Gating and Runner

Once the cope is fully rammed and struck off, the tapered sprue and riser tube can be removed. With all that complete the mold can now be opened.  

The edges around the top of the riser and spure need to be rounded over. A pouring basin needs to be cut in beside the spure.

Creating the runners and gating apart is as much an art as a science. I’m covering one way that worked for this part. This is by no means a deep dive into this black art.

A runner is cut into from the sprue to the riser. The runner has extra length to help trap any sand or oxides that get into the pattern. The gates from the runner to the part are cut into the cope. This is done with the pattern in place to help keep the mold cavity from collapsing.

This next Photo has all of the Parts of the mold labeled for clarity.