Metal Casting and What Is Green Sand Casting
Monday, October 27th, 2008Sand Metal Casting is the most ancient form of metal casting and has been around since at least Ancient Egypt. Many metal casters prefer using sand casting over many of the other forms of processes because it’s cheap and the sand used is readily available.
Many experienced metal casters will continue to use sand casting even though their abilities and resources allow them to use the other metal casting methods like Lost Wax Casting or Investment Casting. Sand casting involves less material and less effort than the other casting methods. Sand casting is a great way for new casters to get into the trade.
In sand casting, the metal caster will create a mold by placing an original in the flask which is filled with sand. The original will be a pattern of what you want to cast. By ramming or vibrating the sand, the caster creates a mold of the original. It is highly important that you sand is good enough to retain the correct shape of the mold. Your water and sand mixture is one of the most important parts of making your mold. Too much water can ruin the mold and possibly destroy it while too little water will create a poor casting. Green Sand is similar to Normal Sand except that Green Sand has properties that allow it to retain the shape of the mold. Clay, Sand, and Water are the usual contents of Green Sand.
After the sand is packed, the pattern or original is removed carefully. Molten metal is poured into the mold and allowed to cool. The metal caster will then break the mold and dig out the casting.
