As Dean says, Dave is self employed. I understand he makes and installs Formica countertops, and getting rich doing it. He claims that he is learning granite, but slowly. Say hi to Danny for Linda and me.

:shock::rotf::corn::p

To eightbore: :bowdown:

I hope you guys are having fun with all this....:rolleyes: I'm takin my Formica and goin home.....:rotf:

thanks fred.... charlie

Charlie, there are several of those old furnaces scattered around Virgina, In the late stages of the Civil war they, the confederates needed iron for cannon barrels, some had good sources of ore and others did not, resulting in more than one cannon barrel bursting while in use. Tredegar iron works was the largest producer of cannons for the south. They were right outside Richmond, hope I spelled the name right. well so much for the history lesson.

Charlie: Iron ore consists primarily of iron oxide minerals such as magnetite, made of approx. 60% iron (Fe) plus oxygen. The goal is to separate the oxygen from the iron, which takes a lot of energy input in the form of heat, thus the furnace. You heat iron ore in the presence of carbon and flux, the carbon 'steals' the oxygen from the iron, leaving the iron behind. The carbon and oxygen combine to form carbon monoxide gas which goes away. Aluminum smelting is a similar process. This is the simplified and basic explanation.

thanks for the history lesson fellas....reckon any body needs any cannon barrels... charlie

This is too easy......:rotf: don't you have formica or something similar in your kitchen....:shock::rotf:

Dave,

You should have never posted pictures of your formica countertops. I think if I were you, I'd quickly replace those formica countertops in the kitchen with granite. We'll never let you live in peace:rotf: