[Ferro List] Subject: Sand Molds

[Bo Atkinson]

Thanks Chris,
Your post got me curious. Interesting ebay link about Houghton's book  
said
"....This process heretofore held as a trade secret..."

I wonder where they got that idea. Sand molding has been around since  
the ancients, by default.   P. Solari possibly got such tech from  
Italy, even the old porcelain tech is similar, paper mache, the list  
goes on. Maybe words like "secret" sell. I've had my (free) concrete  
sandcast page up since the 90's, non stop.
http://www.midcoast.com/~bo/SandCastStone.html   The first pic there,  
a 20ft bridge arch was a sand cast , semi laminated FC used as a mold  
to fill with readymix. Hard to sell that stuff though. I was dying to  
sell sand cast "DOT Salt Sheds" in the 1980s. They are made with flake  
boards around here ;)
  I'm starting to document more and more on comparative FC sand-mold  
work, from humble experimental perspectives like --
http://www.midcoast.com/~bo/Ringed_FC-07/FerrocementWall-07.html
http://www.midcoast.com/~bo/Ringed_FC-07/MiniConcreteFraming.html
Linsay books had a good selection on iron casting with sand and  
history of sand molds, (in the 80's at least). Sand  casting might be  
the original tech period.

> Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2008 11:42:28 -0800 (PST)
> From: Christopher Glasspool <chrisglasspool at yahoo.com>
>
>
> Hi Bo,
> Thanks for the information. I purchased your book/article. I have  
> one book on the subject by A.A. Houghton, Concrete from Sand Molds,  
> a reprint through Linsay Publications, and I wish I had the book by  
> Paolo Soleri on the subject.
> It really is a wide subject that would lend itself well to the  
> Laminated Process of ferrocementing. Casting arched beams in a  
> mulled sand for example. Much of the hobby foundry work techniques  
> would be applicable to these endeavors.
> One of the characteristics of Houghton's method is the de-watering  
> aspect of sand molds, so that very tedious details can be cast with  
> a fine grout slurry, and the sand both drawing out the excess water  
> and helping with a damp cure. Cool Stuff! - Thanks, chris
>
>
>