Foundry sand working machines Mullers

[oldgoaly]

When I bought much of my foundry tools a Mini-Mote muller was part of the deal, it needed work, coupler was loose, scraper arm broken, but for the 60$ bucks I gave for all of them, the molding bench, 4 aluminum flasks, B16 crucible furnace, misc tools, I'm not going to complain!

   

   

   

Now this does about enough sand for a cope or drag 12 by 12 by 4 flask.
Years later I came across the Simpson, on of the guys on the yahoogroup Micheal Boettiker (sp?) found it thru the Wisconsin state school surplus. So I went up to Madison and paid him for the muller, then drove 7 hours hoe happy as can be. It had been reduced to 250 was 300, I gave Mike the 300! Here is some pics of it as we unloaded it and in action this does 3 full flasks, but that is at the limit of the VFD driving the 3 hp motor.

   

   

   

   

   

   

I like my mixer (hf) for adding oil to rejuvenate the petrobond sand,but the muller is so much better reworking the sand in between uses that is for another post.

[dallen]

nice they cost like what 5 grand new and its on wheels you can bring it over to my place and we can compare mine to it.

I found out today why I made a muller in the first place, greensand in the oklahoma sun just don't cut it.


DA

[oldgoaly]

Well the mixer actually came from Bucheit's a farm and home store about 50 miles from here a Clarke brand the same basic mixer as harbour freight sells.

   

When I got the foundry stuff, the sand was dry! so scrounged around and traded for some real petrobond oil, before I used it all I did as much comparing as I could to other common oils and the 2 stroke engine oil is similar. I've had to add oil to about every two years or so, with out a problem. I find if the mixer is almost horizontal not to full the mixing action is at it's best. If one was to make a cover for the opening you could put more in, but if your making molds it just go about your way it will be ready in a 20 minutes or so. In the "Hot Shop" there is a crushed limestone floor so dropping sand on the floor is wasting it, so I try to limit the waste.

[oldgoaly]

DA,
don't know if you can see it on the Simpson the nubs are still on the tires, belt is like brand new, gear lube was like new. This was used in the agricultural dept? I took sand blast sand and mulled it to clean it out. I don't have a good pic of the "baby moons" on it!

[the artfull-codger]

(08-30-2013, 04:45 PM)oldgoaly Wrote: When I bought much of my foundry tools a Mini-Mote muller was part of the deal, it needed work, coupler was loose, scraper arm broken, but for the 60$ bucks I gave for all of them, the molding bench, 4 aluminum flasks, B16 crucible furnace, misc tools, I'm not going to complain!







Now this does about enough sand for a cope or drag 12 by 12 by 4 flask.
Years later I came across the Simpson, on of the guys on the yahoogroup Micheal Boettiker (sp?) found it thru the Wisconsin state school surplus. So I went up to Madison and paid him for the muller, then drove 7 hours hoe happy as can be. It had been reduced to 250 was 300, I gave Mike the 300! Here is some pics of it as we unloaded it and in action this does 3 full flasks, but that is at the limit of the VFD driving the 3 hp motor.













I like my mixer (hf) for adding oil to rejuvenate the petrobond sand,but the muller is so much better reworking the sand in between uses that is for another post.

Bl**dy hell that's a whopper, sure makes my little mixer look tame,still it does all my requirements!! What I'd like to ask you is what's this oil you use to rejuvinate petrobond? I've seen it mentioned a few times before but only in america, when I use petrobond [reserved for fine castings 'cos of the cost] I carefully scrape all the burnt stuff from the casting & discard it so it doesn't reduce the bond quality of the rest of the sand,do you mix all the burnt stuff back in then add some kind of ''rejuvinating oil''?? if so what's it called & where do you get it?? cheers
Graham.

[dallen]

I know I'm going to catch hell for this but I use 30 wt non detergent motor oil, I know they sell some high dollar stuff but all you really need is a low ash content oil.

and I'll put my oil bonded sand up against anyones, and I been dumping the same stuff back in the muller for almost two years with a small addition of petrobond powder every year or so.

DA

[oldgoaly]

Graham
I'll get you the details after it cools down some, 99 degree here that is in the shade!
I bought a few cases of Texaco two stroke oil for using in my chainsaw, weed wackers, and a Villier's motor or two in a few old British lightweights! I grew up in a town called Belleville, Illinois there were 20 foundries at least maybe one or 2 left? They use oil-boded sand and it is black! in fact I think it works better when aged! My experience with new sand is from the local Jr College sand casting class about 15 years of going. every 2-3 years they would swap the old sand out for new, (I would get some of the used sand each time) Basically we would mix up "ovaline" brand sand, box of petro-bond "dirt" and a small amount of PB oil. Remember we are limited by our mixer! which there was drywaller's mud mixer ( paddle type mixer) so we are making 100 lbs at a time There is a activator for PB, I've been told it is a alcohol based product. Jim Barnes got it online? he gave it to me when he moved, he is a local guy, We tried many times to have monthly casting days even yearly get togethers but stuff happens!
My green sand experience is more limited, but the only real difference is water evaporates and is boiled off easier than oil, the size of the grains of sand is going to play a bigger part of your parts finish than oil or water do.
One other thing I have noticed, I now have all my sand in metal or metal lined containers, it has not dried out as fast!

[oldgoaly]

   

That is the stuff! I must have thrown out the old can of the PB oil, I put the PB rejuvenating powder in a old coffee container, the plastic bag and box are gone. (why I never throw anything away cough)

   

[the artfull-codger]

(08-31-2013, 03:51 PM)oldgoaly Wrote: Graham
I'll get you the details after it cools down some, 99 degree here that is in the shade!
I bought a few cases of Texaco two stroke oil for using in my chainsaw, weed wackers, and a Villier's motor or two in a few old British lightweights! I grew up in a town called Belleville, Illinois there were 20 foundries at least maybe one or 2 left? They use oil-boded sand and it is black! in fact I think it works better when aged! My experience with new sand is from the local Jr College sand casting class about 15 years of going. every 2-3 years they would swap the old sand out for new, (I would get some of the used sand each time) Basically we would mix up "ovaline" brand sand, box of petro-bond "dirt" and a small amount of PB oil. Remember we are limited by our mixer! which there was drywaller's mud mixer ( paddle type mixer) so we are making 100 lbs at a time There is a activator for PB, I've been told it is a alcohol based product. Jim Barnes got it online? he gave it to me when he moved, he is a local guy, We tried many times to have monthly casting days even yearly get togethers but stuff happens!
My green sand experience is more limited, but the only real difference is water evaporates and is boiled off easier than oil, the size of the grains of sand is going to play a bigger part of your parts finish than oil or water do.
One other thing I have noticed, I now have all my sand in metal or metal lined containers, it has not dried out as fast!

Thanks for that info ''oldgoaly'' yes greensand & boiling hot sunny days don't make good bedmates!! [wish it was that warm over here!!]
Graham.

[oldgoaly]

I know some of so called internet experts say it's easier using green sand? I don't see that! Do you just "eyeball" your sand or do you using a test kit? the type that generate acetylene gas? yes I have one of those testers even a full can of the "active ingredient" (don't remeber what the chemical is but Union Carbide made it) Also if you mix too much oil you get lots of smoke, not so with water. DA uses motor oil which works, I just think the 2 stroke is ade to burn anyway probably not going to leave any residue that could cause problems in the finish or ruin the sand. Oh I forgot to take a pic of my sand fluffer (sometimes I think I spend way to much time reading old books, The fluffer is supposed to replace some shoveling while tempering the sand, still haven't used it..
I bought a chip wringer of ebay for 20-25$ spent 125$ in shipping, I tacked some metal to make it handle sand, tried it, works, since have broken some of the temporary tacks, needs to be moved back to the main shop to be welded properly and a couple of mods. Basically I wanted to have a set up I could cast a couple of days and then in between real jobs make the casting fit what they are for.