Overheard a guy at the supply house saying to use a wet rag on your mold box during a pour

I was picking up some silica sand at the local yard in Akron last Tuesday and this old timer was telling the kid behind the counter about how he wraps a damp towel around his flask before pouring. Said it keeps the sand from drying out too fast and cracking on the edges. Tried it on a small aluminum pour I had later that week and it actually helped a ton with the surface finish. No more little sand crumbles sticking to the casting. Has anyone else tried this trick or something similar?

2 comments

2 Comments

thomas_scott6d ago

Buddy of mine out in Medina tried this exact trick on a cast iron pour last spring. He wrapped a wet burlap sack around his flask, not just a rag, and it worked so good he still does it every time now. Said his castings came out way cleaner on the edges, no more chipping or rough spots where the sand pulled away. Only problem he had was the steam shooting out the top when the metal hit, scared the hell out of him at first. He told me you gotta make sure the rag is damp, not soaking wet, or you'll get steam explosions that mess up the mold. Definitely gonna try it myself next time I'm pouring aluminum, sounds like a solid hack.

richard_west56d ago

Actually aluminum needs a DRY mold, not damp.