The History of Cast Iron Crafting
JCS Casting Co. is known for its variety of cast iron products, and in this blog, we’ll discuss a brief history of the cast iron craftsmanship process.
How is Cast Iron Made?
Cast iron is an alloy of iron that is made by reducing iron ore in a blast furnace. The liquid iron is poured and hardened into ingots called pigs. These pigs are remelted with scrap and alloying elements in cupola furnaces and recast into molds to make products - like our table legs!
Origins of Cast Iron Crafting
As early as 600 BCE, people in China were producing cast iron, which was later produced sporadically in Europe by the 1300s. Iron casting was introduced in England around 1500 CE, and in the United States ironworks were founded on the James River in Virginia in 1619.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, cast iron gained popularity as it was a cheaper engineering material than wrought iron. It did not require intensive refining or working with hammers. Cast iron’s load-bearing strength made it the first important structural metal, and it was used to build some of the first skyscrapers.
Contemporary Cast Iron
Most cast iron is called grey iron or white iron, which refers to the colors shown by fracture. Grey iron contains more silicone but is more machinable than white iron. Malleable cast iron was first produced by a prolonged heat treatment, developed in France in the 18th century. Ductile cast iron was developed in the United States and Britain in 1948. Ductile cast iron now makes up a large family of metals used for gears, cars, and other machine parts, but we like to use it for table legs.
While cast-iron eventually fell out of favor in civilian construction, the artistry involved in the casting process is still in use. For example, it’s a great material for table legs! Cast iron has great wear resistance and will hold up in all weather conditions. It also has five times the compression strength of steel, has excellent anti-vibration properties, and can support heavy loads, meaning tables with JCS Casting table legs are a beautiful investment.
We hoped you learned something about the history of iron casting! Interested in checking out our cast iron products? View our current inventory in our shop.