3D Print Files - Cigar Molds

[adamziegler]

I have designed a handful of molds for my own personal use. Little by little there are design changes made, but they all work to form tobacco into the desired shape. Sharing the files here for anyone interested: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6843436

 

[deluxestogie]

This thread has been added to our Index of Key Forum Threads.

Bob

 

[Skafidr]

For completeness, I think you should add a link to this thread to the one that was created earlier this year.

 

[Skafidr]

Well done!

 

[KroBar]

Awesome! If I rolled cigars I'd do the same.
I was thinking about printing some parts for a plug press, but it just ended being quicker to knock it together from already available parts.
Love to see the ingenuity on this forum!

 

[Madmountain]

These look excellent Adam. Thank-you for sharing them!

One question: did you resize certain surfaces of the top (or bottom) of each pair for easier drop-in fit between the two? I ask because the other molds I've found have zero tolerance between the top and bottom, or nearly so, and it means a super tight fit and lots of trimming (I'm still procrastinating trimming several I printed earlier in November). If my CAD skills are semi-proficient, I think it is as easy as reducing the outer edge of the lip of the top insert, or the surface of the round cavity by 0.10mm or something similar. It's "press-pull' in some CAD programs. I've tried resizing one half of earlier designs on Thingiverse by 0.10% but it made no difference because the entire piece resized and it threw off other mating surfaces.

Perhaps you've already done this. If not, I wonder how easy your tops and bottoms go together? A pair that required little to no trimming/fitting would surely make lives easier.

Happy rolling,
Alex

 

[adamziegler]

did you resize certain surfaces of the top (or bottom) of each pair for easier drop-in fit between the two? I ask because the other molds I've found have zero tolerance between the top and bottom, or nearly so, and it means a super tight fit

Yes. I have a low cost Ender 3 V2 that can print these and have them mate without any modifications to the printed mold. Most of my mold designs have both a draft angle and thickness of mating surfaces removed. I did remove the draft angle from the Hemingway and only used adjustment to the mating surface and they still come together without modifications.

A caveat. I spent time making sure xy and z was perpendicular on my printer. If you have xy skew these molds are large enough that they unlikely to mate properly if you print in a way that skews the two halves in opposite directions.

If you have over extrusion issues these molds may have minor mating issues.

Before you print a mold, maybe block off and just print a quick area of the mating surface and see how it does.

 

[Madmountain]

Yes. I have a low cost Ender 3 V2 that can print these and have them mate without any modifications to the printed mold. Most of my mold designs have both a draft angle and thickness of mating surfaces removed. I did remove the draft angle from the Hemingway and only used adjustment to the mating surface and they still come together without modifications.

A caveat. I spent time making sure xy and z was perpendicular on my printer. If you have xy skew these molds are large enough that they unlikely to mate properly if you print in a way that skews the two halves in opposite directions.

If you have over extrusion issues these molds may have minor mating issues.

Before you print a mold, maybe block off and just print a quick area of the mating surface and see how it does.

Super news AdamZ! I have my Ultimaker ready to go and will begin a print shortly to see how it goes. I will print a 4 stick mold, as I am using a small countertop fruit press I got at the thrift store as my press. A 6 or 8 stick mold may not fit. I will make a mental note to come back and show the setup once I have some printed molds to put into display/test.

My Whole Leaf Tobacco company kit should see some use in a week or so!

Happy rolling!

Alex

 

[adamziegler]

Super news AdamZ! I have my Ultimaker ready to go and will begin a print shortly to see how it goes. I will print a 4 stick mold, as I am using a small countertop fruit press I got at the thrift store as my press. A 6 or 8 stick mold may not fit. I will make a mental note to come back and show the setup once I have some printed molds to put into display/test.

My Whole Leaf Tobacco company kit should see some use in a week or so!

Happy rolling!

Alex

Is there a specific size you might want? Those 8 stick molds are smaller than the 4 stick molds (smaller ring gauge)

 

[Madmountain]

Is there a specific size you might want? Those 8 stick molds are smaller than the 4 stick molds (smaller ring gauge)
View attachment 54075

I don't need any other sizes at this time. I am glad you pointed out the 8 stick molds are for smaller ring gauges. I hadn't opened all your files. They are abundant!

My little press can handle 7" wide molds. Maybe I am worrying about nothing. Definitely some of the other molds on Thingiverse are too wide.

I printed the 38's last night and have just started the regular 46 this morning. My wife will want me to print the 29's mold next. I married a girl from Miami, and we both enjoy cigars.

I'll post some pictures directly.

Alex

 

[Madmountain]

Here are some pictures of the 38 molds along side a different maker’s mold from Thingiverse (jakewide, I think). You can see Jake’s doesn’t mesh well. I trimmed another print of it for a half hour easily, before it would go together. There is a tiny bit of blobbing from my printer to clean up and Adam’s molds will nest just fine right off the print bed.
Also here is a picture of my fruit press I’ll use for pressing the molds. It should work great! Anyone reasonably handy could make something like this from wood, threaded rod and a few nuts, I think.
Alex

 

[adamziegler]

They look good, the 29s make my "drive to work" cigarillos. Nic Viso bound with C98 seco wrapped with Ecuador Maduro.

 

[adamziegler]

I added a new 42rg x 6.75" x 8 mold here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6843436

I want to note that all my other molds are labeled with size of of the actual mold dimensions and not the final wrapped cigar. This new mold is the first model that is labeled with the final wrapped cigar dimension. It makes some nice Coronas and is big enough to roll a Lonsdale.

 

[jackpine]

I added a new 42rg x 6.75" x 8 mold here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6843436

I want to note that all my other molds are labeled with size of of the actual mold dimensions and not the final wrapped cigar. This new mold is the first model that is labeled with the final wrapped cigar dimension. It makes some nice Coronas and is big enough to roll a Lonsdale.

You're most certainly responsible for me shopping for 3d printers - very generous of you to share these files- thanks

 

[adamziegler]

You're most certainly responsible for me shopping for 3d printers - very generous of you to share these files- thanks

If you have the budget, the Bambu labs A1 is a pretty easy printer to use. Otherwise I have a cheap Ender 3 v2, but I like to tinker and adjust, and its not 100% user friendly for getting started. (it is budget friendly) https://amzn.to/3GiJWYz

 

[jackpine]

I'm thinking along the lines of converting your files to g-code and cutting them out on a CNC machine, but that will be a winter time job for me, my CNC is just a small one that needs to be baby sat during operation.

 

[adamziegler]

I'm thinking along the lines of converting your files to g-code and cutting them out on a CNC machine, but that will be a winter time job for me, my CNC is just a small one that needs to be baby sat during operation.

I used to build CNC machines, and generated quite a bit of tool path. If you decide to do this, let me know because I would probably make some tweaks to the models for cutting out of wood. I would be happy to make some adjustments and work with you on it.

 

[jackpine]

That would be great as I'm thinking others here on the forum would be interested too. I work with the simplest software I could find -universal g code sender and carbide create, freecad, but really not all that tech savy even with software that dose most of the thinking for me. But like I said it would be winter time before I get to it as time is pretty well taken up preparing for winter.

 

[Faltown]

That would be great as I'm thinking others here on the forum would be interested too. I work with the simplest software I could find -universal g code sender and carbide create, freecad, but really not all that tech savy even with software that dose most of the thinking for me. But like I said it would be winter time before I get to it as time is pretty well taken up preparing for winter.

+1 here! Would love to make some wooden one's up!

 

[adamziegler]

I used a handful of CAM package in the past, but would have to tailor it for the machine and tooling available.
I designed these 3D printed files to account for variability in 3D printer capabilities. For milling wood, I would likely set up the process in a different way to account for how wood molds are historically built. Looking forward to my winter... Let's keep talking.