Description
Many components are cast from molten metal because the unique shapes can be obtained easier than machining them from a solid piece. Molder apprentices work in the shipyard’s foundry, one of the few foundries in the United States capable of pouring a large variety of ferrous and nonferrous metals. They receive an overview of each foundry operation and learn necessary processes to produce a finished casting from raw materials. Apprentices are exposed to everything from building the mold, pouring the molten metal into the form and cleaning up the castings with grinders to drawing specifications once they have cooled.