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Fusion 360 Drawings

These are available for download. Fusion 360 is our chosen 3D solid modelling software as of 2021. To produce these files we export them in F3D format.

Related Information

Draw a triangular plate press mold in Fusion 360

Available on the Downloads page

This picture has its own page with more detail, click here to see it.

In the linked video Lilly will take you step-by-step through the 3D design process of drawing a triangular plate with curved sides and rounded corners. We tried many methods of doing this to finally arrive at a simple procedure that produces a flexible parametric design. Follow the full transcript as you watch. You will be able to use the same process to create a plate with any number of sides and control the bevelling, corner radius, curvature of the sides, lip width, depth, total size and thickness of the plaster mold. You will also be able to make it convex or concave. And 3D print it, in pieces if needed, for filling with plaster to make a ready-to-use mold.

Standard 3/8 inch Self-Interlocking Mold Natch

We can 3D print these and improve them

Available on the Downloads page

This picture has its own page with more detail, click here to see it.

Once you try these you will never go back to the use of registration keys in traditional mold making. Unfortunately, these natches are not easy to get in North America. Or even online. But you can 3D print them yourself (we use PLA filament, but TPM would be a good option). This design interlocks with standard 3/8" natches used in industry. There are more aspects to printing and using these than meets the eye. Here are some things we noted (and changed):

-The base can be widened for sticking on the build plate better.
-Glue the build plate, on your 3D printer, to make sure these stick well.
-The inner edge is chamfered to ensure better insertion of the nipple.
-Print without infill for better strength.
-These are hollow, no print support is needed.
-The bottom can be widened to stick better to the build plate.
-The ribs can be moved.
-A 9.8 mm hole is needed in the mold.

Once we moved to the use of CAD and 3D printing of block and case molds, these were abandoned in fovor of a four-part system.

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