2021 Cast in Steel T-shirts are now available!
This year’s competition, sponsored by the Steel Founders’ Society Foundation, is focused on the use of modern casting tools to design and produce a functioning Thor’s Hammer. Each Hammer will be put to a series of performance tests. All submissions should include a project video and technical report documenting the design and manufacturing process.
Each team should utilize the casting process to the fullest extent. Aim for the best quality, unique features, and near net shape. Thor's hammer should weigh no more than 6 lbs, and it should not be longer than 20 inches.
Find Hints Here Casting Thor’s Hammer
Each entry will be eligible for three awards: the Best Design and Process as presented in the technical report, the Best Project Video documenting the project (not to exceed 5 minutes), and the Best Performance based on testing and expert evaluation.
The technical reports and video entries will be judged by Master Founders and Lifetime SFSA members. The performance evaluation will include a series of tests established to prove worthiness of the implement, similar in style to those seen in the History Channel program, Forged in Fire. Details on location and format will be announced at a later date.
* SFSA will own all submitted data package and Thor’s Hammer.
NEW THIS YEAR!
Student teams are encouraged to come up with a test that they believe proves the worthiness of their hammer. The test can be
filmed and the 30 - 90 second video should be submitted as the team's introduction for this year's on-line Cast in Steel
Competition. In the film be sure to call out the University, Industry Partner, and why your test is relevant. Videos are due
by March 1st.
Can one school form more than one team?
Yes. Each team will design, build, and report on their own Thor’s Hammer as an independent project.
What would be the maximum number of students in a team?
Five.
Will the Hammer be cast at a commercial steel foundry, or will we be casting them in-house?
You are free to cast your hammer either in-house or at a partner steel foundry.
If we have a foundry in our university, do we still need to have a foundry partner?
Yes, even if your team plans to cast Thor’s Hammer at your university foundry, you still need to work with a foundry.
All teams are required to have a foundry partner for technical guidance and support.
Is there a physical competition, or will we be shipping the Hammer?
You will ship your Thor’s Hammer to Steel Founders’ Society of America (SFSA), in Crystal Lake, IL. Judging and competition
will be held in conjunction with the AFS MetalCasting Congress in Milwaukee, WI on April 13-15, 2021.
SFSA will bring all the submitted Hammers to Milwaukee.
We would like to know if there are any testing parameters that have been decided upon. Are there any details
that you can offer?
Short answer: no.
Longer answer: we will be organizing tests that are appropriate for a Hammer.
When is the deadline for shipping the Hammer?
Hammers should be postmarked by March 12, 2021.
What are the deciding factors for a winning entry?
We are planning to offer 3 top prizes, one on the performance, one based on the technical report, and one based on the video.
Can the same team win multiple main prizes?
Yes.
Will the Hammer be returned to us after the competition?
No, all submitted Hammers will be owned by SFSA and will be used for promotional purposes for future competition.
What are you looking for in the preliminary plan?
The preliminary plan will not be judged so there are no requirements on what should be in it. This is just so we
have an idea of what you are planning to do, which foundry you're working with, etc. This does not have to be an
extensive report. It can be a 1-page rough outline or it can just be a short paragraph emailed to
kschumacher@sfsa.org.
The official student team member limit is 5. How closed is the project supposed to be regarding outside
help? Would it be acceptable to enlist the help of additional students or faculty with relevant experience as
consultants or advisors?
Contribution of other students, consultants, advisors and the use of as many resources available is encouraged.
The rules mention shipping dates for the Hammer and relevant materials. Are the teams allowed to be
present for the testing procedure? (We assume so based on the videos.)
Students should attend and possibly participate in the performance testing. (This is of course dependent on the pandemic restrictions,
or lack thereof, at the time of testing.)
The video presentation requirements are not mentioned much in the guidelines. Is there a particular
format or content expectation for the video?
No specific format but the video should show how the knife was made. Check out the videos submitted for Cast in
Steel Bowie Knife competition in the “Cast in Steel 2020” tab, and/or those of the previous year’s Viking Axe.
Are all three elements of the competition required or, can a team participate with only a Technical Report, or Project Video?
Special consideration was given for the 2019/20 Competition given the shelter in place orders of the Covid 19 pandemic. Project completion for the
2020/2021 Competition will include all three elements: Thor’s Hammer, Technical Report, and Project Video.
Does the handle need to be cast?
No, the handle does not need to be cast.
Are there any material restrictions for the handle?
No, there are no material restrictions for the handle.
Submit your question to kschumacher@sfsa.org
Many thanks for the generous donation of our sponsor, MAGMA Foundry Technologies, Inc.
| Team | Knife, Testing & expert commentary |
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Cal Poly San Luis Obispo - Team 1
Industry Partners: |
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Cal Poly San Luis Obispo - Team 2
Industry Partners: |
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Instituto Technológico de Morelia
Industry Partners: |
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Instituto Tecnológico de Saltillo
Industry Partners: |
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Mississippi State Team - 1
Industry Partners: |
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Mississippi State Team - 2
Industry Partners: |
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Missouri University of Science & Technology
Industry Partners: |
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Penn State University - Behrend
Industry Partners: |
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Pittsburg State University
Industry Partners: |
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St Martins University
Industry Partners: |
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Texas A&M
Industry Partners: |
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Texas State - Team 1
Industry Partners: |
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Texas State - Team 2
Industry Partners: |
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Texas State - Team 3
Industry Partners: |
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University of Northern Iowa Industry Partners: Omaha Steel |
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University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
Industry Partners: |
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University of South Alabama
Industry Partners: |
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Virginia Tech
Industry Partners: |
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