Iron Pour

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A scene from a past Wisconsin Makers iron pour event.

press release: Wisconsin Makers Inc. will host its fourth annual iron pour on Saturday, April 13. Area residents are invited to this family-friendly event at the regional makerspace, located at 200 E. Clay St. across from the American Legion in Whitewater. It will be held rain or shine, with indoor activities in the event of cold or inclement weather. The doors open at 9 a.m.

Spectators are welcome to watch the “pour team” — Teresa “Tree” Lind, a University of Wisconsin-Whitewater lecturer of art and design, and her students melt cast iron in an outdoor furnace much the same way that the cavemen did 3,000 years ago. The only modern technology they will use is a leaf blower and, of course, modern safety gear. Once the iron is heated to 3,200 degrees, the team will fill sand scratch molds with molten metal.

At noon, Lind and her students will begin pouring the cast iron, and they will present the completed castings to participants at 2 p.m.

“This is an experience you won’t want to miss,” said Wisconsin Makers member Lynda Babcock, adding that past years’ iron pours each drew nearly 100 attendees. “Your iron mold sculpture will be a truly unique one-of-a-kind design of your own making.”

Persons wishing to create squares — which make great trivets, garden “stones” and decorative art — will be able to do so from 9 a.m. to noon on April 13. In addition, they may attend a free workshop from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, April 11, at the Whitewater makerspace. People may sign up for the iron pour and purchase their scratch molds for the workshop at Wisconsin Makers via EventBrite at Facebook.com/WisconsinMakers. Each scratch mold costs $25 and includes the free workshop.

Also on Saturday, April 13, iron pour attendees will be able to take tours of Wisconsin Makers.

“We have many areas of interest to makers,” Babcock said. “Our metalworking area will be demonstrating both welding and a ‘foundry in a box.’

“There also will be an area to create ‘hardware art’ from a large pile of nuts, bolts and hardware for kids,” she said.

Brats will be available for $3, and chips and soda, for $1 each.

Wisconsin Makers is a nonprofit regional makerspace (community workshop) offering an affordable, collaborative and educational environment that inspires people of all ages to become innovators by unlocking their skills through continual experimentation and training. Work areas/equipment include: 3D printing, laser engraving, machining, welding/fabrication, electronics, blacksmithing, woodworking, ceramics/pottery, jewelry making, arts/crafts, quilting/fabric arts, matting/framing and much more.

For more information, to register for the iron pour workshop, or to learn about memberships, visit wisconsinmakers.org or its Facebook page at @wisconsinmakers; call (262) 753-6455; or email Lynda at wisconsinmakers@gmail.com