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How to Sand Cast an Alloy Rim

Sand casting is a method of metal casting that uses sand as a mold. Since sand is relatively cheap and retains its strength at high temperatures, sand casting is used to produce over 70% of metal castings. Sand casting a rim, which involves making a mold out of sand and subsequently pouring alloy to the mold, is not a difficult process. However, it does require specialized equipment and a fair amount of experience.

Casting sand
Prototype "plug" of the rim

Instructions

- 1
  Create your sand mold from your prototype plug. A prototype plug is a highly precise model of the rim being cast, in the form of plastic or other phenolic material, obtained by machining on CNC machining equipment. Press the casting sand around the plug, allowing it to harden.
- 2
  Remove the prototype plug from your sand mold.
- 3
  Pour molten alloy into your sand mold. Allow the alloy to cool.
- 4
  Break away the sand mold. When all the sand is removed, you are left with an alloy rim that only needs minimal trimming of extra metal to be considered complete.

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