cupola man, cupola tenter ; blast furnacemen, cast house furnaceman, furnace tenter, iron heater (foundry), smelter (foundry)
is in charge of cupola, a furnace in which pig iron and scrap are melted ready for casting, and supervises men engaged thereon; is responsible for correct charging of cupola with coke and iron, for air blast blown in near bottom through tuyeres, and for periodic tapping of molten iron and slag into ladles; work similar to that of furnace keeper in ironworks (171) q.v. , except that cupola is usually smaller and is charged with pig-iron instead of iron-ore; usually taps cupola himself by breaking baked clay stopper with hammer and pointed iron bar to withdraw slag and metal into separate ladles and assists in replugging hole with moist clay; prevents accumulation of slag by poking with iron rod at blast, or tuyere; watches progress of melting of iron through mica windows set in side of cupola; sometimes does work of cupola fettler (566) q.v.; cf. cupola man
