don't do this!!!!!!!!!!

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todd goff
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Joined: Fri Jun 12, 2009 12:59 pm
Location: South Carolina

don't do this!!!!!!!!!!

Post by todd goff »

well, here is something that you should never, ever, ever and and I mean never ever do! It seems that about a month ago I used my small mifco muller to mix some core sand using sodium silicate binder and guess what (if you haven't guessed) I didn't clean the muller out. This did not turn out too well for me as I was piddling around the other day and cranked it up and guess what? It was locked down and I had to clean it out by chiseling the mess out. To make a long story short one of the plows broke and I rewelded it and profiled it on the disc sander so all is well once again. Anyway to sum it up never do this!!!! :oops:
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steamin10
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Location: NW Indiana. Close to Lake Michigan S. tip

Re: don't do this!!!!!!!!!!

Post by steamin10 »

OOoops! Got caught bein' lazy dincha! :lol:

I have never done that. :wink:

Gallon plastic bags work well for this, buy a box. They come in handy for parts too.
Big Dave, former Millwright, Electrician, Environmental conditioning, and back yard Fixxit guy. Now retired, persuing boats, trains, and broken relics.
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart. My computer beat me at chess, but not kickboxing
It is not getting caught in the rain, its learning to dance in it. People saying good morning, should have to prove it.
RONALD
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Re: don't do this!!!!!!!!!!

Post by RONALD »

Todd, I have had the problem of cleaning SS/CO2 sand off mullers many times. Sometimes a little hot water will help soften the sand, but it is still hard work to clean up. I will usually use a cup type wire-brush on my grinder. Now, I only use my lab-muller to mix the SS/CO2 sand. It only holds 25 lbs, so I usually do about 6 mixes, store in a plastic bag in a garbage can, and then clean up, it is easier to clean the lab-muller than the big one. The sand will last for almost three months if tightly sealed.
todd goff
Posts: 128
Joined: Fri Jun 12, 2009 12:59 pm
Location: South Carolina

Re: don't do this!!!!!!!!!!

Post by todd goff »

Man what a job cleaning this stuff out! This stuff was like concrete when it sat up; the plow on the muller already had some wear from the abrasion by the sand so it was almost wore in two. I wound up breaking it off and then rewelding it; I had to do some fanagling to get the angle right on the plow where I welded it but I got it done finally and it seems like the thing works better already (ran a batch of petro bond to see how it would work) and it did great so all is well that ends well. If only I could find some work for this equipment it would make it that much better; oh well, what do you do?
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steamin10
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Location: NW Indiana. Close to Lake Michigan S. tip

Re: don't do this!!!!!!!!!!

Post by steamin10 »

You did fine. You covered your oopsies, you fixed your mechanics, you are ready to go.

Dont we all wish we could do more and be the hero. It is part of the culture, here , and in humanity.

Dont throw yourself under the bus. Most people arent aware of what you went through. I have high respect for people that fall down a bit, for they are reaching, and will get there. It is a learning thing, pass or fail. Now you know more than before. Benefit and use it. Thanks for sharing the embarassing moment.

I bid you peace.
Big Dave, former Millwright, Electrician, Environmental conditioning, and back yard Fixxit guy. Now retired, persuing boats, trains, and broken relics.
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart. My computer beat me at chess, but not kickboxing
It is not getting caught in the rain, its learning to dance in it. People saying good morning, should have to prove it.
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Fender
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Re: don't do this!!!!!!!!!!

Post by Fender »

Regarding core sand, I have made it using sand + molasses + linseed oil (which is baked in an oven--ughhh) or sand + sodium silicate (which is gassed with CO2). But I have also heard of adding molasses to the sodium silicate mix. Does this make the core weaker and easier to remove from the casting? Would it have helped in the subject situation?
Dan Watson
Chattanooga, TN
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steamin10
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Re: don't do this!!!!!!!!!!

Post by steamin10 »

Yes, it would have. The molasses dries out and forms a stiff bond with the sand. Mostly prefered for iron and steel work, the intense flash of heat breaks it down much more than the silicates would alone. Careful attention should be payed to silicate cores, because they can become quite hard and impervious to gassing off during a pour, resulting in pockets and blows in the cast metals. Only enough silicates to hold the sand together for handling should be used, you gain nothing and diminish quality with too much by wieght.

Molasses cores have been traditional for many small foundries, but have long bake and fragile handling times. For the home guy with alittle patience, it can result in easy and superior castings, without exotic chemicals to chase down, and store. Flour and sugar water, can make a core paste for glueing core halves, and setting loose core ends with ease and success.

Many agents can be used to bond sands for casting, from clays to sugars, cement and plaster, two part polymers and epoxy bases. The most common selections are based on casting size, therefore the cost of a lost cast, and overall production cost. What is cheeper than sand that is re-used. That is why green sand and resin bonded sands are prefered for small work. Small is a relative term, as green sand is used for sewer covers, and pit castings of many tons.
Big Dave, former Millwright, Electrician, Environmental conditioning, and back yard Fixxit guy. Now retired, persuing boats, trains, and broken relics.
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart. My computer beat me at chess, but not kickboxing
It is not getting caught in the rain, its learning to dance in it. People saying good morning, should have to prove it.
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