sprue

plural sprues

1. countableuncountablemedicineA tropical disease causing a sore throat and tongue, and disturbed digestion; psilosis.

   Synonyms: tropical sprue

plural sprues

1. engineeringA channel through which molten metal is poured into the mold during the casting process.

   Synonyms: downsprue

2. engineeringMaterial that cools in the feed channels to a mold.

present singular third person sprues · participle present sprueing · participle present spruing · participle past sprued · past sprued

1. To remove the sprues (material left in feed channels) from a cast piece.

   In the brass spruing room is what is known as a Todd water tumbler, used for brass castings.

   1882 August 15, “Details of a brass and iron foundry”, in American Machinist, page 3

   4 more examples

   The method adopted for sprueing the wax pattern is much more important to the success of the inlay than is generally realized.

   1947, The Ney Inlay Book, J. M. Ney Company, page 17

   The pattern is completed in its final contour, is then sprued, invested and burned out of the investment, and the gold alloy is cast in the same manner as when the indirect technique is utilized

   1976, Hazel Torres, Ann Beard Ehrlich, Modern Dental Assisting, page 662

   If we are to cast a simple pattern like a small ball we have at least three methods of sprueing the wax pattern (Fig. 6).

   1985, Edward R. Dootz, “Technology of Casting and Soldering Alloys for Metal-Ceramic Applications”, in Conference on Recent Developments in Dental Ceramics, volume 6, numbers 1–2, page 86

   To provide for constructing and sprueing the wax sculpture, as described in Chapters 1 and 2, we must obviously have a wax working area, which in a foundry may also be referred to as the patternmaking area.

   1985, Howard Hitchcock, Out of the Fiery Furnace: Casting Sculpture from Ceramic Shell Molds, Los Altos, Calif.: William Kaufmann, Inc., →ISBN, page 50