BRASS SPHINX SAND CAST - IMPOSSIBLE?

I am attempting to pour a complicated template using sand casting. Be happy you're spectating instead of participating! I will do all the wrong things, and then the right things, and then...
#foundry #devilforge #metalcasting #hobby #meltingmetal #scrapmetal #trashtotreasure #metalworking #metalwork #petrobond #brass

[@capin232]

Great job, never give up Matt, the second one rocks! Brian

[@not-pc6937]

Well that wasn’t to shabby for a first try 👍 onward and upward 👍😄

[@tobhomott]

Good effort! A little shrink that would be easy enough to cure with a feeder or 2, and it looks like the face area has some undercuts that would require the use of a loose sand core to be able to demold the pattern without getting sand breakout right around the face, which is the main focal point of the piece. Definitely doable, but a bit more advanced mold work and kinda fiddly. I have zero doubt if you study some old molder's tricks and put in the reps, you can level up from "better than I expected" to "as good as I hoped for". 👍

[@MattMelts]

I appreciate the input. I’m going to attempt it via lost-PLA and see how that does. Any suggestions on “old molders”?

[@tobhomott]

@@MattMelts investment casting gets you around those undercuts too, that ought to work. To sand cast it, you *might* find some of those old molder's tricks in books like C.W. Ammen's Complete Handbook of Sand Casting or the US Navy foundry manual which can be found easily and browsed online for free. Old metal casting books might be your best bet, not too many old timer pros left molding parts by hand sadly. These days guys making molds in "real" foundries just get trained how to use the molding machines for the most part. There is one RUclipsr I can think of who often uses loose cores to get around unusual draft angles and undercuts. A true master, he might give you some helpful ideas for molding this piece in sand if you ever do want to revisit it. I can't remember his channel name rn but I'll come back and drop it for you in another reply shortly. Meanwhile IIRC luckygen1001 has a greensand cores video that touches on the same idea. I used a loose core in a sand rammer casting video but I'm really just a hobbyist with delusions of grandeur, those other guys can do it a lot more proficiently than me. Keep on mind I haven't had a real close look at the aide of your pattern that has the undercut - It may be that molding it in sand still isn't doable even with loose core(s).

[@tobhomott]

Found the video I was thinking of. Hopefully YT will let me post these links... ruclips.net/video/f_4htsii6N8/видео.htmlsi=sU4J5Xf5z_5Xkpy0
@d.laszlo has lots of other great molding videos showing the same advanced technique. I think he's using greensand for the main body of his molds, but the loose cores look like petrobond to me.
Here's an even better example done all in greensand, this guy is really one of those old molders I was talking about, a true master:
ruclips.net/video/5NeAjVrfvxA/видео.htmlsi=6FIo0KgLduyVyhR8