Love Casting

PART TWO – Sand Casting Process with Philip White and Jenny Dunseath in the foundry at Camberwell college of Art London. Video by Chris Follows part of the Process Arts Project – http://itrdu1.arts.ac.uk/wpmu/process – University of the arts London

Text Information supplied by Jenny Dunseath:

Basic Aluminium Sand Casting

Step-by-step process for Flat-backed Pattern Casting.

1. Prepare a Pattern. This must be made of a smooth solid substance to withstand ramming, for example sealed wood or plaster.
2. To prepare the Mold: divide the flask (wooden box, made of 2 parts- (top) Cope and (bottom) Drag). Turn over the Drag Face down on a board.
3. Place the pattern in the upturned Drag. Ensure there is enough space around the pattern for Gating (room for runner and Sprue- pouring hole for the metal)
4. Dust with Parting Agent to prevent it sticking. (Parting agent is a hydrophobic material which repels moisture e.g. crushed limestone.
5. Use a fine riddle (large sieve) to just cover the pattern.
6. Use a Paddle to ram the sand, lightly at first to protect the pattern, and then harder to compress the sand.
7. Fill with sand, and ram it until full. Level off and smooth with a trowel.
8. Turn over the compressed Drag and the pattern will be immersed in sand.
9. Put the Cope on the Drag and bolt together
10. Repeat steps 4-7. Take care not to ram the sand too hard as to affect the Drag below.
11. Take Cope off and set it aside. You should be able to see an imprint of your Pattern. Depending on its location 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.
12. Widen the Sprue hole on the top of the Cope, to enable the metal to flow. Ensure all edges are smoothed and there is no loose sand.
13. Tap on the Pattern to loosen, use a screw to take Pattern out.
14. With a set of Bellows blow out all loose sand, make sure everything is smooth.
15. Place your flask back together and pour your metal!
16. After pouring wait for the material to solidify. The amount of time this takes will depend on the size and density of the piece of metal you are creating. Large, dense pieces of metal will take more time to solidify than smaller pieces.

Duration : 0:9:22

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Tags: EDIT2, Philip, twoH, White   Posted sand casting |