[Jewelry making - Article 01318] - Re: [Orchid] CNC Cutting

[T R. Hawkinson, Ltd.]

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    Dear CNC Folks, I have been tooling wax and plastic for about eight
    years now and have a few recommendations. 

    First, the cutters and speed of spindle are the most important parts
    in any CNC Mill. I have used a Servo Impact, Wolverine, Sherline and
    Max NC. Currently I use the Max with a retro fit High speed spindle.
    It cuts as good as the Servo. Not quite as fast but just as accurate.
    Your spindle speed should be 14,000 RPM. 

    When tooling carving wax the RPM should be 14,000 to 15,000 RPM.
    Ferris wax works great. I like the purple. The same stuff I hand
    carve. HERE IS THE KEY! Use WD40 as the cutter lubricant. It washes
    away and leaves a nice clean surface. I will cut the tool path twice
    sometimes but mostly with my plastic. WD40 is the key. 

    When tooling injection wax I use a different lubricant. This wax
    does not tool larger parts very well. It does fine profile work
    though like small names incised in small areas on injected waxes.
    Call me about this lubricant. The lubricant is a mess so you do need
    a tray of some sort to collect the spent material. 

    The best material I have cut so far I have developed to make class
    rings and most any other style you can think of. It is a toolable
    plastic that you can steam out when done. Try THAT with wax. This
    material holds incredible detail and molds exactly what you tool. I
    prefer silicone mold making. The plastic is a total dry cut. No
    lubricant. I do use a vortex air jet to help blow the spent material
    away. These plastic parts can be either a small component added to a
    design or the larger master part itself. The small rectangle parts I
    tool for bezels and pendants has alignment keys on each side. To do a
    3D image I just cut the front, flip the part align the cutter and cut
    the back. Model done! 

    I also have refined the cutters used for either wax or plastic. They
    cut the most detail possible. I can cut approximately thirty parts
    with no cutter wear. Just don't handle them too much. I'll step down
    a rough cut with a larger cutter for larger parts if necessary. Once
    the detail cutter is in the CNC leave it in. I usually don't do
    touchoffs either. With a loupe, align the part, calibrate the
    position and start cutting the material. I aim for the center of the
    alignment marks on my plastics. If you need to be deeper, restart the
    tool path a little lower until you find the depth. The cutters are
    sharpened to almost .001" with special angles designed to help flush
    out material. The cutters are available on my site directly for
    anyone who wants to try one. I do not cut brass or any metal. It's
    not necessary. I'll either cast the wax and mold it, or cut plastic
    part and mold that. 

    Now here's the disclaimer. LOOK AT THE SAMPLES DONE. The rings on my
    site are a small sample of what I do. More are being added this
    Spring. I am skeptical of those who don't make jewelry yet claim
    expertise. I have a new motto about CAD CAM also. "Don't design
    beyond your ability to execute." This goes for anyone doing jewelry
    CAD. Show me the finished jewelry!! Virtual jewelry is a pretty
    picture but I want more. Here's my final comment. How much are these
    parts going to cost me to make? And where if not in house? 

    Best Regards & Happy Holidays, 

Todd Hawkinson
www.ajt-online.com


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