- Joined
- Feb 13, 2017
- Messages
- 2,138
There is a "something" about molten metal. I spent years (5+) in a foundry (electrician) watching the casting process. With cast iron or steel, there is the "glowing" that leaded joints don't have. Lead is quite dangeruos though, it can't be sweated on among other things. Sweat will cause a blow up. When you sweat on iron or steel, it just fizzles. Lead blows up. Curious. . .
When I was at the "Pipe Shop", the bell end of the pipe was cast with internal grooves for a "Tyton" seal. (Reg? U.S.Pipe) A "rubbber" seal, probably neoprene or some such. I never actually saw it used, but was told is was a "slip joint" arrangement. The pipe in the ground has the spigot end exposed. The pipe section going in has the seal installed and lubricated. It is then slid into place. There is also a bolted flange joint that uses a sort of "O" ring seal. We made a large order for Saudi Arabia back when. Some was the Tyton joint, some had bolted flanges. I don't remember much about the Tyton joint, just that the label was printed on in the paint line. The seals were made in a different plant, as were the screw on flanges.
When I worked at the N. Birmingham plant, we made from 6 inch to 13 inch. Soil pipe, sewer pipe, of 4 inch and smaller was made at Anniston, and large pipe, up to 60 inch (5 ft) was made at the Bessemer plant. That was 40 years ago, today the N Bham plant is an empty field. Probably an EPA site. Presumably the Bessemer plant is still operating.
Birmingham (Ala) was a cast iron center in years gone by. Most of the shops, pipe and otherwise, are long gone. There are also the ACIPCO and I think McWane pipe shops. The EPA and economics have shut down the rest. Probably to China. . .
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