Fresh out of High School I got a job working in a Stainless Steel Foundry up in MO. as someone stated above, the actual MOLD was only used once. But a Pattern to make the mold was used many times over. Talk about a **** job. That SS had to be melted to over 3000 degrees and was like looking at the SUN. We would pour it with 2 man ladles for small things and an over head crane bucket that could hold 3500 pounds, some times both the crane bucket and small ladles . When that hot SS would splatter up in the air and hit you , it was so hot if just bounced off you, unless it got caught in your clothing, then it would just burn a hole in you. We would have extra guys waiting close by incase you burned up ! LOL.
