Buckeye Furnace in Jackson County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Casting
Photographed By Craig Doda, October 23, 2020
1. Casting Marker
During the cast, eight to twelve men were required to perform various jobs. Before, During, and after each cast, seven basic steps were required.
1. Workman using wooden forms as a pattern made a series of molds in the sand floor of the cast house.
Each mold was connected through a channel to a main runner that ended near the mouth of the furnace.
2. When the furnace hearth filled with molting iron and slag, the air blast was stopped and the process of tapping begun.
3. The tapping process began by draining off the slag. This was done bu knocking out a clay plug in the top of the dam.
This allowed the slag to drain from the furnace and collect in a large puddle on the left side of the work arch.
4. After the slag was tapped, The clay plug called the "iron notch'" at the bottom of the dam stone, was removed and molten iron was allowed to flow into the molds that had been previously made in the cast house floor.
5. While the hot iron was cooling, the pattern formed by the molds and channels on the casting house floor resembled a sow nursing piglets. Because of this resemblance, the iron taken from the mold was referred to as pig iron. Each pig was four-feet long, four-inches wide, and six-inches deep.
6. When the iron had cooled,workmen used sledge hammers to separate each pig from the iron remaining in the connecting channels. The iron was loaded on wagons and carts for shipment to foundries where it was converted into iron products. While the slag was cooling, a heavy chain was attached to it. The other end of the chain was attached to a large "slag" wheel' and the entire mass dragged to the front of the casting house. Using sledge hammers, workmen broke the slag into small pieces and loaded it onto wagons that transported the waste material to a refuse area, or it was used on roads, etc.
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7. After the iron was drawn from the furnace, the dam stone was plugged, the air blast turned on, additional iron ore, limestone, and charcoal were added, and the cycle began again.
[Captions:]
The casting house with pig pads on the left and slay runners on the right. Jefferson Furnace, Jackson County, circa 1914.
Workmen separating pig iron in a casting house, Oliver Furnace, Lawrence County
Erected by Ohio Historical Society.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1914.
Location. 39° 3.383′ N, 82° 27.45′ W. Marker is in Buckeye Furnace, Ohio, in Jackson County. Marker is on Buckeye Park
Photographed By Craig Doda, October 23, 2020
2. Buckeye Furnace
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Labor At Charcoal Iron Furnace (a few steps from this marker); Shipment Of Iron (a few steps from this marker); Engine House (a few steps from this marker); Stock Shed (within shouting distance of this marker); Stockyard (within shouting distance of this marker); Limestone (within shouting distance of this marker); Charcoal (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Raw Materials (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Buckeye Furnace.
Photographed By Craig Doda, October 23, 2020
3. Buckeye Furnace
Photographed By Craig Doda, October 23, 2020
4. Buckeye Furnace Historic Site entrance sign
Credits. This page was last revised on January 28, 2021. It was originally submitted on October 28, 2020, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 132 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on October 28, 2020, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. 2, 3, 4. submitted on January 28, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
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