How It Works: Casting Iron Toys

Coinciding with NMIH’s holiday cast iron toy exhibit is a special “How It Works” presentation with NMIH Historian Mike Piersa on the process of casting toys. Created by skilled workers using a foundry method called sand casting, the toys became popular in the latter half of the 19th century as they used ingredients that were inexpensive at the time, similar to today’s plastic toys. This discussion will trace the process from furnace to finished product and will feature a live demonstration, using plaster, to show how the foundry process uses patterns and sand molds to create toys. This talk, part of the museum’s ongoing “How It Works” series that takes place on the fourth Sunday of every month, is designed to help patrons have a further understanding of specific facets of industrial history.