Rant: Talked to a retired molder from the old Pittsburgh plant about sand additives

He said they used to mix in a specific amount of molasses for green strength, something I'd only read about in old manuals. Has anyone actually tried a binder like that on a modern job?

3 comments

3 Comments

susan_adams10d ago

My buddy tried that pancake syrup trick and his flask is still sticky.

ivan77410d agoMost Upvoted

My uncle used to swear by corn syrup for patching drywall, said it was a 1970s contractor secret. It always left a weird film that attracted ants by August. Feels like a lot of old shortcuts just trade one problem for a stickier one later, you know?

taraross10d ago

Wait, molasses? I tried using pancake syrup once when I was out of binder on a weekend project. It did not go well. My backyard test casting smelled like a weird breakfast and fell apart if you looked at it wrong. I mean, maybe the old guys had the right mix, but I clearly don't.