Salomon mold issues

[Snowblithe]

I recently bought this mold at considerable expense and there are some quality issues with it, primarily with the tolerances in the head area and secondarily with the consistency of the “shoulder” shape. I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions for remedies or if I should just leave it alone or possibly return it. (It came from Honduras so the latter option is likely cost prohibitive considering that shipping was more than half of my cost)
Here is the main issue, keeping in mind this is with the mold fully clamped tight. It fits nicely on the left side but in all the chambers it has a couple of millimeters of misalignment on the right, but this centres out in the barrel and is mostly gone toward the foot.
My only thought for repair it build up top of the mold with some epoxy mixed with sawdust and hand carve it to fit but I have doubts of that will be doable…

 

[deluxestogie]

I've been pondering you mold problem for several hours. The only simple (possible) solution that I can offer is to create a wood shim that goes into each individual mold, prior to pressing in each doll. Perhaps cutting the shims from something like this:

Spruce Cambium Strips

Collected by first removing the bark from trees, then special knives are used to cut the inner cambium layer which is then cut to size and dried. Shop now.

cheesemaking.com

Bob

 

[Knucklehead]

If you add material to the sides of the slots in the bottom half of the mold, will you have to remove material from the slots in the upper half so the two will still fit together? 2mm is quite a bit.

Can you trim material using a carving chisel from the smaller dimensions to match the contours of the slots that have the largest dimension? That way the slots will still close together and you may not have to bother with the top slots. A problem may be seam. Rotating the cigar a couple times may mitigate that problem if there is a problem.

Permatex makes a food grade epoxy but you may find sanding a challenge. I've never used it.

Another possibility is bondo or wood filler, which sands alot easier than epoxy, then seal those areas with a food safe bar top finish. Not the penetrating oil type like for a butcher block, but the kind that builds up on the surface.

 

[Snowblithe]

Bob, I hadn't thought of shims... worth a try before more drastic measures are pursued!
And Knucklehead, I did carve up the smaller bit as much as I could without making it yet smaller. I did try rotating but that only ever made the same impression in the new spot... Thanks for the lead on materials too.
I have also considered sanding the lower part of the mold I have pictured to try and snug everything up. As I was typing the last sentence I had another brainwave too: I can use some kind of putty pressed inside to get a 3D sense of what needs to be corrected before I go further. Like, perhaps the bottom is too deep and could be built up. It would also tell me how best to address the asymmetry issue...
Thanks for your thoughts, gentlemen I feel like I have a game plan now.

 

[deluxestogie]

My understanding of "used" cigar molds is that the factories use them until they begin to create problems. Sometimes, to resell them, they swap pieces from good sections of one dead mold to replace worn or broken sections of another dead mold. It may be that the top and bottom are from different molds.

Bob

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

https://www.amazon.ca/Polly-Plastics-Moldable-Plastic-Sheets/dp/B01MQMNV3P

??

 

[Snowblithe]

My understanding of "used" cigar molds is that the factories use them until they begin to create problems. Sometimes, to resell them, they swap pieces from good sections of one dead mold to replace worn or broken sections of another dead mold. It may be that the top and bottom are from different molds.

Bob

The thought had occurred to me as I couldn't fathom how it might wear in like that with use.
@ChinaVoodoo, is that artisanal 3D printing? It promises to improve my cigarjitsu so it might be a good non-permanent solution, all joking aside. Thanks