jewelers blue carving wax

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    Default jewelers blue carving wax

    I wish to machine wax for the lost wax process and could use a hand with feed and speed for this stuff. What size end mills are typical.Hss or carbide. Thank you for helping out the new guy in town.This forum is my home away from home in my home and a big thanks to Paul for creating it.If anyone has created any type of machine to cut this and is geared towards making jewlery with the use of a fourth axis you have my attention. The blue wax I speak of is the same machinable wax used to check that cnc programs are working corectly.

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    Last edited by copper3416; 11-28-2005 at 12:57 AM.


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    Default machining wax

    When machining wax I have found the harder the wax the better.
    Cutter type doesn't matter much as long as it is sharp and turns faxt, like in a dremel tool. I would use a cutter with as few flutes or cutting surfaces as possible (coarse cutter) in order to make sure there is room for the cuttings and not remelt the was. Too, I suggest using a vacuum whiile cutting to keep the swarf (cuttings) from caking up on your releif or engraved paths.
    -Mark



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    Quote Originally Posted by copper3416
    I wish to machine wax for the lost wax process and could use a hand with feed and speed for this stuff. What size end mills are typical.Hss or carbide. Thank you for helping out the new guy in town.This forum is my home away from home in my home and a big thanks to Paul for creating it.If anyone has created any type of machine to cut this and is geared towards making jewlery with the use of a fourth axis you have my attention. The blue wax I speak of is the same machinable wax used to check that cnc programs are working corectly. :banana:
    [I use a lot of this stuff, although I didn't build the machine I use from scratch (it's a modified Taig). It works for lost wax casting, but it has a high expansion when it heats up, so it can crack a mold pretty easily. You don't need any special cutter for it - anything sharp seems to work. The thing to watch for is heat - if the wax gets a chance to melt onto a cutter, that's going to break it, since it can no longer cut. I can't give you feeds and speeds without knowing all the other variables, like the size of cutter, number of flutes, depth of cut, stepover, etc. But in general, you can cut it pretty fast, about 10 times as fast as aluminum, in the same circumstances. For jewelry, I usually make a one-sided master pattern in the blue wax, take a silicone rubber mold from that, then cast contoured parts in a different wax.]

    Andrew Werby
    www.computersculpture.com



  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by copper3416
    I wish to machine wax for the lost wax process and could use a hand with feed and speed for this stuff. What size end mills are typical.Hss or carbide. Thank you for helping out the new guy in town.This forum is my home away from home in my home and a big thanks to Paul for creating it.If anyone has created any type of machine to cut this and is geared towards making jewlery with the use of a fourth axis you have my attention. The blue wax I speak of is the same machinable wax used to check that cnc programs are working corectly.
    A lot of CNC jewelers get cutters from Bits and Bits http://www.bitsbits.net/ Rather than end mills, the "Profilers" with a 15 degree included angle seem to be the most popular with a tip of .005 or .003 But, the 10 and 12 degree cutters work well for very small detail and leave less of a taper on the wax You just have to be careful not to break them. The tapered tools are preferable for jewelry because a very small tip can be used, but the tool itself has a long flute length, so it can go relatively deep without having to make mulitple passes. However, I will sometimes run a straight micro drill around the outside of the piece after the wax is milled by the profiler, to square off the taper on the outer wall of the wax (the taper is left from the angled side of the tool). You can get recycled micro drills originially intended to make holes in circuit boards, very cheaply. My mill is a Modelmaster CNC 1000 . I use ArtCAM to make toolpaths. For profiler cutters, the default step-over generated by ArtCAM is 42% of the tip diameter, a feed rate of 400 mm/ min and a plunge rate of 200mm/ mm. I crank up the feed from there, depending on the depth of the cut, angle of the tool, etc...it's never necessary to run it so fast that the wax melts. On a rotary toolpath (4th axis), it's advisable to keep it slower as there's more stress on the tool.

    I'm a jeweler, so don't expect proper machinist terminlogy. I'll put it this way...if the chips are flying off cleanly, in small pieces (without being stringy from melting and sticking together), and the cutter isn't making a horribly bad noise that sounds like it's working too hard from running at a speed which is too slow, you're probably at a GOOD speed. :-)

    I use a small pressure washer (comercially sold to remove stains) to clean off the wax when it's done rather that use a lubricant or air to take away the chips. Some wax dust is bound to become impacted in the tight recesses, but the pressure washer does a great job. I don't know of the blue wax you mentioned, I use Matt blue or green jewelers wax. It's available from jewelry supply companies online. The blue wax is softer and more flexible, so long thin prongs are less apt to break while your milling, but it also melts easier, so it depends on your needs, your machine, and of course, your own personal preference.



    www.jdkjewelry.com

    JESSE

    CAD/CAM Technology
    Handcrafted Originality


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    Hello jesse I was wondering About what rpm do you use for the tiny bits? My machine maxs around 3k but i was looking into making(or buy) a new spindle for this type of work someday and still havn't decided on what rpm range i wanted to go with

    Thanks for the help



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    I have the older style Modelmaster spindle that drives the tool with a belt. It looks like the flexshaft motors made by Foredom.

    http://www.jdkjewelry.com/images/pro...s-art2part.gif

    I think it maxes out at 15k, but I'm not sure... I run it at no more that 1/3 - 1/2 speed on the rheostat dial.

    The newer MM machines use a NSK motor with a max speed of 19k or 40k RPM.

    http://www.modelmaster.com/products/cnc1000

    Please let me know if you have any other questions.

    Jesse

    www.jdkjewelry.com

    JESSE

    CAD/CAM Technology
    Handcrafted Originality


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    Default Desktop CNC's for Jewelry

    Quote Originally Posted by copper3416
    I wish to machine wax for the lost wax process and could use a hand with feed and speed for this stuff. What size end mills are typical.Hss or carbide. Thank you for helping out the new guy in town.This forum is my home away from home in my home and a big thanks to Paul for creating it.If anyone has created any type of machine to cut this and is geared towards making jewlery with the use of a fourth axis you have my attention. The blue wax I speak of is the same machinable wax used to check that cnc programs are working corectly.

    Hi. I'm a supplier of Desktop CNC's for Jewelry. Please visit this site for more information on some of the basic models. Great machines, good pricing, excelent tech support. http://www.cadforjewelry.com/millingmachines.htm

    In reference to the wax, I use the purple wax from Dumatt. Purple is a medium type of wax. not as hard as the green and not as soft as the blue. Still you can get good detail with purple wax. Visit this page for more information
    http://www.dumatt.com/Waxes%20folder/Wx.pg1.Main.html

    Best regards,

    Ernie



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    Default

    Thank you guys for all your help.It is greatly appreciated.



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    Cool

    [QUOTE=JDKDESIGNS]I have the older style Modelmaster spindle that drives the tool with a belt. It looks like the flexshaft motors made by Foredom.

    jessy can you tell me more about the spindle on your mill,



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    Default homebrew cnc jeweler

    Thought I would come back and bump this tree and see if anymore fruit will fall.Does anyone have any information on a home brew wax mill as I am starting out.I have been learning alot on cnc zone and I am looking for a home brew start.For right now I have an hf 44991 asian mini mill.Before I thought of going cnc I bought this mill.I now have a specific purpose for milling wax for the lost wax process and am investigating homebrew as well as retrofitting a mini and am looking for anyone who has done either of thease and has any tips leading to a final approach for creating a wax cutting machine.Sounds like these rpms are similar to pcb milling speeds not shure.Any funky cnc jewelery pioneers who didnt buy a turn key system to mill wax I would like to here from you.And any other person who has information leading to the birthing of a machine to cut this stuff come in here and spill the beans by all means.

    Last edited by copper3416; 12-18-2005 at 11:35 PM.


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    What kind of wax do you use?
    I have machined plain canning type parafin ok, but it tends to remelt the chips into the tool path, then I have to dig it out with a pick. Is wax graded by hardness or color coded according to its machinability?
    Can you recommend any suppliers?
    BTW, I have converted my enco mill and have written a little book on a scratch built CNC Milling Machine and Router DIY, listed under the classified section. Quite a few have found it helpful. Just thought I'd mention it.
    Good luck and thanks in advance for the wax info.
    -Mark Hinkle



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    This link from above is the wax that is good for machining carving ect. http://www.dumatt.com/Waxes%20folder/Wx.pg1.Main.html I would think It would be much more freindly to you than the paraffin.As far as color codes go they seem to be per manufacturer so dont hesitate to ask about wax for your particular need.matt waxes has a wide selection of wax without any trace of bubbles so as not to mess you up when casting.To give you an idea do a search for machineable wax. Msc I know carries it for checking cnc programs so not to run a bad batch of parts costing much more.Wax is also sold to jewelers in awide range of consistancies ranging from sculpting like playdough to hard almost like plastic.So also try a search for jewelery wax.Let me know If this helps as I didnt exactly catch your purpose.Also have any jewelers used your book to build a machine for carving wax what kind of acurracies are we talking here.Thank you in advance.



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    Quote Originally Posted by copper3416
    Thought I would come back and bump this tree and see if anymore fruit will fall.Does anyone have any information on a home brew wax mill as I am starting out.I have been learning alot on cnc zone and I am looking for a home brew start.For right now I have an hf 44991 asian mini mill.Before I thought of going cnc I bought this mill.I now have a specific purpose for milling wax for the lost wax process and am investigating homebrew as well as retrofitting a mini and am looking for anyone who has done either of thease and has any tips leading to a final approach for creating a wax cutting machine.

    [You could probably retrofit that to be a CNC wax mill. A faster spindle would probably help, and maybe better screws. Fortunately, wax is about the most forgiving material you can machine. If it will cut anything, it will cut wax. There's a yahoo group dedicated to retrofitting this sort of mill: see http://groupyahoo.com/group/hf47158toCNC/ There may even be kits available to help resolve some of the problems.]

    Sounds like these rpms are similar to pcb milling speeds not shure.Any funky cnc jewelery pioneers who didnt buy a turn key system to mill wax I would like to here from you.And any other person who has information leading to the birthing of a machine to cut this stuff come in here and spill the beans by all means.
    [I use Taig and Roland machines for this; The Taig is a general-purpose CNC mill; the Rolands are more like dedicated wax mills. If you're thinking of building a machine, you might leave the mill you've got alone - it will come in handy for many of the parts you'll need to make.]

    Andrew Werby
    www.computersculpture.com



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    Default diy jewelery mill

    Do you have any suggestion on where to start.Im looking for least costly and most accurate.



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    Hi,
    Any one know of any wax suppliers in the UK, I’m having trouble finding one

    Cheers




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    I would try the dental lab supply companies, and jewelers.



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    Default REVO 540 Jewelry Mill for Sale

    In response to your post, I have a 2003 Model 540 Revo Jewelry Mill for sale along with the Matrix software. Total package new was $28K. I'm selling it for a deep discount! email me at provincialtn@yahoo.com



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