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Materials used in our CNC Laboratory

This page will describe the CNC milling parameters (feedrate ranges, spindle speeds, etc) of materials that are used in our laboratory. In addition, we hope to post a link to a milling data collection website. Please stay tuned.

At present, we simply list the materials we have used along with a brief description of some of our observations:

  • Machinable Wax: Machinable wax is a convenient, safe and easy material to mill. The material is soft, however, has good chip removal when milled correctly. In addition, wax blocks are easily used a molds for silicone casting. One of the challenges with machinable wax is to make sure your milling variables are set to prevent melting the wax. Several options exist for procuring machinable wax, including, making your own. We have not made our own nor have we remelted our existing used machinable wax. If you do reclaim your wax or melt your own, please be safe -- there are many hazards associated with this practice. there are several vendors of machinable wax (We are not able to recommend one particular manufacturer, but encourage you to use google to find additional sources: Link 1, Link 2, Link 3, etc).
  • Tooling board/Machinable Polyurethane Foam: Machinable foam is a very convenient and easy to mill material. Different densities of foam are available to enable different levels of final part detail. One of the challenges with machinable foam is controlling or removing the dust produced. The dust is relatively fine and can easily intefere with moving CNC parts (enter bearings, enter the aircooling channels of spindles, etc). (We are not able to recommend one particular manufacturer, but encourage you to use google to find additional sources: Link 1, Link 2, Link 3, etc).
  • Machinable Plastics (HDPE, PVC, Plexiglass): Several plastics are machinable, but be sure to check the MSDS as well as other sources prior to machining these plastics. The milling process can cause the plastic to heat up and off-gas chemicals that you will not want to breathe in. We will expand further on machinable plastics in the near future.
  • Natural Materials (Wood): Wood can be used in the milling process; however, it should be noted that there are many different types and varieties of wood. Your final part quality will depend on the type of wood as well as the CNC mill parameters (feedrate, spindle speed, bit type, etc).
  • Two Part Silicones for Casting Molded Parts: Platinum Cure Silicone is a versatile, easy to work with and safe material. Platinum cure is highly recommended over tin based silicones for molding applications due to the ease of use and safety of the formulations. Be sure to read and fully understand the MSDS sheets for any silicone you purchase. One of the challenges of two-part platinum cure silicone is the higher price; however, it is relatively easy to work with and we've found it to produce great results. In addition, be aware that many silicones require degassing in order to produce a void free part.

Please check back soon. More information will be posted in the near future.