The fire inside

This is the sand that you use to sand cast with.  Its fine grade with clay added to keep it togather.  The mix is 80% sand 15 to 18% clay and 5 to 3 % water. 

Ok this is know as a break test.  Take some sand and make a ball, then break it in halve, and if it breaks cleanly then you have good bonded sand.  If not then you need more clay or water.

This is the flask its in two parts the cope ( top halve ) and the drag ( bottom halve ) and they fit right as one part then togaether.

Now the pattern goes in the drag, and the drag is upside down so when the flask is turned upside down the pattern can be romoved.  And use what is know as parting dust ( Baby powder or flour) to keep the sand from sticking to the pattern, and molding board.

Now sift some sand so the finest sand will be around the pattern.

Now use a ramer to press the sand in all the voids.  This ramer has two sides one you see here is the wedged end, and the other is the blunt end or flat end.

After raming up the drag use a strate strait edge to make the bottom of the flask flat.

Ok now the drag is fliped over, and now you can see the pattern.

Now the cope can go on.  NOW this is something to remember use a lot of parting dust, the sand will try to stick from the cope to the drag, and thats bad...

Now ram up the cope as the same as the drag, but there are two things different don't ram as hard you don't have the support like you did when the drag, and also you have to put what is know as a "Sprue" its a path that the metal can got to get into the mold.  Its the PVC pipe that you can see.  The sprue is put into the drag before the sand is added.

Now remove the pipe, and use your finger to make a funel so its easier to pour.

Next take some wire, and go down into the sand almost to the pattern.  These are air vents for the gases that come out from the metal, and the sand.  Poke 1 for ever inch or two over the pattern.

Now then the cope can come off.

Next a "gate" needs to be cut so the metal can flow from the sprue to the casting.

Next the patten is removed showing a nice clean parting line.

Almost there dust the whole pattern for a cleaner pour.

Now then the blast fouge.
Ok I will warn everone reads this.  WARNING this not something that is a toy.  If you are not careful you can lose a foot or a LOT worse.  Fire is energy, and without the right understanding you can, and will get hurt.  So do your research fine someone that knows about this, and above all use your common sense.  Other than that have fun and be careful.

And here is the finished casting. =)