Loading…
6
My old way to handle core sand versus using a vacuum system
For years at our shop in Erie, we just shook out the cores by hand after a pour, which took forever and made a huge mess. Last fall, the boss finally bought a proper industrial vacuum setup for about $3,500. Now we can pull most of the sand out while the casting is still hot, which cuts our cleanup time in half. Anyone else made a switch like this and have tips on keeping the vacuum hoses from getting too brittle?
4 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In4 Comments
lucashenderson6mo ago
Seriously, just accept that the hose is a consumable part. You're blasting it with heat and cold and dragging it around, it's gonna die. Wrapping it in anything is just putting a bandage on a lost cause. Budget for a new one every other year and save yourself the hassle.
8
blair_torres707mo ago
We had a similar vacuum at my uncle's place up near Saginaw, but the hoses kept cracking in the cold. He started wrapping them in that foil bubble wrap insulation you get at the hardware store, the kind for water pipes. It looked silly but it actually worked for a couple seasons before the heat finally got to them anyway. I guess the real trick is just planning to replace the hose as a normal cost every few years, like buying gloves or grinding discs.
2
corap617mo ago
Ha, my shop vac hose looks like a sad mummy from all the duct tape I've used on it.
5
margaretr767mo ago
That foil bubble wrap idea from blair_torres70 is pretty smart for the cold. I wonder if the real problem is the hose material getting brittle. Maybe a quick spray with something like Armor All or a rubber protectant in the fall would keep it flexible longer, so the tape doesn't have to do all the work.
3