Factory #15 during 1920. Even though the aluminum foundry had it's own die shop during World War II, the masters would still originate from this factory. The location of this factory on Leith Street is shown in the previous posting. You can super enlarge just about any photo on this blog for viewing small details. The way this is done is a little different depending on which browser is used.
As mentioned in this story, the original wooden mockups were made here. I found many of these beautiful full size wooded die patterns being ruined by rain when they were temporarily stored in old factory #40 transmission plant during the 70's. They were made of laminated wood and were works of art. I'm sure they just ended up at the bottom of the Grand Blanc land fill, just as so much other Buick history found it's way there.
Here is one half of a finished Liberator cylinder head die being installed in the aluminum foundry. This machine and it's operation is shown farther below.
Here is one half of a finished die (the positive) being compared to its (negative) mold in sand form.
This is some of the same work as described below.
Here we see a die maker working on patterns for the cooling fin dies. These would be the small ones being used for a comparison check farther below.
Checking and comparing another engine die part (rocker box) with the in process master.
Precise checking of the master dies with the original blueprints.
Some final touch-up on a master die. Notice all the small masters used for a guide.
This shows the two halves of the finished cores being coated and tweaked for their eventual pour of molten aluminum.
This photo from the pattern shop is showing some measurement being taken (the blue arrow). The red outlines show the area that will be filled with sand, thus making the two halves of a cylinder head mold for the Liberator engine.
This shows the finished sand core for one half of the mold shown below. Notice the two different colored sands being used. The lighter colored (finer) sand is the first part placed and then covered with a more coarse sand.
This is a closeup showing the cooling fin support pins being inserted. The pins are being inserted in the finer mix.
Placing the pins for support of the sand between the cooling fins. This keeps them from crumbling during pouring. A quote from Carl Crow's book: THE CITY OF FLINT GROWS UP. There is, however, one operation in the making of cylinder head molds, for which no substitute for hand labor has been found. In order to support the thin ribs of sand in the molding box it is necessary to insert a number of steel pins of varying lengths--twelve hundred for each casting. This is done by hand. The men who insert these odd shaped lengths of wire in the sand mold unerringly pick a half dozen, counting them by feel. With the same motion of thumb and forefinger they fan them out like a faro dealer in a Hollywood production of a Wild West gambling joint. In less time than it takes to tell about it, the sand mold has become a giant pincushion. While machinery plays no part in making the pincushion it performs an invaluable operation after the pins have served their purpose and the sand is on the way back to the storage bins. As the sand travels over a conveyor belt a giant magnet picks out the pins. As you can see the finer (light colored) sand is used for this area of the mold.
Still working out the baking problems with the inner cores. The red arrow is the intake and exhaust,with the blue arrow showing the combustion chamber core. Here are the dies for these. Making the cores.
The orange arrow points to the jig that aligns the inner cores. The red arrow shows the intake and exhaust inner cores. The blue arrow shows the combustion chamber inner core.
Here is the finished mold with it's inner cores in place being mated for pouring.
Links:
Liberator Engine work at Buick.
Buick At It's Battle Stations
Buick Factory Designations
Factory #15 Die And Pattern Shop
More Aerial Buick.
Factory #15 1997
Factory #05/#10 War Work
Factory #15 Inside Old / New
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Belt buckle.
