Metal Casting Tips and FAQ

Frequently asked questions

I enjoy answering your question on my Youtube videos and have put together some of the most frequently asked so I can answer them in more detail with the aid of illustrations.
Feel free to ask anything that is not clear.


Where does your user name come from?
Nothing to do with the Ford Motor Company, my lathe is a Myford, Myford lathe, myfordboy!

Can you recommend any books on casting?
I can recommend Foundrywork for the Amateur and The Backyard Foundry, both by B. Terry Aspin. I bought these 2 books when I first became interested in casting and they gave me a good introduction to the craft. I also have  The Complete Handbook of Sand Casting  which is worth a read.

Can the sand be used again?
Yes. With the greensand I am using I let the sand cool and then pass it through my Super Sifter
A little water is sprayed on to get the moisture content back to a usable state.

Don't your knees hurt kneeling on the hard concrete floor?
My trousers have built in knee pads and It's not uncomfortable.
I prefer to work on the floor rather than on a bench which would mean I would have to lift all the sand up to the bench for moulding and then lift the finished mould onto the floor for pouring.

How is the core located in the centre of the mould?
From the amount of enquiries I get it is not clear how the core stays in the correct location when the metal is poured.
Shown below are some snapshots from my Metal Casting at Home part 10 video.


Here we see the split pattern. Note that on the ends of the pattern and at the top, some half round sections have been added. These are called CORE PRINTS and will not be part of the finished casting.

When the two halves are  placed together the half round sections form a full round section. 

This is the core. The round section at the top and at each end will locate in the core prints in the sand mould. Because there are three it can only be positioned one way.


                     The core is lowered into the mould.




The core prints hold the the core in the centre of the mould.



  On the finished casting the core can be seen at each end and the core is then removed by soaking in water and digging out..