Chat with a retired coremaker changed my mind about vacuum casting

Last week at the shop in Toledo, old Mike told me he spent 40 years making cores by hand and never once touched a vacuum setup, said the bubbles just add character. He was rambling about how we overcomplicate things, and it hit me that maybe I have been chasing perfect castings when functional ones do the job. Anyone else ever have a grizzled vet make you step back and simplify your process?

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elliotw374mo ago

Nah man, I'm still chasing perfect castings even though my last batch looked like a golf ball exploded in the mold.

1

paige_harris4mo ago

Got into this hobby thinking I could skip straight to the good stuff and get perfect pours every time. Your "golf ball explosion" comparison actually made me laugh but it also hit home. I've been fighting the same battle with tiny pinholes in my resin lately and it's so frustrating.

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