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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Posts
    0

    New 2019 Owner needs a bit of advice

    Hey guys, just got my 2019cr in the mail and have one purpose for it, I'm going to mill molds for tiny plastic guns! My plan was to buy halves of aluminium blocks that have female/male connections and cut the cavities in those and this is where I hit my first snag, I can't find a place that sells them! I know I could mill them myself but that seems like an epic waste of mill time. Attached are molds that look like the ones I want. Hope someone can help me out here! Thanks, Hubrisseven
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails brickarms-molds-13445815.jpg  

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Posts
    2100
    I do injection molds (different type) on my Taig 2019, and I think you will find its easier and faster to just cut your mold, and center spot for holes for alignment pins to press in afterwards.

    I have been making fishing bait molds, and I just cut the whole thing (multi cavity usually) and spot for clamping screws, and pins with the mill. Then I use my floor drill press to do all the drilling with various size bits as needed. Then I have a second smaller table top drill press I use to tap any necessary holes with a tapping head. This seems to be the fastest for me, and the alignment pins are ALWAYS aligned properly in relation to the cavity, sprues, vents, etc this way. I don't have to go ape trying to position the pieces of stock perfectly on the mill and zeroing the piece relative to the mill this way.

    From what I see in your picture you are going to be using some very small cutters. You may want to consider the following to make it more efficient.

    1. Make an enclosure for your mill.
    2. Set up a flood coolant recirculation system (with filter screens).
    3. Make a clamp for your mill to hold a high speed spindle like one of the 2.2Kw ones from Keling or even a mid size wood router. (I am currently using 1HP Bosch Colts, but am considering trying the 2HP Porter Cable. Also considering the VFD spindle from Keling.)

    Higher speed spindle and flood coolant will make a huge difference in your cutting speed and cutter life.

    Also, set yourself a maintenance, lubrication. and adjustment interval. If I am happy with .01-.005" I can get by with 30-40 hours of run time, but if I need to keep it under 0.005" then I need to do it every 8-10 hours of run time.

    (I have run jobs in excess of a million lines of code, and jobs of several hundred thousand are common.)
    Bob La Londe
    http://www.YumaBassMan.com

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Posts
    205
    I picked up mold halves like that from a jewelry supply place once years ago for a project i never got around to. Don't know where to get them exactly, but jewelry suppliers might be a start.
    If all else fails, just fly-cut some 3/8 or 1/2 inch plate to true and set the index pins yourself. Shouldn't be that time consuming at all.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Posts
    0
    Thanks for the tip!

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