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VIDEO TUTORIAL

VIDEOS IN THIS SERIES

This video is part 1 of a 3 part series:

USED IN THIS PROJECT

Although not necessarily an exhaustive list, the following tools and materials, supplied by Easy Composites, were used in this project.

The quantity shown below is the approximate amount used in the project rounded up to the nearest available kit size or quantity.

MATERIALS & CONSUMABLES
EP700 High Temp Epoxy Tooling Board T=50mm, 500 x 500mm Thumbnail
EB700-025-50EP700 High Temp Epoxy Tooling Board T=50mm, 500 x 500mm£193.15 /block
Nitrile Gloves - Pack of 10 Large Thumbnail
NG-L-10Nitrile Gloves - Pack of 10 Large£1.50 /pack
Mirka P800 Wet and Dry Abrasive Paper 10 Sheets Thumbnail
WPF800-10Mirka P800 Wet and Dry Abrasive Paper 10 Sheets£6.90 /pack
Lint Free Solvent Application Wipes 50 Wipes Thumbnail
LFW-50Lint Free Solvent Application Wipes 50 Wipes£8.45 /pack
Spray Nozzle for 50ml and 250ml Bottle Thumbnail
SN-24-BLKSpray Nozzle for 50ml and 250ml Bottle£0.95 /each
S120 Advanced Board & Mould Sealer 50ml with Nozzle Thumbnail
S120-005S120 Advanced Board & Mould Sealer 50ml with Nozzle£16.80 /pack
Total £0.00

VIDEO TUTORIAL

CNC Machining 3D CAD Patterns and Moulds from Epoxy Tooling Board

Video tutorial demonstrating how a 3D CAD design can be machined from epoxy tooling board on a CNC router to produce a highly accurate pattern or mould. Includes how to hand finish, seal and gloss the pattern using S120 board sealer.

In the tutorial we use a desktop CNC router to machine a block of our EB700 Epoxy Tooling Board. The original 3D design was done in Autodesk's Fusion360 CAD programme.

Once the machining is complete we use 800 grit Mirka abrasive paper to do some light flatting to smooth the surface of the pattern. We then spray four coats of S120 Advanced Board & Mould Sealer before flatting the surface again using more 800 grit abrasive paper before bringing the pattern to a full gloss finish using four wipe applications of the S120 board sealer.

TUTORIAL BREAKDOWN

CNC machining

1. CNC machining

The design was drawn up using Fusion 360 before being CNC cut using a desktop CNC router. For applications like this, the 6mm cutter was ideal and cut the board easily. After the initial rough cut passes were completed, the finishing cuts were done with a 0.25mm step over to ensure a good overall finish.

Hand finishing

2. Hand finishing

The machining process leaves very small machining marks over the surface of the pattern. These need to be smoothed out by hand finishing the pattern with sandpaper until the finish is smooth. A good wipe down with a cloth is needed to remove any dust prior to the sealing.

Board sealer

3. Board sealer

This stage aims to seal and bring the surface finish of the pattern to a high gloss perfect finish ready to take the mould from. Initially coats of S120 Board sealer are applied using the spray nozzle to help seal and build up a level coating. It takes between 3 and 5 coats for a typical epoxy board.

After the 4th coat has had several hours to dry, using sandpaper, denib and smooth out the finish on the board. Once smooth, the final coat is applied by lint free wipe before the sealer is allowed to dry. Once cured, the pattern can be post-cured in the oven to get it ready for the mould making process.

DISCUSSION (12)

Please share any questions or comments you may have about this video tutorial.

Johnathan Parra
Is there an alternative to sealing the tooling board using a board sealer? Can I use resin?
Easy Composites› Matt

Yes, you could also use a thin layer of resin to seal the board if you don't want to use a specific board sealer (like S120). Resin will build a bit thicker and therefore need a bit more flatting to restore a flat, accurate surface. A good choice would be our XCR Epoxy Coating Resin - it goes on thin, cures quickly to a high gloss, and is highly polishable. The working temperature of the XCR is lower than the board sealer but it’s still fine for use up to 80°C.

Ganesh Hosur
Can the pattern be reused?
Easy Composites› Matt
Yes, providing no damage occures to the pattern during curing or demoulding then the pattern can be retained and used again to make more moulds. This would be quite a common way to make multiple moulds or replace an old, damaged mould.
Bill Vardouniotis
Which CNC machine is used in this video?
Easy Composites› Matt
It's a CNCEST 60/40.
andres cintron
Any consideration of making a mold using a 3D printer?
Easy Composites› Matt
As long as the surface is sealed to stop any issues of porosity, then for some applications it may be possible to 3D print a mould. However the material needs to be suitable for curing with pre-preg if you follow that route.
MySchizoBuddy
What is the technical name of epoxy tooling board? High density urethane foam ?
Easy Composites› Matt
No, definitely not. The epoxy tooling board is made from epoxy. In this video we're using our EB700 Epoxy Tooling Board. We don't use polyurethane tooling board because polyurethane inhibits the cure of epoxy prepregs. Also, for this type of work you really need to talking of tooling board or block rather than 'foam' which would generally imply a much lower density material than we're using here.
Lee Jack
Can patterns be made from 3D printed PLA or ABS plastic with post surface treatment?
Easy Composites› Matt
Hi Lee, yes, there are ways to do this. In fact, there is a lot of interest in this subject at the moment so we are looking into some of the best methods and processes to demonstrate and then we hope to make a tutorial of this process in the future.
J. Dana Clark
Assuming ideal treatment and conditions, how many molds would you expect to get off of that plug?
Easy Composites› Matt
You could comfortably take in the 10's to 20's - maybe a lot more in 'ideal conditions'. In this video, the mould was already off the plug by the time we took the bagging film off so I think it's safe to say we could keep taking moulds off with almost no damage or deterioration of the pattern.
RTGood1
How did you map the dimensions of the original casing in order for the CNC to be able to produce the mould?
Easy Composites› Matt
The original shape was drawn in CAD from scratch.
Beach&BoardFan
So once that S120 finish wears off from use, can more coatings of it be applied so the mold can be reused again and again?
Easy Composites› Matt
Yes you can restore the finish with fresh applications of the S120 Board Sealer.
Benjamin Whiffen
Wow I was just about to begin to do this thank for the video. Do you know if insulation foam can work because I need to make a huge mold and accuracy is not key.
Easy Composites› Matt
You could use insulation foam to make a rough shape but to be usable in any form you would then need to add strength to the structure, normally by 'scrimming' it with glass fibre and resin (make sure you use epoxy resin like our EL2, not polyester or vinylester because they will melt your foam) and then coating the pattern using a high-build pattern coat (such as our Pattern-Coat Primer). You could then use the S120 Board Sealer over the top of the pattern coat primer to bring it to a full gloss.
Derick Deitz
How would you vacuum bag a two part mold such as the tooling board mold that you guys showed for the 90 degree pipe fitting. I’m interested in how to bag it so I’d get proper adhesions of the two halves.
Easy Composites› Matt

Please take a look at our tutorial on vacuum bagging a split-moulded carbon fibre tube component, I think this covers just what you're looking for!

David Xu
How to strength the places where two moulds join together, for example, the 90 degree rotating pipe, if you lay fabric on each mould, when you join them together, the only connected is the resin instead of fabric, then how to strengthen them?
Easy Composites› Matt
You can do that in the manufacturing process, or even laminate carbon tape or fabric over the join to make it stronger afterwards. A bit of careful thought during the planning phase can mean you do the overlapping as the part is made, making things simpler and quicker overall.

LEAVE A COMMENT OR QUESTION

Note: Your name will be abbreviated and your email address will only be used to email you the answer directly

USED IN THIS PROJECT

Although not necessarily an exhaustive list, the following tools and materials, supplied by Easy Composites, were used in this project.

The quantity shown below is the approximate amount used in the project rounded up to the nearest available kit size or quantity.

MATERIALS & CONSUMABLES
EP700 High Temp Epoxy Tooling Board T=50mm, 500 x 500mm Thumbnail
EB700-025-50EP700 High Temp Epoxy Tooling Board T=50mm, 500 x 500mm£193.15 /block
Nitrile Gloves - Pack of 10 Large Thumbnail
NG-L-10Nitrile Gloves - Pack of 10 Large£1.50 /pack
Mirka P800 Wet and Dry Abrasive Paper 10 Sheets Thumbnail
WPF800-10Mirka P800 Wet and Dry Abrasive Paper 10 Sheets£6.90 /pack
Lint Free Solvent Application Wipes 50 Wipes Thumbnail
LFW-50Lint Free Solvent Application Wipes 50 Wipes£8.45 /pack
Spray Nozzle for 50ml and 250ml Bottle Thumbnail
SN-24-BLKSpray Nozzle for 50ml and 250ml Bottle£0.95 /each
S120 Advanced Board & Mould Sealer 50ml with Nozzle Thumbnail
S120-005S120 Advanced Board & Mould Sealer 50ml with Nozzle£16.80 /pack
Total £0.00

DISCUSSION (12)

Please share any questions or comments you may have about this video tutorial.

Johnathan Parra
Is there an alternative to sealing the tooling board using a board sealer? Can I use resin?
Easy Composites› Matt

Yes, you could also use a thin layer of resin to seal the board if you don't want to use a specific board sealer (like S120). Resin will build a bit thicker and therefore need a bit more flatting to restore a flat, accurate surface. A good choice would be our XCR Epoxy Coating Resin - it goes on thin, cures quickly to a high gloss, and is highly polishable. The working temperature of the XCR is lower than the board sealer but it’s still fine for use up to 80°C.

Ganesh Hosur
Can the pattern be reused?
Easy Composites› Matt
Yes, providing no damage occures to the pattern during curing or demoulding then the pattern can be retained and used again to make more moulds. This would be quite a common way to make multiple moulds or replace an old, damaged mould.
Bill Vardouniotis
Which CNC machine is used in this video?
Easy Composites› Matt
It's a CNCEST 60/40.
andres cintron
Any consideration of making a mold using a 3D printer?
Easy Composites› Matt
As long as the surface is sealed to stop any issues of porosity, then for some applications it may be possible to 3D print a mould. However the material needs to be suitable for curing with pre-preg if you follow that route.
MySchizoBuddy
What is the technical name of epoxy tooling board? High density urethane foam ?
Easy Composites› Matt
No, definitely not. The epoxy tooling board is made from epoxy. In this video we're using our EB700 Epoxy Tooling Board. We don't use polyurethane tooling board because polyurethane inhibits the cure of epoxy prepregs. Also, for this type of work you really need to talking of tooling board or block rather than 'foam' which would generally imply a much lower density material than we're using here.
Lee Jack
Can patterns be made from 3D printed PLA or ABS plastic with post surface treatment?
Easy Composites› Matt
Hi Lee, yes, there are ways to do this. In fact, there is a lot of interest in this subject at the moment so we are looking into some of the best methods and processes to demonstrate and then we hope to make a tutorial of this process in the future.
J. Dana Clark
Assuming ideal treatment and conditions, how many molds would you expect to get off of that plug?
Easy Composites› Matt
You could comfortably take in the 10's to 20's - maybe a lot more in 'ideal conditions'. In this video, the mould was already off the plug by the time we took the bagging film off so I think it's safe to say we could keep taking moulds off with almost no damage or deterioration of the pattern.
RTGood1
How did you map the dimensions of the original casing in order for the CNC to be able to produce the mould?
Easy Composites› Matt
The original shape was drawn in CAD from scratch.
Beach&BoardFan
So once that S120 finish wears off from use, can more coatings of it be applied so the mold can be reused again and again?
Easy Composites› Matt
Yes you can restore the finish with fresh applications of the S120 Board Sealer.
Benjamin Whiffen
Wow I was just about to begin to do this thank for the video. Do you know if insulation foam can work because I need to make a huge mold and accuracy is not key.
Easy Composites› Matt
You could use insulation foam to make a rough shape but to be usable in any form you would then need to add strength to the structure, normally by 'scrimming' it with glass fibre and resin (make sure you use epoxy resin like our EL2, not polyester or vinylester because they will melt your foam) and then coating the pattern using a high-build pattern coat (such as our Pattern-Coat Primer). You could then use the S120 Board Sealer over the top of the pattern coat primer to bring it to a full gloss.
Derick Deitz
How would you vacuum bag a two part mold such as the tooling board mold that you guys showed for the 90 degree pipe fitting. I’m interested in how to bag it so I’d get proper adhesions of the two halves.
Easy Composites› Matt

Please take a look at our tutorial on vacuum bagging a split-moulded carbon fibre tube component, I think this covers just what you're looking for!

David Xu
How to strength the places where two moulds join together, for example, the 90 degree rotating pipe, if you lay fabric on each mould, when you join them together, the only connected is the resin instead of fabric, then how to strengthen them?
Easy Composites› Matt
You can do that in the manufacturing process, or even laminate carbon tape or fabric over the join to make it stronger afterwards. A bit of careful thought during the planning phase can mean you do the overlapping as the part is made, making things simpler and quicker overall.

LEAVE A COMMENT OR QUESTION

Note: Your name will be abbreviated and your email address will only be used to email you the answer directly

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