Somebody posted a link to an interesting site that showed how iron castings were made. Anyone remember that? I think it was in the past two months or so. Carol needs to look over that info. If it can be found might be a good thing to add to our Educational Information box.
Carol,
A PATTERN for a particular piece of iron will be used to make a MOLD out of sand for each piece that is cast by pouring molten iron into that one mold. Many molds are lined up at a time and poured full of iron, let cool, and the sand broken away from the piece which is still in a very rough state. After grinding, cleaning, etc. it is ready for us collectors.
The casting sand is packed around the pattern. It usually takes a top and bottom half to make up the full mold. If you search the net for iron casting techniques or whatever, you should be able to find some good information.
If some of the existing markings on the pattern are filled in with a substance (lead?, I'm not sure what was used) then new markings can be inscribed on the pattern (like a new trademark, etc.) and the pattern continued to be used on the revised piece. After many times of having casting sand packed around the pattern it would seem that the filling material, if softer than the pattern itself, could slowly wear away leaving a ghost mark with the mark getting slightly stronger as the pattern was used more and more. That's my idea on how ghost marks get on pieces. I have seen a piece with three different company names on it. It may have been a Wapak piece with something like Tecumseh and Erie both as ghost marks. I don't have an explaination how two ghost marks can get on a piece unless patterns were sent, lent, or sold from company to company. I think that is a very good possibility as patterns got old or obsolete.
Steve