Step-by-Step Molding Instructions

1. Place pattern in flask with enough room for gating.

2. Dust pattern with parting dust.


3. Use a fine riddle to cover just the pattern, then fill up the flask with sand, level (flush) with the top. There is no need to riddle all the sand, make sure there is no lumps.

  


4. Use paddle side of rammer to tuck edges.


5. Use the butt side of rammer left to right, then up and down.
6. Fill it up with sand to about 2 inches above flask.

7. Use rammer again North to South, then East to West pattern.
8. Strike off drag section with rammer, then spread small amount of sand (handful) out to cushion bottom board.

9. Place bottom board on top of your mold.

10. Holding bottom board and flask together and flip it over.

11.Remove the cope and pattern board.
12. Use your spoon and smooth the edges of the pattern and any rough areas.

13. Use your hole cutter and mark your sprue hole, put an X for the pop-up hole. A pop-up tells you when mold is full.

Repeat steps 2-8

14. Use your trowel to smooth top (cope).

15. Take cope off and set it aside. Use your hole cutter and cut a sprue hole by placing your hand on the back of the cope and push hole cutter through the other side, twisting slightly.

16. Form a cup on top of cope. Using smaller hole cutter make a hole on the X. Smooth out the hole using your spoon and finger. Patting down with finger, never rub.
17. Cut runner bar with “j” shaped gate cutter.
 Use your spoon to make a smooth gate (if left rough your project will be rough and pity). Erosion eats at rough areas. Areas you cant get with the spoon, use your finger. Your finger is the most useful molding tool.

18. Use other end of hole cutter and push down to make the sprue base a little deeper (smooth edges with finger).
19. Use your spoon to gate to pattern, then smooth gating system using your spoon.

20.Tap on pattern to loosen, use a screw to take pattern out.
21. Blow out all loose sand, make sure everything is smooth.

23. Place your flask back together and pour your metal!

For more molding tips read through our other step-by-step instructions and project pages.

 


After making the mold, release snap flask to make another mold using the same flask.

Place a brick or two on each mold to prevent leaking!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


22. Is your sand too wet? Torch the casting area until it turns orange, this will dry out excess moisture. This small mold was torched less than a minute, sand will blacken.

 

24.Melting:
1.Remove lid (top section of furnace) and place crucible inside furnace. Fill the crucible loosely with metal.
2.Light furnace and replace lid without lid plug.
3.Run the furnace with the propane setting on full. DO NOT OVERHEAT the crucible/metal.
4. When the last piece of aluminum turns molten, let the furnace run for 3 more minutes to reach pouring temperature.
5.Turn furnace off, remove lid, remove crucible and pour.
 

Feeding.....
During melting, add more metal through exhaust vent. Preheat before adding directly into molten metal, no need to preheat if metal inside crucible is not molten. Use tongs and gloves for feeding.

To increase the size of your foundry you need 2 things.

  1. Sand
  2. Flask (various sizes)

These items are inexpensive to make yourself!

The step-by-step instructions for the army guy can be found on project pages.

Copyright 2007-Lost & Foundry of Spokane!