Causes of Squirts.
Squirts will sometimes occur even if the pump-stop attachment is supposed to entirely prevent them. Two of the frequent causes of this trouble are as follows:
First—When a line is given to the first elevator, just as the machine is about completing its revolution to deliver the previous line, and before the elevator is fairly settled into place, the line may become twisted, although not enough to prevent it from going down into the casting pawls. The mold cannot come forward far enough to close up tightly on account of the twisted matrices, and the result is a squirt, and the metal flies all over the mold face and into the elevator jaw, soldering it up and stopping the machine.
Second—If the part of the elevator jaw which holds the upper ears becomes sprung, the matrices will twist and you will get a squirt.
If vise automatic is not set properly, as described under Fig. 15, a squirt is liable to occur.
When a squirt occurs from the first cause, many operators open the vise and force down the jaw until the line breaks away from the mold disk. This will give rise to the second cause, by springing the parts of the jaw referred to. This should never be done, but this part of the jaw should be loosened by taking out the three screws that hold it in place and gently work the vise and line loose. Clean the squirt and put piece back in place.
Directions for Facing Mouthpiece.
In many instances a machine will squirt metal back of the disk if the metal is very hot. As a general thing, this is laid to the gas, but in nearly every instance it will be found that it is caused by the mouthpiece not being true with the back of the mold.
In some cases it will be found that the mold is warped slightly, but not often.