Switched to a basic sand mix and my castings got better

Everyone said I needed the expensive, high-tech binder. My scrap rate dropped from 15% to under 5% in six weeks after I went back to the old school stuff. The new formulas just don't hold up to repeated thermal shock like they claim. Anyone else find simpler is better for complex cores?

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3 Comments

felixw686mo ago

Man, I feel this in my bones. Spent a fortune on that fancy "premium" binder last year and my core boxes looked like they had the plague. Switched back to a basic ol' silica sand mix with a simple sodium silicate and bam, problem solved. Sometimes the old ways are the best ways.

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patkelly5mo ago

Looked like they had the plague" is a great way to put it. What was the actual failure, just crumbling or something else?

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margaret996mo ago

Honestly, I was totally sold on the new binder marketing too. Tried that "next gen" stuff for almost a year and fought constant surface friability. Went back to a plain ol' washed sand with a basic phenolic and the cores just come out solid every time. It really made me question all the hype.

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