I was wrong about using a wet sponge to cool small molds

For years at our shop in Toledo, I'd mist a sponge and dab hot molds to speed cooling. Last month, a new guy from a big plant saw me and said, 'That's a quick way to get a steam burn and warp the piece.' He showed me his method: a small fan on low, placed three feet back, for about ten minutes. The metal cools evenly and the surface stays smooth. Has anyone else found a better trick for cooling small castings without cracking?

4 comments

4 Comments

jenny_young722mo ago

Feel your pain on that one. I've seen steam do weird things to finish quality. The fan trick is solid for keeping things even.

zarag171mo ago

Ugh tell me about it, same thing happened to a coffee table I did last year.

the_hayden2mo ago

Warp the piece" seems like you just got unlucky with your timing.

kim_mason552mo ago

Timing is everything with humidity. @the_hayden is right about getting unlucky there. I had a tabletop that cupped on me last spring after a clear coat. Had to strip it back, let the wood sit in the shop for a week to adjust, and then redo the whole finish. A dehumidifier in the room made a huge difference for the second try.