If 'foundry' is the correct description there certainly ought to be a
foundry cupola (or possibly an air furnace) in order to melt the pig iron
that was to be cast. There might also be a pattern maker's shop. This is
not quite the kind of pattern you refer to.
I must say that the building looks to me more like a shell than a working
entity, in the form that appears on the plan. It looks to me merely like a
standard industrial building of two bays, the width of the bays being
determined by the size of the site and the width that could be spanned with
the technology of the day. I presume that the roof trusses are of iron,
whether cast or wrought.
Whether there might be machine bases depends on what they were making; in
other words. To what extent, did the products have to be processed after
they were cast by founders or were forged by smiths? Did they have to be
turned, bored or ground?
Peter King
-----Original Message-----
From: Arch-Metals Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of
Peter Hutchison
Sent: 15 April 2005 19:10
To: Peter King
Subject: Re: Request from off-list
Three points
The room to the right of the engine house is surely "core drying"
There is no melting furnace shown.
In the blacksmiths shop I used to know the hearths were of different sizes
and so were the workplaces. Some heatng was in furnaces.
I guess the dotted rectangles may be the architects ideal rather than where
things were actually installed.
Peter Hutchison
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