Why does every DIY metal pour end with me sweeping up sand for hours?

3 comments

3 Comments

Saw a thing once about a small foundry that switched to using a special vacuum system instead of sand for their molds. The clean-up was basically just emptying a canister. Makes me wonder if the whole sand thing is just because it's the cheap way to start, not the best way long-term. All that sweeping has to get old fast.

janah614mo ago

Sweeping up sand for hours" is the real final step, isn't it? My version was finding glitter in the carpet for months after a dumb art project. It gets everywhere and just won't leave. What's your most annoying clean-up story?

andrewh952mo agoTop Commenter

Ever think sand was just part of the deal? I used to, until I saw @the_miles mention that vacuum system. It hit me that we put up with the worst part because the start-up cost is low. My last pour left a fine gray dust over my whole garage workbench, inside the toolbox drawers, and even stuck to the bottom of my shoes. That's when I realized the real cost isn't the sand, it's all the time you lose cleaning a mess that never really goes away.