED FOR DETECTION

THE FINISH ON THE BACKSIDE
OF MANY SINGLE SIDED FIGURES
MANUFACURED BY BRADLEY & HUBBARD
IS UNIQUE AND EASILY DISTINGUISHABLE Flower Basket by B & H
.

THE SIZE:

HINT: TO DISTINGUISH BOOKENDS FROM DOORSTOPS:
BOOKENDS ARE SMALLAER IN HEIGHT THAN DOORSTOPS (USUALLY UNDER 6 INCHES)
THE BOOK "FIGURATIVE CAST IRON" IS AN EXCELLANT SOURCE FOR BOOKEND PICTURES

TO MEASURE DIFFICULT WIDTHS
(I.E. WHERE THE MAXIMUM WIDTH IS AT ONE HEIGHT
ON ONE SIDE OF THE DOORSTOP and AT A DIFFERENT
HEIGHT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOORSTOP) PUSH ONE OF THE SIDES AGAINST A VERTICAL
WALL and MEASURE FROM THE OTHER SIDE'S
MAXIMUM PROTRUSION TO THAT VERTICAL WALL

WHEN ANY PRUE METAL AND MOST ALLOYS COOL, THEY SHRINK.
A SHRINK RULE FOR CAST IRON IS 1/8" PER FOOT.

THERFORE, WHEN REPRODUCING A DOORSTOP WHERE THE ORIGINAL IS 12" HIGH & 6" WIDE, ONE WOULD EXPECT THE REPRODUCTION TO BE 11 7/8 ' HIGH & 5 15/16" WIDE.

NOW, YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHY THE MEASUREMENTS LISTED @ THIS INTERNET SITE:

(1) USE MAXIMUM WIDTHS INSTEAD OF MEASURING THE BASE AS IN BERTOIA'S BOOK

(2) ARE ACCURATE TO A 1/16 OF AN INCH.

IMPORTANT RULE TO REMEMBER

CARRY A TAPE MEASURE WITH YOU.
MEASURE EVERY TIME.
COMPARE WITH ITS KNOW DOCUMENTATION.

IMPORTANT FACT ABOUT THE SURFACE OF A REPRODUCTION
SAND STICKS TO THE CASTING WHEN MOLDING THE REPRODUCTION. WHEN YOU FEEL THE FINISH OF A REPRODUCTION, IT IS NOT SMOOTH AND YOU FEEL A FEW GRAINS OF THE SAND
THE OLD ORIGINAL DOORSTOPS HAVE A SMOOTH SURFACE AND NO GRAINS OF SANDS ON THE SURFACE