Never having held a wooden mold all I have for reference is pictures on the net, they appear to be a series of individual molds glued to a substrate. So with that in mind maybe cutting these out as you would plastic then with the mold halves joined rip individual molds on a bandsaw (minimal waste) If done this way molds could be expanded to 10 sticks each using hard wood plywood for the substrate. Am I on track here?
3D Print Files - Cigar Molds
- Thread starter adamziegler
- Start date
Never having held a wooden mold all I have for reference is pictures on the net, they appear to be a series of individual molds glued to a substrate. So with that in mind maybe cutting these out as you would plastic then with the mold halves joined rip individual molds on a bandsaw (minimal waste) If done this way molds could be expanded to 10 sticks each using hard wood plywood for the substrate. Am I on track here?
adamziegler
Well-Known Member
I think those old molds manufactured the cavities individually to reduce waste and ensure you have a bank of functional halves.
Depending on grain orientation you might be able to mill a bank out of one solid piece of wood... Or you might make several individuals and adhere / fasten them to something stable like plywood.
We can try a few different ways. By winter I may have a mill set back up again.
WillQuantrill
Well-Known Member
Only posting to say thanks Adam, a coworker is kind of eccentric and obsessed with his new 3D print hobby so after a year of hearing about it I sent him a file and by golly it worked! He brought me this cool mold and I gave him $20. Fit and finish is pretty good too!
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adamziegler
Well-Known Member
Thank you, and Glad you are able to try one.... Designs are getting improvements the more I make them. One item I was not originally tracking is the expectation on mold size labeling is typically"as wrapped" not as molded. That 48x6.5 will produce 50rg when wrapped.
That said... A lot of the commercial cigars I measure tend to be slightly under advertised size.
At some point I will go back and fix all these labels.
WillQuantrill
Well-Known Member
The intricate details of cigar mfg are fascinating to me, but I fear that Im a nerd. Then again with homerolls most of my focus lately is with blending and the slight imperfections of wrinkled caps or various lengths lends itself to an "artisanal" quality of a finished cigar. If you think about it this hobby is very broad and I believe that is why I have yet to get bored with it. Most Torcedors at the factories don't get involved in growing, and those working the fields don't roll cigars. From the books and information I have taken in the "Master Blender" requires the well rounded experience of all the jobs. Good thing as a hobbyist I dont have to worry about Marketing and Distribution then it would feel like a job.
adamziegler
Well-Known Member
General note: these models are offered for free. I made them for myself and glad to share. If anyone wants to throw me a bone or two, I have a different recommendation. If you use Amazon for any online shopping, At the bottom of my thingiverse post I have some affiliate links. Occasionally use one of those to shop for what you need on Amazon, and I will receive a small percentage. You get what you need to shop for, and I get a small donation.
adamziegler
Well-Known Member
I have added a box press mold. Have found it to be effective and easy to use: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:7128317
buck
Well-Known Member
I just got a printer and will try printing this one but I've been looking for a tuck cutter 3d printer design, anyone come across one?
adamziegler
Well-Known Member
I started designing one, but its not ready yet. I moved on to other projects since I have other means of getting the job done.
buck
Well-Known Member
One guy made one , looks great and he's selling the cutters for $500 ...
I'm just starting this 3d printing stuff but this guys seems way advanced being able to print out moving parts.
adamziegler
Well-Known Member
Cody makes good stuff, but he isn't charging $500
While this thread is active I'll chime in to say that I've given up on the idea of wood molds after realizing I'm technologically challenged, the software is too complicated for me ( if I cant do it in tinkercad it aint happening), so I bit the bullet and bought a 3d printer and as I'm typing have one on the build plate printing away.
buck
Well-Known Member
I believe on Etsy they go for $509.09. He does make some very pretty molds and other stuff.
Digging further, this may be for his kit; a tuck cutter, a cigar mold and some cap cutters or maybe not, various listings with different descriptions.
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adamziegler
Well-Known Member
Next time you get ready to print, let me know, more than willing to help make sure you get a mold that you wantWhile this thread is active I'll chime in to say that I've given up on the idea of wood molds after realizing I'm technologically challenged, the software is too complicated for me ( if I cant do it in tinkercad it aint happening), so I bit the bullet and bought a 3d printer and as I'm typing have one on the build plate printing away.
buck
Well-Known Member
Printed out the 48x6.5 mold and looks great .. one thing that can be added are pegs to align the top and bottom.
I'll print out a few round pegs ,drill holes and glue them in.
Besides that , looks good.
I'll print out a few round pegs ,drill holes and glue them in.
Besides that , looks good.
adamziegler
Well-Known Member
You might wait to drill the molds until after you have used them a couple times. Depending on your infil, the drilling might make things worse.
I have used everything on the thingiverse site that I have posted to mold cigars... Thanks for trying it out for yourself.
I know folks like the pins because all the wood molds have then, but I have never personally needed them.
When you are ready to do another size, let me know. I do have a designed feature to help with alignment that is like pins, but easier to print. I have not personally tested it, but maybe you might have enough interest to try.
buck
Well-Known Member
Maybe it is my print but the top won't stay on, I'm using a large rubber band to hold them together.
adamziegler
Well-Known Member
I am not really sure what this means? I typically use a shop press to clamp the two molds together.
buck
Well-Known Member
I mean when storing or picking up or putting down the mold its very easy for the two parts to slip off. They are pretty light so I use a rubber band to keep the pieces together, that's why I mentioned adding pins.
If pins are problematic then maybe adding an outside edge at the 4 corners of the bottom or top piece.
For pressing, I use two Irwin QUICK-GRIP Mini Bar Clamps and have no issues the way the mold is now.
This is just a suggestion, I am very appreciative of the work you've done and generosity in providing these mold templates.
adamziegler
Well-Known Member
I wanted to share some of my thoughts on 3D printing molds for personal / hobby use. I hope this can be helpful.
Material: I have found that pla and pla+ are more than adequate for producing molds that are durable and have adequate strength. Some of the more exotic or engineered materials can be used, but I would avoid the materials with embedded fibers (carbon fiber, etc) from a health standpoint. PETG, ABS, ASA could be successfully used, but each are going to come with their own chalenges. Even If you have experience with these materials with good dimensional accuracy, I still would advise PLA+ over these due to some of the thinner features of the mold.
Infill: 100% infill is not required for a strong durable mold. 20-30% is significantly adequate when the molds are printed in the same orientation that pressure will be applied. If you want to increase strength, consider increasing the number of walls used before increasing infill. If 100% infill is your own requirement, ensure that your extrusion is accurate enough to not cause dimensional changes to the walls.
Nozzle: 0.6mm and 0.8mm produce thicker walls, and cut down print time significantly as compared to a standard 0.4mm nozzle. They all work, and all produce enough detail to mold a cigar.
x-y skew: if your printer makes parallelograms instead of rectangles, the mold halves are not likely to go together. This is not always visible to the naked eye. There are tests and calibrations, and they don't take long. I calibrated two ender 3v2s with 2-3 20 minute prints, some dial calipers, and a lead hammer.
Test print: Print a small corner (2-3" square) of the top and corresponding bottom of the mold first before you print the entire model. Make sure the two half's fit together. Not everyone's print settings result in the same dimensional tolerances. I have tried to make molds that take this into account, but I can't fit all cases.
Of all the molds I have printed, they have all been PLA+, all with less than 35% infill, and I have used multiple sized nozzles. I tend to use the 0.6mm and 0.8mm for longer prints. I can get a 44x10 mold printed for under 450g of pla+ which is about $8-9. I use pieces of scrap wood to distribute the pressure across the top and bottom of my mold when using them in mt 20Tn shop press. (obviously I am not using the press to its 100% capacity!) I just use the press to apply enough pressure for both sides of the mold to close. Many other folks are using vevor book presses. I have not had to reprint a single mold to date. No cracks, no plastic creep or deformation.
3D printed molds are going to be different than wood molds, but they still get the job done. We all know you don't actually need a mold to make a good cigar, the mold just helps standardize, shape, and compress your rolls before you wrap.
3D printed molds are not going to be significantly different than a production plastic mold, unless you plan to use these in a production environment... then you are probably going to have to reprint a mold half every so often.
3D printing isn't for everyone. You can find tons of constructed molds all over the internet at a reasonable fee. If you already have a 3D printer, this is a pretty easy way to get a mold for your own personal use.
Material: I have found that pla and pla+ are more than adequate for producing molds that are durable and have adequate strength. Some of the more exotic or engineered materials can be used, but I would avoid the materials with embedded fibers (carbon fiber, etc) from a health standpoint. PETG, ABS, ASA could be successfully used, but each are going to come with their own chalenges. Even If you have experience with these materials with good dimensional accuracy, I still would advise PLA+ over these due to some of the thinner features of the mold.
Infill: 100% infill is not required for a strong durable mold. 20-30% is significantly adequate when the molds are printed in the same orientation that pressure will be applied. If you want to increase strength, consider increasing the number of walls used before increasing infill. If 100% infill is your own requirement, ensure that your extrusion is accurate enough to not cause dimensional changes to the walls.
Nozzle: 0.6mm and 0.8mm produce thicker walls, and cut down print time significantly as compared to a standard 0.4mm nozzle. They all work, and all produce enough detail to mold a cigar.
x-y skew: if your printer makes parallelograms instead of rectangles, the mold halves are not likely to go together. This is not always visible to the naked eye. There are tests and calibrations, and they don't take long. I calibrated two ender 3v2s with 2-3 20 minute prints, some dial calipers, and a lead hammer.
Test print: Print a small corner (2-3" square) of the top and corresponding bottom of the mold first before you print the entire model. Make sure the two half's fit together. Not everyone's print settings result in the same dimensional tolerances. I have tried to make molds that take this into account, but I can't fit all cases.
Of all the molds I have printed, they have all been PLA+, all with less than 35% infill, and I have used multiple sized nozzles. I tend to use the 0.6mm and 0.8mm for longer prints. I can get a 44x10 mold printed for under 450g of pla+ which is about $8-9. I use pieces of scrap wood to distribute the pressure across the top and bottom of my mold when using them in mt 20Tn shop press. (obviously I am not using the press to its 100% capacity!) I just use the press to apply enough pressure for both sides of the mold to close. Many other folks are using vevor book presses. I have not had to reprint a single mold to date. No cracks, no plastic creep or deformation.
3D printed molds are going to be different than wood molds, but they still get the job done. We all know you don't actually need a mold to make a good cigar, the mold just helps standardize, shape, and compress your rolls before you wrap.
3D printed molds are not going to be significantly different than a production plastic mold, unless you plan to use these in a production environment... then you are probably going to have to reprint a mold half every so often.
3D printing isn't for everyone. You can find tons of constructed molds all over the internet at a reasonable fee. If you already have a 3D printer, this is a pretty easy way to get a mold for your own personal use.
