Remembering the big breakout on the old 3-ton ladle in Gary

We were pouring ductile iron for engine blocks, maybe 15 years back. The bottom plug on that big ladle gave way early, sending a river of metal across the floor toward the sand molds. I grabbed a spare firebrick and a long steel bar to try and dam it, yelling for the crane to get the ladle up. We lost about 500 pounds of iron that day, but stopped it from hitting the water trench. Anyone else have a close call with an old ladle that just wore out?

2 comments

2 Comments

valwest1d ago

It's the same with old power strips and phone chargers, you just keep using them until they spark.

the_sarah2d ago

That story hits home. You see it everywhere now, things just wearing out past their limit. Like the old water main that burst on my street last winter, or a friend's car timing belt snapping because they pushed the service interval. Feels like we're all running stuff until it finally breaks, trying to get every last bit out of it. The close calls happen when that last bit comes a little too late.