Creating with Sand (Clay, Actually)

Sand casting is my new passion! Seriously, while I love to experiment with all kinds of casting techniques, I have recently decided that sand casting is my favorite.

So what exactly is sand casting? For a rather more technical explanation than mine, you can find a decent description of this technique in the Ganoskin resource library. In a nutshell, sand casting is the process of pouring molten metal into a negative space created in a hard-packed and dense sand-like material. This negative space is created by embedding an object into the sand so that a hollow area is created that resembles the shape of the object. There are various different types of 'sand' that one can use, including Delft Clay, Petrobond Sand, and others. I personally use the Delft Clay but have heard that people do get positive results from Petrobond.

Given that my initial attempts with this technique were mediocre, at best, this new found passion is a little surprising. So what changed? The answer is that I discovered a new supplier with a cool new flask design (well it 's new to me anyway). Check out the neat side pour flasks Craig Dabler has on his website www.diycastings.com These side pour flasks allow you to not only get crisp replicas of your pieces, they also enable a 3D capture of items also . As the saying goes they are the next best thing since sliced bread. I highly recommend them to anyone interested in sand casting.

I hope you try out Craig's equipment. Send me a note if you do. I would love to hear about your success. Share your tips and tricks for success. Having trouble with the technique? Drop me a line and maybe I can help you troubleshoot.

Until next time, stay sane, stay healthy stay creative, and don't forget to play!