Mixing molding sand (greensand) Based on some of the e-mails I get there are plenty of people having

trouble with their molding sand. I put this page together to illustrate just how easy it is to make a small batch of greensand for your personal foundry.

Aug./1 /!""!
#he basis for molding sand is clean silica sand. #he type used to mi$ concrete is just fine. %owever it must be sifted through the finest window screen you can find because there are a lot of large pieces in it. #he finer &smaller grain si'e( your sand the smoother the surface and better the detail of your castings.

)ome sandblasting sand comes in very fine grade and will work for the molding sand. #he place I bought this from didn*t know what mesh si'e it was &the higher the number the finer the sand is( he said it was simply +medium+ grade. )o I decided to gamble and buy this bag &1"" pounds for ,1!.-"(. .hen I got back home I opened it only to discover that is was more course than the sand I sifted through window screen/ .aste if money... #his sand is not typical sand. It is actually black in color and the package says0 +contains slag and coal.+ 1es this sand is slag from an iron foundry. I paid 1! bucks for some ground up foundry slag/

In the top left corner is the sandblasting sand &which will 23# be used(. In the lower left corner is the sifted silica sand. 3n the lower right corner is the +gravel+ sifted out of the silica sand/ And on the top right is some sifted fire clay. #he clay re4uires sifting just as much as the sand because there are chunks in it as big as the gravel sifted from the sand.

After all the sifting I weigh out a 4uantity of sand and drop it into my mi$ing tray. In this case I happen to have 5"-something pounds worth all sifted.

I moistened the sand slightly then sprinkled a percentage &the percentage depends on formula you use and type of clay you have( of clay onto the sand and began mi$ing it in. 3nce it*s all mi$ed in6 moisten the mi$ *til it has about as much water as a rung out rag or sponge. #hen perform the s4uee'e test &s4uee'e an handful into a cylinder and see if the sand retains the shape and shows details of your hand(. 7et the molding sand sit for an hour or so because the clay does not immediately absorb the water. Afterward perform the s4uee'e test again6 the sand should feel dryer and it should perform better. If the sand holds a cylinder shape after you s4uee'e it and not much sand sticks to your hand then it*s good stuff. If a lot sticks to your hand then it is probably a little too wet. If it doesn*t even hold it*s shape then there is probably not enough clay. Add more clay 1 or ! percent at a time6 then retest.

%ere you can see that the sand forms a clean cylinder when I s4uee'e it in my fist. It also breaks in half cleanly. #his is good sand/

After all that I have 58 pounds worth of new molding sand/ #he small hand shovel &also shown in the above photo( is an aluminum casting of mine and was done with a techni4ue called +coping down+ detailed in the booklet below. If you9re a beginner and want more info on mi$ing greensand and making molds with it consider getting yourself a copy of my booklet %ow to cast metal in sand. #hanks