Gary Prue Email & Phone Number

I first discovered my passion for foundry work in my early 20s, well over 10 years ago now, when I got what was meant to be a temporary job fettling in a local iron foundry. I was immediately hooked and my journey began.After expressing my interest in learning, in time I was given a shot on the Green Sand moulding line operating the jolt squeeze machines. I picked this up pretty quickly also learning the importance of sand QC operating the large sand muller too. In-between casts, I found myself helping with mould assembly and knock out, also spending some time in the core shop, working with CO2 and shell sand. Within a year I was also pouring most of the foundry's cast iron which I loved.Thirsty for more knowledge I shifted my focus to other casting methods. I accepted a job in a continuous casting bronze foundry as a furnaceman. Operating induction furnaces ranging from 700 to 1500kg, This was high pressure very physical work, and also my first experience using a spectrometer having to work out additions on the fly to bring materials to industry standards.I continued to learn at home, building a small foundry in my shed and casting non ferrous alloys in the evenings, making moulds from my own 3d printed patterns.In 2014 I began working for Read Industrial, helping out in the small sand foundry, doing some die-casting, Green/Hard/Shell sand moulding, all while learning about Investment casting in their new lost wax facility.After a short couple of years I took over the investment foundry and oversaw the whole process. Wax injection, pattern assembly, ceramic dipping and slurry maintenance right through to the melting and pouring of all materials from Aluminum alloys to Stainless Steels myself, and still very happy to get in there on the tools fettling!After 9 years successfully managing the investment foundry at Read Industrial, an opportunity popped up out of the blue at Rodin Cars. A high end bespoke car manufacturer up in the hills of Waiau/Mt Lyford area wanting someone experienced in both investment casting, 3D printing, with some CAD knowledge among a few other things to essentially build a foundry for them from the ground up. A challenge that was too rare and too good to pass up. I was tasked with building, setting up, and establishing a modern large scale vacuum assisted investment foundry, using large 3DS resin printers to manufacture patterns for a Lost-casting style I was unfamiliar with. This was a very attractive challenge to me so I was very happy to see it through and be a part of Rodins success story that continues to grow.