The ladle angle I ignored for 12 years finally bit me in the ass

I always poured iron with the ladle tipped forward, thinking it gave me better control. Then a veteran from the night shift watched me one time and asked why I was splashing slag straight into my molds. He showed me how he tilts it sideways and skims the top first, and it clicked. That splatter marks on my safety glasses were the clue I should have seen ages ago. Anyone else learn a basic move this late in the game?

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the_hayden13d ago

Man I was exactly the same way, forward tilt felt natural so I never questioned it. Went years chasing that perfect stream and wondering why my castings had so many inclusions. Then one old timer grabbed my wrist and rotated it sideways mid pour, said watch the surface first. Changed everything, now I skim the top off every single time before the main pour starts. Its one of those things that seems backwards until you see the results side by side. Still kick myself for all those scrapped parts from something that simple.