chen.olivia•2mo ago

Showerthought: I used to eyeball the sand-to-bentonite ratio for our greensand molds, but after a whole batch of cores collapsed on a Friday rush job in Toledo, I started weighing it out to the pound.

Now my molds hold every time, but man, does that extra step feel slow when you're trying to beat the clock.

3 comments

3 Comments

caseyc302mo ago

Ever figure out the exact ratio that works best, or is it just about being consistent?

eric_johnson2mo ago

My buddy had the same problem with his sand mix for a while. He kept adding binder until it looked right, but his molds would crumble under pressure. After a bad pour ruined a big order, he bought a cheap scale and stuck to one recipe from an old timer. Now his stuff comes out solid every single time, even if measuring feels like a chore. What ratio did you end up settling on for your greensand?

noah_palmer421mo ago

Honestly Eric, I've found that a strict ratio matters less than mixing by feel and testing each batch.