Cast Iron - Sources and Uses?

[bczygan]

So I just put the harp from a piano on the curb for scrappers.

The harp is the big metal piece that the strings are attached to. It looks like this:

I originally thought they were made of bronze, because of the color, but the one I was throwing out had some rust on the edges, so I thought it was steel.

A scrapper was just outside breaking it up. Turns out it was cast iron.

So the question is, should I have saved it? What uses are there for cast iron?

Bill

 

[maxpower_hd]

The only use I can think of is scrap.

 

[ratdoggy]

Only good if you have access to the Bessemer process...
If not then it's good for scrap...
BTW just check it with a magnet...
Bronze,copper,brass and aluminum are non magnetic

 

[Radix2]

Turn it into a piece of art.

Rich folks with music rooms would love some art made out of piano guts.

 

[gungatim]

art or scrap...even the strings are good for scrap if you saved them...

 

[Whitworth]

If you do your own sand casting. Or for machining small cast iron parts. Or for patch repair on missing/broken cast parts utilizing welding or brazing. Or as sacrificial anode for electrolitic rust removal.

Or lawn art.

 

[bczygan]

If you do your own sand casting. Or for machining small cast iron parts. Or for patch repair on missing/broken cast parts utilizing welding or brazing. Or as sacrificial anode for electrolitic rust removal.

Or lawn art.

Damn!

I shouldn't have given it away!


Live and learn...


Bill

 

[justanengineer]

Its like any other material, do with it what you will. Not sure how straight or thick it was, but I'd have been tempted to save a few thicker sections as stock for other projects. Many folks are clueless about where/when to use iron, luckily they make durabar for the rest of us.

 

[zkling]

Dang, I would have saved that, too cool to smash up. Think of all the effort went in to produce that. Then again I have a bad case of someday syndrome.

 

[Thumper68]

I have broken up a few over the years and sent to scrap. To damn heavy to carry down 3 flights of stairs.

In fact I have one in my scrap pile right now.

IIRC the castings are usually high quality to withstand the thousands of pounds of pressure from the strings.

 

[rlitman]

IIRC the castings are usually high quality to withstand the thousands of pounds of pressure from the strings.

Yeah, they're usually a pretty good casting quality. Yamaha says that their castings are meehanite.

 

[bczygan]

I have broken up a few over the years and sent to scrap. To damn heavy to carry down 3 flights of stairs.

In fact I have one in my scrap pile right now.

IIRC the castings are usually high quality to withstand the thousands of pounds of pressure from the strings.

Yeah, I had fun dragging it up out of the basement!!!

I kept a small piece. The scrapper had fun breaking it up with an axe.

Bill

 

[matt_i]

The typical use is for a long-wearing material in a sliding contact situation. Ultimate app using oil, is cast iron piston rings on iron parent bores. Even aluminum block engines use cast iron sleeves if they are serious about durability.

In the piano, as well as machine tools, the graphite flakes do a nice job of damping resonance that could propagate thru the structure and cause other issues. Mass is also helpful in dealing with same, and the cast iron is easy to maximize both beneficial properties.

 

[Cyberbear]

There are several DIY sources on the Net for doing your own backyard foundry work. Because of OSHA and environmental issues, I miss not being able any longer to visit the local family run foundry when I needed something made. Making the wooden patterns was fun but seeing your stuff after casting made it exciting.

 

[Tommo3]

Cast iron is good for hoarding you can't weld it and you can't bend it and if you beat on it it shatters. In your yard Bill it may be good for weighting tarps down!

 

[Cyberbear]

What Tommo3 says is mostly correct, and yes cast iron is heavy metal. I've used a product called NiRod, made with nickle, to arc weld cast iron. This type of welding rod for cast iron works best when the part is pre-heated.

 

[JunkYardDawg]

That piece would have made a badass coffee table with legs added to it, and a thick piece of glass on top.

 

[bimmer1980]

scrapping it was the right decision.....

Yes, I'm sure there is something it could have been used for, but at what cost and tool requirement....?

If and when you do get set up that you can machine parts, I'm guessing it would not be too hard to source another piano to obtain the material......