A sand mold forming machine has a cope frame aligned above a drag frame with a pattern arranged between, and within, the frames. A sand filling is positioned in each of the frames. The sand fillings are compacted by squeeze plates overlaying the open, upper and lower ends of the cope and drag respectively. The squeeze plates are moved towards each other to compress the sand within the frames and against the pattern. Each of the squeeze plates is made of numerous, separate sections that are mounted upon a movable platten. The sections, of each plate, may move together as a group by moving the plattens or, the sections may be individually moved, relative to the plattens. Thus, pre-selected area of the sand fillings may be compacted more or less, as desired, than adjacent areas by separately moving opposing sections relative to the overall squeezing movements of the squeeze plate.
