Purchasing the proper router

[ras_oscar]

I'm fixin' to hop over to harbor freight to buy a router for making a cigar mold. PLan to swing a 3/4" box bit with a 1/4" shank. Plan to make a table with a sled top and a spacing guide fitting into the already cut cavity to ensure the top and bottom fit together. Can I swing this bit into poplar or oak with a 2.4 amp trim router or should I select the 2 1/4 HP full size model?

 

[rdomfoto]

You'll never be disappointed that your router has too much power. Go for the full 2¼ HP model.

BTW, Rockler has a really nice and inexpensive router table top. Took me an hour to build a basic cabinet for it and mount my router on it.

 

[Dominican56]

you'll need some sort of very small bit to make the top of the mold.

 

[ras_oscar]

I was planning to start easy with the mirror style mold that has an identical top and bottom.

 

[Dominican56]

I'm wondering with a mirror style if you simply softened the edges or put a slight radius, say a 64th - a 32nd or so on the mating edges if that would help with not pinching the binder somewhat.

 

[Marc L]

I would think it softens that crease. it is all in rotating. my first rotation is less then 2 minutes and increases in time as it dries.

 

[Dominican56]

I would think it softens that crease. it is all in rotating. my first rotation is less then 2 minutes and increases in time as it dries.

In a video from LO, the guy shows using a mold like ras is talking about. The edges of the binder are smashed flat. To eliminate that from happening, apart from making the "normal" mold top, would be to add some softness to the edges where the cigar shape meet together. I know the ridge would be larger but that might be preferable to having the binder smashed flat along the mold seem.

Your thoughts??

 

[blisscigarco]

Get something like a 2.25HP. I use a DeWalt of this sort.

 

[Marc L]

In a video from LO, the guy shows using a mold like ras is talking about. The edges of the binder are smashed flat. To eliminate that from happening, apart from making the "normal" mold top, would be to add some softness to the edges where the cigar shape meet together. I know the ridge would be larger but that might be preferable to having the binder smashed flat along the mold seem.

Your thoughts??

I think so. I know that video. that pressing was long enough to dry all that up. cant rotate that out.

 

[ras_oscar]

Since this thread has drifted to the left of topic a bit, let's push it further afield. Since I began rolling I have paid more attention to the commercial sticks I smoke. I can now pick out the faint mold marks beneath the wrapper. I was smoking a La Perla Habana Black pearl last night and noticed the mold seems to be a series of flat faces or facets ( maybe 16 around the perimeter?) rather than a true round shape. Has anyone seen a commercial mold that has flat faces rather than a circle? Perhaps they use some kind of automatic press machine on an assembly line?

 

[Dominican56]

Since this thread has drifted to the left of topic a bit, let's push it further afield. Since I began rolling I have paid more attention to the commercial sticks I smoke. I can now pick out the faint mold marks beneath the wrapper. I was smoking a La Perla Habana Black pearl last night and noticed the mold seems to be a series of flat faces or facets ( maybe 16 around the perimeter?) rather than a true round shape. Has anyone seen a commercial mold that has flat faces rather than a circle? Perhaps they use some kind of automatic press machine on an assembly line?

Well, if you want to stay strictly on point there would be like two posts. Get the biggest router... done.
My molds are really round, the new and old. Is your mold an old or a new one? I've never noticed that on a cigar before.