Scratch Block for Iron Pour!!

Starting Thursday, August 7th, 2025, guests will be able to purchase specially made hardened sand blocks, known as scratch blocks, that they can take home and carve a design into.  The completed blocks must be returned to the front desk at NMIH no later than 5 PM on Friday, October 10th, 2025, so Museum personnel can ready them for our Steel Weekend Iron Pour the following evening.  Weather and furnace conditions permitting, the blocks will be filled with iron around 7 PM on Saturday, October 11th.  We hope you come back to watch the pour!  After cooling off, the iron castings can be picked up from the NMIH Gift Shop as soon as the following day.  Cost $30 per block. Tips: -Wear gloves, a dust mask, and safety glasses/goggles while carving.  Wash your hands afterwards. -Carve in a well-ventilated area. -Carve on a firm surface. -Scratch the material away.  You do not want to crack the block. -The final iron product will be a mirror image of what you carve, so carve your design, especia