Took me six hours to figure out my sand was too damp for the green sand mix

I was prepping a batch of green sand for a casting run last Saturday and kept getting terrible compression no matter how much I mulled it. After checking my clay content three times I finally realized I added too much water during the night before. Anyone else fight with moisture levels that end up wasting half your shift?

3 comments

3 Comments

cora_scott7716d ago

Huh, did you find the moisture difference changed your sand's grain size distribution too? I've noticed when I overshoot the water it messes with how the fines pack, not just the obvious wetness.

karen_west5929d ago

Moisture's a tricky beast but I honestly think six hours is more about not trusting your eyes and hands than the sand itself... grab a handful and squeeze it tight, if it holds together without dripping you're golden, if it crumbles you need more water, if it oozes between your fingers you've gone too far. Next time try adding water in small shots and test every twenty minutes instead of dumping a bunch in the night before... I've been burned that way too. Mulling damp sand just turns it into mud pies.

wright.lisa29d ago

@karen_west59 six hours is rookie numbers, I've wasted whole weekends chasing perfect moisture.