Appreciation post: The old trick with a bent coat hanger for core prints

For years at the old shop in Toledo, we'd fight with core prints sticking in the mold. The standard fix was a lot of rapping and prying, which sometimes cracked the green sand. About three months ago, I saw a retired guy at the diner who used to run the big floor. He told me to straighten a metal coat hanger, bend a tiny hook on the end, and slide it down the side of the print before you close the cope. When you open up, you give it a gentle pull and it pops right out. I tried it on a batch of 20 small gear blanks last week and it saved me at least an hour of cleanup and zero scrap. It's so simple but I never thought of it. Has anyone else got a little trick like that for stubborn cores?

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3 Comments

alex_flores247mo ago

Old-timer tricks are the best, right?

1

susansingh5mo ago

Wait, people actually still do that trick?

8

the_sean7mo ago

Totally, @alex_flores24, they knew their stuff.

5