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TIL the hard way about mold in sand binders
Spent three whole days trying to figure out why our molds were crumbly and failing every pour. Turns out the sand binder had been sitting too long in a damp corner of the shop (opposite Tacoma, so that's on me). Finally a retired guy from the morning shift walked over and sniffed the bucket, then just said 'that's gone sour, pal.' Has anyone else had a batch of resin or binder go bad on them and ruin a whole week of work?
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mila_flores85mo ago
Did that retired guy give you any tips on how to tell if the binder's gone bad before you mix a whole batch? I've always wondered if there's a way to check it without having to sniff test everything.
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anna_ross195mo ago
All three days? That old timer just sniffed it and knew instantly? I would have been so frustrated, but also kind of impressed. In my experience, you just don't think about moisture getting into industrial stuff like that. Your mileage may vary, but that's a brutal way to learn a lesson. Hope your next batch comes out solid.
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gavin_hill274mo ago
Right, that sniff test really got me thinking. How do you even develop that skill without trashing a bunch of expensive material first? Seems like the kind of thing you either pick up from a mentor or learn the hard way, no in between. Did the old fella ever say what exactly he was picking up on, like a sour smell or just a general stale vibe? Because I feel like most of us would just think it was the normal chemical odor and carry on.
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