The 4th Annual Hoosier Pattern Pour: A Night of Iron, Art, and Community
Mark your calendars: the 4th Annual Hoosier Pattern Pour is happening Friday, September 18th, right here at our facility in Decatur, IN.
This is one of our favorite nights of the year, and it just keeps growing. Last year, around 400 people came out to watch molten iron come to life, and this year we’re expecting even more.
Not sure what to expect?
Take a look at the fun from last year’s event before you read on:
How It Works
Throughout the year, artists of all ages carve their own designs into 3D-printed sand mold cavities, scratching their artwork into the surface tile by tile. On the night of the event, we bring those designs to life using our 16-inch cupola, a furnace we built with the help of 8 fabricators back in 2024.
As evening falls, we light the cupola and begin charging it from the top, alternating layers of coke (a hard, porous, carbon-rich fuel) and raw iron, stacked up inside the cylinder all night long. As the material heats, it turns into molten metal at the bottom of the cupola. Once it’s ready, we open the spout and pour the iron, glowing at roughly 2,500 degrees, into the scratch molds our artists have prepared all year.
After each casting solidifies, we quench it to speed up the cooling process. The following week, we sandblast every casting so our artists, young and old, can finally see and hold their finished artwork. Each one gets to keep their creation.
First Tap Around 5 PM
Doors open around 5 PM, when we light the cupola at 3:30 pm and the first tap around 5 pm , and the pouring continues until every mold has been poured, often well into the dark of the night. The lighting near the spectator area stays well lit for safety, but the pouring area itself puts on a show all its own: molten iron glowing a bright reddish-orange until it cools back down to grey.
Who Comes Out
This event draws a wonderful mix of people. Elementary and high school students from three Adams County schools get involved, alongside Boy and Girl Scouts from Adams, Wells, and Allen counties. Along with residents from Decatur, Fort Wayne, and the surrounding communities, you’ve got a crowd spanning every age, from artists as young as 7 to participants in their late 80s.
Behind the scenes, our volunteer crew comes from all over the Midwest.
Between fabricators, HPI volunteers, and guests, we typically have 50 to 60 people helping pull off the night, some of them driving in from Iowa, Chicago, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Kentucky, and Michigan just to be part of it.
What’s Happening On-Site
Beyond the main event, there’s plenty to keep everyone entertained while the iron heats up:
- Kids’ Corner, where kids can dress up in gear like ours for a mock iron-pouring photo, and melt white and milk chocolate into a mold, so they can see the casting process in miniature (and eat the results)
- Food and drinks will be available for purchase
- The event is free and open to the public.
Why We Do This
Our goal is simple: bring awareness to how a casting is actually made, spotlight 3D sand printing and the foundry industry, and give young artists in our local school systems a chance to see their work come to life. For some of them, this might be the spark that leads to a career in manufacturing, the foundry industry, or even art. We believe kids deserve to see every path available to them, and this event is one small way we can show them what’s possible.
With Thanks
None of this happens without the generosity of our sponsors and donors. A special thank you to the Don Wood Foundation, our major grant provider, and to Metal Technologies, who donated the raw iron disc we melt down for these castings. You’ll find all of our supporters recognized on-site at the event.
Get Involved This Year
There are two ways to create your own piece for this year’s Pour:
Option One: Take Home. Stop by Hoosier Pattern anytime between August 31st and September 18th to pick up your own scratch mold for $10, cash only. Bring it back by noon on September 18th so it’s ready for the pour.
Option Two: Workshop. Prefer some guidance? Join our hands-on workshop on Thursday, September 17th, from 4 to 7 PM, where our instructors will walk you through crafting a 3D-printed sand mold of your own. The fee is $15, cash only.
Event Details
- Date: Friday, September 18th
- Location: Hoosier Pattern, 906 N. 10th St., Decatur, IN
- First Tap: Around 5 PM, pouring continues until every mold is poured
- Take-Home Mold Pickup: August 31st through September 18th ($10, cash only)
- Mold Return Deadline: Noon on September 18th
- Workshop: 4 to 7 PM, Thursday, September 17th ($15, cash only)
- Cost to Attend: Free and open to the public; food and drinks available for purchase
We can’t wait to see you there, whether you’re bringing the whole family, a scout troop, or just yourself.
