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Beginner cigar mold

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TravisNTexas

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I am ready to attempt my first cigars, but I wanted a mold. So I build a beginner mold out of poplar.
image.jpgimage.jpg

I could not for the life of me insert these pictures in a message on my iPhone. I uploaded them to the forum from my phone, but could not drag and drop them as required to get them into my message. Is there any way to do that, or is there a forum app or something? Sorry they are sideways too, but it's a pain trying to do this from a phone.
 

chuditch

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That looks nicely made.
Are you going to give a bit of a run down how you made it?
 

Smokin Harley

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I am ready to attempt my first cigars, but I wanted a mold. So I build a beginner mold out of poplar.
View attachment 16621View attachment 16622

I could not for the life of me insert these pictures in a message on my iPhone. I uploaded them to the forum from my phone, but could not drag and drop them as required to get them into my message. Is there any way to do that, or is there a forum app or something? Sorry they are sideways too, but it's a pain trying to do this from a phone.
Nice job, how big of a bit did you use?
 

TravisNTexas

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Thanks all. I used a 3/4" core box router bit to cut the grooves. That's a 48 ring. My table saw table has a way to mount my router under it, so I used the rip fence to run against. I started with a 12" piece of poplar. I clamped stop blocks at each end of the fence then plunged the board into the bit at one end and routed to the other. Then I flipped the board over and did it again. That worked pretty well except for some burning at the ends, but my stop blocks were not exactly the same distance from the bit, so I ended up with one slightly longer than the other. That would not have been a problem, except when you cut it in half you end up with a slightly longer one on top of a slightly shorter one. So I had to go back to the table with a new stop block and make them all the same length. Drilled the holes for the carriage bolts on the drill press. They line up well now, but I do need to put registration pins in the next one so that I can oversize the holes slightly on the side with no bolts and still have them line up correctly.

Also, the carriage bolts are much longer, but when I went to HD and got them I was thinking I was going to have to back each one of them with another piece of 3/4" stock.
 

LewZephyr

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Great DIY mold, like it much better than the PVC ones I started with (but they worked just fine).
Thanks for the info on how you made it.
 

waikikigun

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Those look pretty awesome. Any interest/willingness to do a paid custom job? I need a 5/8", i.e. 40 rg....
 

Knucklehead

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Design change suggestion: If you can set up to route a mortise along both sides of each hollow, along each original router track on both halves of the mold. Then insert either a sliding tenon, or glue only one side of the tenon to one side of the mold. A: You would eliminate the seams. B: You could give a box pressed profile. Two rounded sides, two flat sides.

Route your mortise to the inside of your original router track. The two sides with tenons will be flat, like box pressed.
 

TravisNTexas

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Those look pretty awesome. Any interest/willingness to do a paid custom job? I need a 5/8", i.e. 40 rg....

When I get it right, get a couple of new bits, and get some proper hardwood (maple), I'll build you one gratis. But that will likely be a while :)
 

TravisNTexas

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Design change suggestion: If you can set up to route a mortise along both sides of each hollow, along each original router track on both halves of the mold. Then insert either a sliding tenon, or glue only one side of the tenon to one side of the mold. A: You would eliminate the seams. B: You could give a box pressed profile. Two rounded sides, two flat sides.

Route your mortise to the inside of your original router track. The two sides with tenons will be flat, like box pressed.

I was trying to envision your suggestion, and I came up with this. Not what you were suggesting because all sides will still be round, but would likely solve any wings problems, except at the head where it is rounded. It's more like a traditional mold, without the difficult part at the head.

Cigar Mold Design 2 Clip.jpg
 

Knucklehead

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I was trying to envision your suggestion, and I came up with this. Not what you were suggesting because all sides will still be round, but would likely solve any wings problems, except at the head where it is rounded. It's more like a traditional mold, without the difficult part at the head.

View attachment 16642

Yes, that's it. Nice drawing. That seems to me easier to do than the male/female mold halves. If you wanted the box pressed look, you would move the mortises/tenons inboard, more inside the round part, giving two flat sides. Some guys were recently trying to figure out how to do that with corner mold, giving four flat sides. This would be easier and doable with a router. The only box pressed cigars I've seen only had two flat sides like they were squashed down all together in the box.
 

JOE1977

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Nice work! I made a similar one only larger with a 3/4 cove bit. It does creat wings, but I was still pleased. When the heat wave cools down I plan to make one like Knuck suggested . Hot, sweaty and flying wood is just terrible ;)
 

Smokin Harley

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I was trying to envision your suggestion, and I came up with this. Not what you were suggesting because all sides will still be round, but would likely solve any wings problems, except at the head where it is rounded. It's more like a traditional mold, without the difficult part at the head.

View attachment 16642

There you go...thats a traditional mold , nice illustration.
 

TravisNTexas

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Thanks Joe. It was nice to do, because it got me to clean all the crap off my table saw which just has a way of collecting huge amounts of stuff at an amazing rate!!

I did use a 3/4" (48 ring) core box bit. I have a 7/8" (56 ring) coming in the mail someday, and I tried to order a 5/8" (40 ring) yesterday but paypal was not playing well with my credit card for unknown reasons.

I'm going to stick with the poplar I have for the next couple of prototypes since I have some new things to try, then switch to maple or some other hardwood when I get it down.
 

TravisNTexas

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There you go...thats a traditional mold , nice illustration.

Thanks. The illustration is the easy part! lol

I drew this one up yesterday too. It may even be easier to build except for the curved parts around the head. I'm going to give this a try then figure out what I will have to do for the head curves. The side pieces with the dotted outlines are sacrificial to provide support when I am routing/dadoing.

Cigar Mold Design 2.2.jpg
 

Knucklehead

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Thanks. The illustration is the easy part! lol

I drew this one up yesterday too. It may even be easier to build except for the curved parts around the head. I'm going to give this a try then figure out what I will have to do for the head curves. The side pieces with the dotted outlines are sacrificial to provide support when I am routing/dadoing.

View attachment 16681

That's the way my commercial built molds are made.
If you can make some jigs out of MDF and follow the pattern with a side bearing? (can't think of the technical term right now) it should be pretty easy to duplicate those for production. The top might require a separate jig pattern for each of the bits, rounded and straight.
 
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