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Debating the old school vs. new school for core washes

Our shop in Dayton switched from the traditional alcohol-based zircon wash to a newer water-based ceramic slurry about six months ago. The old way dried faster, but the new slurry gives us way fewer gas defects on our ductile iron castings, especially in the heavier sections. Has anyone else made this switch and noticed a big difference in finish quality?
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3 Comments
oliver2
oliver21mo ago
Yeah, the drying time is the real trade-off. We tried a ceramic wash on some larger steel jobs and the extra oven time killed our cycle. Did you have to change your whole drying setup, or just add more racks and wait longer? I'm curious if the gas reduction is worth the production hit.
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matthewkim
matthewkim1mo agoTop Commenter
Dayton's switch proves @oliver2's drying pain is the new normal everywhere.
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leelewis
leelewis1mo ago
Disagree completely. The gas savings alone make the switch a no-brainer. You just need to plan your oven schedule better, not add more racks.
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