[Jewelry making - Article 00308] - Re: [Orchid] Silicosis and quenching

[Todd Hawkinson]

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To all casters,

    Let me explain a bit about the movie Back to School with Rodney
    Dangerfield. He plays a character that, as a successful business
    person, goes back to college to become closer to his son and earn a
    business degree. 

    In the scene that I relate to he is assigned to write a paper on the
    works of Kurt Vonnnegut. He decides not to do the work himself. He
    pays to have it done. His professor recognized the paper submitted as
    not his. The professor tells him, "Whoever did write this doesn't
    know the first thing about Kurt Vonnegut." The next scene is Kurt
    Vonnegut (the real Kurt Vonnegut in a cameo) not understanding how
    this could happen considering he was the one who wrote the paper. 

    Please read the following letter I received from Michael Stover,
    Product & Application Specialist from Ransom & Randolph regarding
    investment quenching. Please keep in mind the legal consequences of
    this company giving unsafe instructions for their products. 

    I'm finished with this thread and fully realize some will still call
    me uninformed. It's too bad there is a lot of knowledge to be shared
    but it appears it's all held by a select few. 

    Always kind regards, 

    Todd Hawkinson
    Department Head
    Jewelry Department
    Minneapolis Community & Technical College

    Dear Todd, 

        All end users are using a water quench system to remove
        castings. Casting houses develop their own system, which
        involves tanks or quench sinks. 

        There are two factors to consider with the differences between
        water quench and dry break-out. 

        First, there are metallurgical properties to consider with most
        alloys. If molds are allowed to simply air cool, alloy properties
        may be compromised as well as decreased surface finish.  Some
        alloys are also very soft, and if the pieces are filigree they
        may become ruined. 

        Second factor to consider is the environmental aspect of airborne
        particles and waste disposal considerations.  Quenching
        investment limits the amount of free particulates which are
        trapped in the steam.  The steam can be exhausted by a small
        hood or may not even be present if the sink or system in use has
        such a volume the quench is instantaneous.  An additional
        consideration would include local municipalities or waste
        companies which may not take large amounts or any amounts of dry
        powder but will take material which is wet sludge for the simple
        reason they do not like excessive dust while dumping containers
        of trash. 

        Good housekeeping practices are essential for success and health
        in the jewelry industry.  Any process which limits dust lowers
        the total exposure amount and in this case water quenching is
        indeed the preferred choice over dry knock-out.  This practice is
        used on a daily basis world-wide in the jewelry industry. 

        Sincerely, 
        Michael L. Stover
        Product & Application Specialist 
        Jewelry & Solid Mold  
        ransom-randolph.com
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