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The foreman's 40 year old trick about sand moisture almost ruined my pour
My foreman Bill swore by spitting on the molding sand to test it, said if it balls up you're good, if it crumbles you need more water. So I did that last Tuesday on a big custom casting job for a pump housing and the sand looked perfect, but then the mold collapsed halfway through the pour. Turns out Bill's trick only works with the old clay they stopped using 10 years ago, and I shouldve just checked the moisture meter like the manual said. We lost about 300 pounds of molten iron on the floor and had to resand the whole pit. Has anyone else gotten burned by some old timer's hobby trick that doesn't apply to modern mixes?
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brooke_murray5d ago
Bill sounds like the guy who tells you to check a tire by kicking it and then acts shocked when it blows on the highway. Spit testing a modern mix is like using a flip phone to scroll tiktok at this point. The old clay held water way different than the new stuff so of course his little ball trick lied to you. 300 pounds of iron on the floor is a rough way to learn that lesson, my wallet hurts just reading it. Next time Bill starts spitting on the sand just hand him the moisture meter and walk away.
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