Freeman Machinable Wax
Freeman’s own Machinable wax
is a unique
offering in the synthetic tooling arena.
For many years, machinable wax has been the standard
material for proofing CNC programming because it machines
easier than urethane tooling boards or metals without
sacrificing quality of finish, surface detail, or accuracy
of dimension. Additionally, this material is non-abrasive
to cutters so it can be machined quickly with little or no
tool wear, and requires no coolant while machining.
In educational environments where students are learning CNC
programming, machinable wax is not only a more economical
alternative to most urethane boards, it is also safer.
Unlike when machining many plastic tooling boards, the
cutting of Machinable Wax does not create excessive dust,
hot chips, or a strong odor.
Machinable wax is
self-releasing with urethanes, epoxies, and polyesters,
making it a timesaving material when used along with liquid
tooling systems. This part shown here would be difficult to
machine, so instead we machined the negative out of
machinable wax and then poured in our Repro 83 Fast-Cast
urethane. This procedure required no release agent and
produced a highly accurate part.
Since it is made of wax, this material is less durable than
most synthetic tooling boards, so it isn’t suitable for
applications requiring abrasion resistance. Also,
Machinable Wax does not lend itself well to
repairs. since it is difficult if not impossible to
adhere repair materials to wax.
However, machinable wax is a more environmentally sound
product than synthetic tooling board. The soft curls that
are produced from machining are not scrap materials as with
a plastic tooling boards. These cuttings may be melted and
reclaimed to be used again.
Also, since Freeman machinable wax is offered in a wide
variety of standard and custom sizes, you will save time
and reduce the waste associated with having to buy a large
plastic tooling board for a small job or having to laminate
several layers of tooling board to achieve a desired
thickness.
Finally, machinable wax offers a surface finish superior to
all but the most expensive urethane tooling boards, making
it the ideal medium for machining models for silicone
rubber molds, especially when planning to make clear
urethane parts from those molds.
All of this makes Freeman’s machinable wax the ideal choice
for many tooling applications.
For samples, pricing, and availability, please call us or
visit us online.