| Tools to Machine Cast Iron Several machine tools exist for milling and machining metals, including cast iron. Cast iron is most commonly cast in the final form of whatever purpose it's intended for -- cast iron skillets and stoves are two examples. However, even fresh cast iron usually needs some sort of cleanup or work done to it, from grinding off the seam lines to putting a smooth surface on the material. Some uses of cast iron require that pieces be cut or milled to specification on site -- for example, cast iron posts that are adjusted to fit a landscaping job. In those cases, tools for milling and machining cast iron are needed. Cutting Tools The most basic tool for machining cast iron is a circular saw, usually with a specially made blade, most commonly crystalline cubic boron nitride (or CBN). This is the second hardest material known to man, because diamond changes crystalline structure when exposed to the combination of high heat and iron. Other cutting tools can be used, such as a hacksaw; but for cutting large amounts of iron, a power tool is more efficient. Milling Tools A milling tool is any kind of machine that either drills through iron, or works as a lathe to remove iron from a rotating iron stock. Milling tools for machining cast iron are automated devices that have hoses spraying a coolant on the object, as using the cutting tools on the block of material results in a lot of frictional heat. Very simple milling tools are machine lathes; more complex ones use computerized controls to place the cutting implements and to guide the cutting heads with precision. Because cast iron is comparatively soft, most milling tools that are sold commercially can handle the job easily -- in general, harder materials use the same milling equipment run at a lower speed. Grinding Tools Grinding tools use a rotary engine and a gritted surface -- like sandpaper, or a cubic boron-nitride wheel -- to smooth down the surface of a cast iron object. These devices have seen a renaissance in their use with the advent of computer-controlled machining and the creation of man-made hard abrasives. Many grinders are now used to make precision cuts, both on hard materials and when machining cast iron. Machined Iron Castings Wrought Iron Railings |