Tips & Tricks for carving into Sand Molds:

Follow these guidelines to help you create a successful iron casting from your scratch tile sand molds. . Almost any age can make one of these, from 4 years old to 99 years old. So dig in !!

Before we start, there are just 4 important things to consider : 

1)  SAFETY FIRST!  We HIGHLY recommend wearing an N95 dust mask & safety glasses when carving sand. The particulate of flying sand grains always seem to find your eyeballs and can irritate your throat.

2)  MIRROR IMAGE: If you want to write any words & numbers on you mold, you MUST WRITE THEM BACKWARDS!!  Sand molds are not your final product. The casting is the reverse of whatever you carve into the sand.

3)  BORDER ROOM: Leave at least 1 inch of sand between whatever you are carving and the edge of the mold. You can go 1/2 inch deeper into the impression of the shape, but nothing more !  Too thin of a sand mould may result in breakage, and therefore your piece won't turn out. Sand molds that get thinner than 1 inch thick are too weak to withstand the 2400 deg molten metal that we pour into them.

4)  BE CREATIVE!  Feel free to go outside the lines a little. Bend the rules, or try different way to connect the two hearts (if you have that style of mold), and merge them as one big thing if you want. If you have an awesome idea that's not heart shaped & you want to fulfill it at this pour ~ go for it!  Let the heart be your starting point, and go from there !

Let's Get Started !!

Tip 1 : Draw your design/ image / words / ideas on paper first.  If you need to reverse the image because you have words, put the drawing up onto a window and trace the design onto the back of the paper. You can use this initial tracing as a visual to help you create the final carving on the sand mold.

Tip 2 : Use a pencil or sharpie to lightly transfer your drawing directly onto the sand mold. Make sure you like what you see before you start to scratch into the sand! 

Tip 3 : Now that you have your idea's drawn out, you’re ready to carve into your sand! This is no small feat, so don’t rush this process. Remember that everything you scratch away in the sand will fill back in with metal. This is called a "reductive process", meaning you are taking material away in order to create the final form. 

Common tools to use for carving into your sand block are: 

• Long metal nails~ The favorite here. The flat head side is great for broad strokes of sand removal, while the point is great for details.

• Old chisels~ Let me emphasize "OLD" here, as you wouldn't want destroy a nice sharp wood working chisel by cutting into the sand.

• Metal banding or strapping~ Great for large & deep carving. You can bend it into a "U" shape, and use it to scoop the sand out with it. Make sure to wear gloves with metal banding. It’s sharp!

• Dremel Tools~ Wonderful finishing detail tool. * note: YOU MUST wear all safety gear possible! Also know that you will destroy whatever cutting tool you decide to use with it, so don't use something expensive like a carbide tip. Diamond tips are pretty durable cutters, and a cheap/disposable set will get you through the work on these sand molds. Find them at any Harbor Freight or Northern Tool store for the best value.

• Dental Tools~ If you happen to have any, these hard stainless tools are great for tiny finishing details.

• Kitchen Utensils~ Spoons, forks, scoops & butter knives all work really well for their own characteristic advantages. A spoon makes concave half-spheres into the sand like bubbles, and a fork can create grids or other patterns with a steady hand. Don’t let the handles go to waste either! Some utensils have squared off or pointed ends that can be a great carving tool as well. Follow those mark-making efforts up with another detail tool for a final finished carving.

Whatever you do... Stretch the limits and don't be shy to GO OUTSIDE THE WALLS!!  

However, make sure to leave 1/2" border of un-carved space on the inside of your mold. (See picture below of that border). If you carve off the edges of the whole sand mold, then you will sadly watch all of the metal drain out onto the ground over the edges. No bueno!

You also have 1/2 inch of carving depth to use from the bottom surface of the shape in the mold before you have officially gone too far :}  Try not to get your carvings *too* deep, because you need at least 1/2" of sand between your carved design and the bottom outside of the mold to insulate the iron from breaking through.

Tip 4 : Try to keep your design as one cohesive piece. Using these sand molds to carve tiny "charm-like" features that are separate from the main design is really tough for us to hit with our 100 lb. ladle of molten metal. Chances are, you'll just get a giant sloppy chunk of metal that we tried to desperately make successful. So avoiding separations in your design is ideal. 

Tip 5:  If you want to create some details that are attached to your design but scatter off a bit on their own, such as creating flowing strands of hair, for example, try to keep those features at least 1/4 " wide and at least 1/8" deep.  The reason is because, again, we will be pouring these tiny features with a big ladle, and it's difficult to catch all the details if they are too little. Making them at least 1/4 wide and deep will give you the most chance of them turning out, and not breaking too easily when you go to shake out your final casting from the hardened sand mold. 

Tip 6 : Think about what you want to do with it when your done. Do you want to hang it on the wall ?  Set it into cement or epoxy and make a plaque?  Use it as a trivet ?  You could add a long spike onto the end and use that to push into the earth for a unique little pathway sign or garden decoration for planted rows or quiet spaces with a message. Plan how it will be displayed by created a couple finishing touches in your sand mold. This may include scratching a small arc above your impression ( such as between the two lumps of the heart), which will create a metal loop to hang the final iron creation onto a nail for display.

Another idea is to carve away some tabs on the outside rim of your shape so you can drill a hole into it later for mounting, or sink it into epoxy and trapping the tabs behind a frame. If you want to set hot things onto your creation, like a teapot, try to carve all your details to the same depth for a level surface that is easy to grind flat after.

Hope this gives you a strong start to your sand mold carving adventures!  If you run into any snaffoos, questions or concerns, don't hesitate to reach out to Alisa@FeLionStudios.com. She is more than happy and willing to walk you through the process steps and get you the best casting you can make!