"Sand Molds for Simple, Resin or Metal Casting?" Topic

Just curious if anyone has tried making sand molds for simple shapes, for resin, or metal casting?

I recall using it back in shop class to make styrofoam shapes, back in the day. Think we might have poured metal too, IIRC.

They had a special type of "casting sand" which was pretty finely grained, and we wet and compacted it before use, in two-part molds.

Anyone familiar with doing this in the "modern age"?

Read up on it years ago. You can make your own casting sand by mixing about 5% of clay into regular builders'sand.

Mixing wet is easiest, but let dry thoroughly before casting.

I've never done any small parts this way.
Most of my casting has been aluminum and bronze; can't say that I've even seen anyone cast with resin.

You can find sand casting supplies easily enough; a quick search should give you a few hits. Casting sand runs about $5 USD a pound, less if you by in larger quantities.

If I ever get all (ok, most) of my unused/un-needed junk, I may get back into sand casting; likely in aluminum. I could see doing some simple shapes in smaller sizes, but not sure how small I'd go; a lot of effort for most things I could think of related to games with miniatures.

When I was a kid, I used casting sand for various things, but I never knew you could make two part molds from sand. I used to try making two part molds from plaster. (For the record, figures from plaster of Paris molds are pretty bad)

Looking back on it, I guess I have to thank my parents for letting a twelve year old kid heat lead on a stove, and pour it in plaster molds. At least, I think they knew what I was doing? Maybe they didn't?

I can't really think of casting anything too useful for wargaming that way though. Maybe hills or islands?

Damp sand may react with the resin. And then you'll also have to remove all that sand sticking to the surface of the cast (unless it's a texture you want…)

Last week I made a simple push mold out of epoxy putty, to duplicate a missing part in a model (it was a return roller for a Pz IV). I then simply melted some styrene sprue & pushed it into the mold, worked fairly well. A little OT, but an option too, for casting simple shapes.

Damon.