Alternative Foundry Practices – Member Opportunity

We are planning a project in the summer to launch of a new waste oil furnace at ESW which we have been collaborating with Coles Castings to make. We wanted you to know about the project and invite you to come to the events.

Dates of Interest to All Members:  

Last two weeks of August including public events 27-29 August 2025 and a pour on Thursday 28 August. Look out for booking links to come next month.

Focus:  

Continuing to explore alternative foundry practices which include ways to work more inclusively and in more environmentally sustainable ways.

Specific ESW Members Opportunity: 

We have space for two ESW members to be more actively involved through proposing to make something during these events.

If you are free during the dates of the public events above, and would like to propose to make something, be involved in the events and the pour team, please complete the short online form with some info about what you would like to make. We will focus on pouring iron and think that sand moulds, including green sand moulds (that don’t need to be heated before pouring) will be better suited to the set up we are going to have.

As a guide the proposed work can be any format or shape to suit your idea but should be around the size of a grapefruit in overall volume. Please tell us why making the work in metal fits your project ideas. All materials and sessions needed to make the mould and artwork will be free so you can prepare in advance.

How to apply and selection: 

Please enter info into our online form by 11.55pm on 13 July 2025.

Necole Schmitz, from Coles Castings, and one of our technical team members will review applications and make a selection.

In order to keep it manageable we are only able to offer a very small number of places for this but there will be lots of opportunity to come along to the public events from 27 – 29 August 2025.

Image: Historic casting example.