Recommened tools for cutting wax?

[shaun750]

Hi guys,
It's about the third day of using Mach 3 and like a kid at Christmas!!!
The aim is to use it to cut wax to have cast in gold.
I'm learning and experimenting and need some advice.
I use artcam pro at the moment to design and the have a tool in the libary for wax, but a bit of googling and it's hard to find!!
Anyone know where to find a good source or a cheaper alterantive. I'me just using a few frazers and drill bits to get going with some candle wax!!???
I just cant wait to get started!!

[Stepper Monkey]

I use ArtCam for professional jewelry design myself, and after many years I still haven't found anything better for jewelry work than standard profile bits. 15 degree work well, more becomes problematic and less VERY expensive and fragile. .060 end mills to square up edges work, up to .125 for fast roughing.

Try Bits and Bits (www.bitsbits.net) for a good selection. They resharpen too. Don't go for cheap, even the good ones are only 8-10 bucks each, and with cutting wax you will drop the bits and break the tips off WAY before you can ever dull them. In normal use it never happens.

.005 works for VERY fine work but takes forever, .007 for general use, .010 for low detail work. If you get linen lines just mess with the stepover a bit or play with cut direction.

NEVER use candle wax. It is too low temp and gummy. Use jewelers wax, medium (blue) actually works best - the hard (green) meant for cnc doesn't hold detail any better but is much more prone to cracking and chipping.

[shaun750]

Thanks for that mate,all the answers i could possibly need and all at once.
I'm messing with some candle wax at the moment until i get some jewellery wax, or find the stuff i put in the loft years ago?
Yeah I got a artcam pro 9 and had jewelsmith 7 ,but can't find it at the mo?
I'm only at ABC learning at present but spending ours experimenting and reading watching vids.
I'm Using Mach3 to control the mill, It's a Proxxon(marketed as a jewelmaster) and it has a fourth axis,but thats another month away before i attach that.
Seems ideal to learn on,but i'll think i splash out in the future. I think the next stage is a 3d printer. I was just reading that they print the model in wax?
Seems to good to be true> Can't wait.
Thanks again..............

Just Spent 40 quid (thats 78 bucks) at bits and bits!
Let them know you might get a discount next time??

[under-dog]

Any standard HSS mills work for wax it is very forgiving. definately do yourself a favor and get jewellers wax rather than candle wax.


I worked with a RP machine in wax for years. It has been around for along time. We are talking @ 1998- 2002.


Here is a link to what we used to use.

http://www.solid-scape.com/mmii.html

I am sure the technology has come a long way since then. I work in plastics now and there are some that claim they can be burned out in investment. I have not had experience with this though.


One thing to keep in mind though is that these machines are not cheap. I believe when the company bought the one we were using it was around 65,000 USD. And compared to the plastic printers I have worked with it was a nightmare to use. High maintenence and alot of setup time relaitively speaking. The printer I use now is just push the button and it goes and just refill when needed. Then again that was some time ago and things progress so it may be better now.

Also to get a plastic printer that will print the resolution for jewelry is big bucks.

And any rp part will still need hand finishing in my experience.


I am presently using a taig mill for certain things but with 15+ years under my belt as a model maker alot of things I find to still be quiker by hand .........by the time you 3d model, generate toolpath files, setup the work, any machine time operation and then cleanup the resulting model.

It has found its place though for certain tasks though.

[shaun750]

Very interesting mate,
I suppose it will be like cnc mils in a few years time and they will be half the price they were.
I'll go as far as i can will mills and see if my brain wants to go any further?
Cheers

[Harryman]

Bits & bits is the place. Good product, good service. I use 12 and 15 degree profile cutters .005, .003 and occasionaly .001 tips in green wax and butter board (plastic) 20,000 rpm, 400 mm per minute feed speed.

Have fun!