sprue

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)A tropical disease causing a sore throat and tongue, and disturbed digestion; psilosis.
2. A channel through which molten metal is poured into the mold during the casting process.
3. Material that cools in the feed channels to a mold.

verb

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.”

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

   “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”

   “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).”

   “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.”