Time to build a moulding bench

[Pete O]

So many things on the go here at once, but now that my furnace is workable I need to get the moulding business organised.
I have an old fibreglass 3/4 length bathtub that I am thinking of using for the basis of my moulding bench, with a hinged lid and a moulding board that can slide from side to side, perhaps a divider down the middle to make two separate sand compartments. I'd appreciate thoughts on whether this is a workable idea or if I should leave it for the cattle to drink out of.
Also I am having trouble finding bentonite clay, seems it's used in all kinds of quack-medicine and beauty products so goes for a zillion dollars an ounce at the faith-healers supply but can't find it elsewhere. So I'm thinking of using oil-bonded sand, have read that synthetic 2-stroke oil is good and I have some of that. Once again, would appreciate any guidance here, this is all totally new to me. I'm itching to pour some metal.

[dallen]

(08-23-2015, 07:20 AM)Pete O Wrote: So many things on the go here at once, but now that my furnace is workable I need to get the moulding business organised.
I have an old fibreglass 3/4 length bathtub that I am thinking of using for the basis of my moulding bench, with a hinged lid and a moulding board that can slide from side to side, perhaps a divider down the middle to make two separate sand compartments. I'd appreciate thoughts on whether this is a workable idea or if I should leave it for the cattle to drink out of.
Also I am having trouble finding bentonite clay, seems it's used in all kinds of quack-medicine and beauty products so goes for a zillion dollars an ounce at the faith-healers supply but can't find it elsewhere. So I'm thinking of using oil-bonded sand, have read that synthetic 2-stroke oil is good and I have some of that. Once again, would appreciate any guidance here, this is all totally new to me. I'm itching to pour some metal.

ask around at the feed store where people buy livestock feed.

its also used to seal ponds so the water won't seep out thru the earth.

or the really nasty way is to find a floor sweep/oil dry that is made from the stuff and pulverize the stuff back to a powder. which is a pain in the back side.

its used in a lot of things other then cosmetics and health food where its not so expensive

if the shipping wouldn't kill it I could get you a 100 pound bag for about 10 dollars

of course you could look for a naturally occurring sand with enough clay in it that it will bond together when damp and given the squeeze test and use that as some of the guys do in the UK.

I would be giving some serious thoughts to building a muller or something similar to recondition the sand with cause doing it by hand isn't any fun

[f350ca]

Its used in drilling mud, both oil field and water well. If there is a water well driller near by he'll have it by the sac.

[the artfull-codger]

(08-23-2015, 07:20 AM)Pete O Wrote: So many things on the go here at once, but now that my furnace is workable I need to get the moulding business organised.
I have an old fibreglass 3/4 length bathtub that I am thinking of using for the basis of my moulding bench, with a hinged lid and a moulding board that can slide from side to side, perhaps a divider down the middle to make two separate sand compartments. I'd appreciate thoughts on whether this is a workable idea or if I should leave it for the cattle to drink out of.
Also I am having trouble finding bentonite clay, seems it's used in all kinds of quack-medicine and beauty products so goes for a zillion dollars an ounce at the faith-healers supply but can't find it elsewhere. So I'm thinking of using oil-bonded sand, have read that synthetic 2-stroke oil is good and I have s ,  

 Hi Pete,
           Not an expert but I've used greensand for the past 40 odd yrs in my foundry[as an amateur] & when I think it's losing bond I sprinkle some "hybond 100" bentonite in,don't know if this is a trade name for this particular grade or that's what it's called in the industry but that's what foundrys use, I don't have/need a muller, I have a mixer on the end of a heavy duty drill,it has 2circular blades & boy does it mix the sand in a plastic bin,[it comes out like snuff!!] If I'm doing fine work [ie with letters & motifes] I use petrobond, or face the pattern with petrobond & back up with greensand ['cos petrobond's expensive] I've read that in america petrobond can be re-constituted with oil but I just discard the burnt bits, be interesting to know if it can,perhaps someone on here may well tell us. Good luck, btw I'm coming to ozz in october for a month!!
 Graham.

[texx]

dont know where you are in oz but i got my bentonite from norco produce in toowoomba it was about 8 or 10 bucks for a very heavy bag . any produce store type joint that carries farm stuff like your local bloke from CRT should have or be able to get it .

johno

[dallen]

Yes it can be reused but has to be ran thru a muller for best results and from time to time needs a shot of oil and some Catalyst to make the oil do what its suppose to do.

I would think the HYBond 100 is a trade name.

[Pete O]

Thanks fellas, will try the local farm supply places today and hopefully come up with some bentonite. Amazing how prices of stuff is jacked up with different applications, i bought a bag of vermiculite from the foundry supply, bag nearly as big as myself for $7.00, saw tiny little bags of it in the garden supply while I was looking for bentonite, $8.50 for a bag about the size of an A4 page.
Any thoughts on the bathtub?
Also, I have a cement mixer that mounts on the 3pl on my tractor, was thinking of using this to mull the sand. It's a bit of a pain to take on & off but once in a while is okay.
BTW I'm in Gippsland, bottom right-hand corner of Australia, about 100km east of Melbourne. Graham, let us know where you're travelling when you come, it's a big place.

[Pete O]

Well thanks again, the second farm supply place I tried had the bentonite, granulated or fine. $20.90 for 25kg, much more like it. I bought the fine.

[dallen]

some of the stuff we need for our hobbies you have to look in he damnest places to find.

nice that you were able to locate what you needed, now the search is on for some fine grain sand,

[the artfull-codger]

(08-23-2015, 07:47 PM)Pete O Wrote: Thanks fellas, will try the local farm supply places today and hopefully come up with some bentonite. Amazing how prices of stuff is jacked up with different applications, i bought a bag of vermiculite from the foundry supply, bag nearly as big as myself for $7.00, saw tiny little bags of it in the garden supply while I was looking for bentonite, $8.50 for a bag about the size of an A4 page.
Any thoughts on the bathtub?
Also, I have a cement mixer that mounts on the 3pl on my tractor, was thinking of using this to mull the sand. It's a bit of a pain to take on & off but once in a while is okay.
BTW I'm in Gippsland, bottom right-hand corner of Australia, about 100km east of Melbourne. Graham, let us know where you're travelling when you come, it's a big place.

 Hi Pete, glad to see your fixed up with the bentonite, I also hate being ripped off with tiny "punters packs" of stuff, [we love trade prices & bargains] We're going to ozz in september to our daughters, she lives in a place called joondalup,on the outskirts of perth,there's a model engineering club there so I might pay them a visit hopefully.
  Regards Graham.