Japanese Wooden Molds

These are gorgeous examples of making objects with negative space. Another great use of GF’s Z-axis functions. They’re Japanese candy molds.

https://www.behance.net/gallery/-/11749377


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Man, I am assuming those were carved by hand… Amazing craftsmanship! These look pretty deep (although there is nothing for scale in the images) so I wonder if the laser could carve them out (also not knowing how big these are but assuming the one with a handle is a normal sized handle) this would take a LONG time for a laser to carve compared to a CNC mill… But the patters are spectacular, and really liked that overlapping leaf pattern in the second one.

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I especially like the pegged removable extensions. I can only imagine that they allow for undercuts that can still be bumped free of the mold.

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Leave it to the Japanese to not only perfect something, but make it pretty as heck. Their wood joinery techniques make me cry a little.

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Not a laser expert here, but the beam does not act like carving/milling machine bit where the ‘tip’ can be precisely guided to carve in the Z axis. More of ‘cutter’ then a true ‘carver’.

Would be very cool of it did, though…

You can always stack material for depth with the bottom layer having the detail. I’d been thinking about it in acrylic for chocolate molds as I could decide what the design was and could laser polish them, but then I did the math - I’ll keep hand dipping. If I was in the candy business on the other hand…

I’ve never seen wooden molds before. Plastic obviously and old metal ones.

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I agree

This is a ‘confirmed’ feature of glowforge - check out the Settlers of Cataaan board on the sample page.

I was thinking the same thing…

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