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How to Mold Brass

Making a copy of a brass object will require a mold. One type of mold that you can easily make uses a material called green sand. Green sand is used in the casting process to make various metal parts and other objects. This material is comprised of washed sand that has been bonded with natural clays, using water and various chemical additives.

Things You'll Need

Dish soap
Lint-free cloth
4-inch wooden boxes
Green sand
Plastic straw
Clamps
Metal file

Instructions

- 1
  Clean the brass object that you want to mold by using warm water and dish soap. Set the object aside to dry. You can also use a lint-free cloth.
- 2
  Fill two wooden boxes with green sand. One box will be the "cope" and the other will be the "drag."
- 3
  Press one side of the brass object into the cope. Press the opposite of the brass object side into the drag. This will create the shape of the brass object in the sand.
- 4
  Press the end of a plastic straw into the bottom of the sand in both wood boxes to create a pour hole.
- 5
  Set the two boxes of green sand aside to dry overnight. The moisture in the sand needs to be completely evaporated.
- 6
  Place the cope against the drag and secure with clamps.
- 7
  Melt the brass that you want to cast by using a furnace. You can find many furnaces that are heated by natural gas.
- 8
  Pour the molten metal into the pour hole to fill the mold cavity. Fill the mold to the bottom edge of the pour hole. Allow the brass to cool until it reaches room temperature.
- 9
  Remove the clamps and tap on the side of the wooden boxes to loosen the sand. Separate the wood boxes to extract the brass mold. File the tip of the brass at the location of the pour hole with the metal file.

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