Preparing the Box
In order to do a sand mold, a match plate is placed between two halves of a box. This plate contains the pattern for each side of the piece to be cast as well as a registration system to line it up with the box.

Filling the Box
The first layer of sand is riddled into the box to ensure that all the detail is captured. Once the match plate is covered with a fine layer of sand, further sand can simply be shoveled into the mold. once the box is full, the sand is compressed. The moisture in the sand will cause it to bond to itself creating a solid form. Once the sand is compressed, more sand is added, heaped above the sides of the box. This layer too is then compressed, and the excess is scraped back down to be level with the box. It is important when compressing the sand to get it the correct consistancy. If the sand is too loosely packed, the mold could collapse or degrade during the pour. If it is packed too tightly, the gases will not be able to vent through the sand causing other casting problems. Once the first half of the mold is done, the entire box assembly is flipped and the opposite side of the box is molded

Finishing Up
Before the pattern is removed, risers and a pour hole are cut down through the sand in the top half of the box. The box is then opened and the match plate carefully removed so as not to disturb the sand. The sand molder then cuts gates into the sand (if they were not already present in the match plate) and cleans off any loose sand in the mold. The sand mold is then reclosed, clamped, and ready to pour.

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