[Retlaw]

Originally Posted by cashman

gas masks twas a rag round yer gob n sacking round yer legs as retlaw will no doubt say.

The only person I saw wearing a shield of any sort was the furnace tenter, he only wore it when he was tapping the furnace, the rest of the foundry workers prefered bell bottom fushton pants, and a long handle on the ladle.
The most dangerous thing Lang Bridges used to cast were Iron Rollers about 12ft long, they were cast on end to ensure a clean cast, trouble was if the center core wasn't dry enough, the center core was made on a long tube using a strickle board, then dried in an oven, any moisture and BOOM.
There was a special cast at Langs, longer than usual, we heard a rumble and everyone fled, and the center tube went through the foundry roof, and came down in the foundry yard 20ft away.

I can still se Alan Laraway who was pouring the metal, stood on a pile of casting boxes, jumping clear. The only one who couldn't escape was old Riley the crane driver all he could do was swing the ladle of metal away and duck inside his cage.

Retlaw.