I finally stopped fighting the green sand on our old Hunter 20 and let it get a little drier.

For years I was adding water right up to the squeeze test, thinking it needed to be that wet to hold shape. A core from a bad pour last week showed me the steam pockets. Now I mix it just until it barely holds together in my fist. Anyone else run into this with older, reclaimed sand?

3 comments

3 Comments

adams.vera20d agoProlific Poster

But wouldn't drier sand just crumble faster in the mold, especially on a small boat like a Hunter 20 where you're working with thin sections and tight corners? I've had the opposite problem - letting it get too dry on a J/24 repair and watching the whole cope side cave in during the pour. There's a sweet spot, and for me that's always been a little wetter than you'd think. Adding water is a pain, sure, but losing a casting because the sand fell apart is worse. I'd rather fight the green sand and dump a few extra buckets than risk a rebuild.

kelly.daniel1mo ago

It's funny how often the fix for a problem is just doing less, not more.

tylermurray1mo ago

@kelly.daniel that's a solid point. Can you give a real example where you've seen this work? Like, was it cutting out extra steps in a work process or just stopping a habit that made things worse?