Machining Tool Board

[davidp]

Has anyone ever machined a material called Tool Board. It is apparently some sort of resin used by pattern makers and model makers. It is quite dense and heavy but is supposed to machine well. I would appreciate any experiences with it.

Regards,
David

Sydney
Australia.

[scottp55]

David, Is it this stuff?http://www.advancedwest.net/epoxy_tooling_boards.htm

[tlempicke]

David
What are you trying to build? My suspicion is that tool board is used to manufacture tools and will probably cost a good bit of money.

something similar and quite machinable is phenolic resin. This is the basis of Bakelite and is available on E Bay and from a number of suppliers. Very easy to machine and quite strong. I have made a number of jigs from it for engraving nameplates, medallions and such.

[davidp]

Hi Scot,

That is the stuff, I think.

Tom,

We have been asked to machine a model of a structure that engineers will use to test the effectiveness of their design. They have specified this material so we have to use it.

I was hoping that someone may have been able to give me some tips on using it.

Thanks for your input guys.

Regards,
David
Sydney
Australia

[Brady Watson]

David,
What is the brand of tooling board and model number?

FYI - Saying that you need assistance cutting tooling board is as nebulous as saying, you need help cutting "wood". Tooling board comes in all kinds of densities, with all kinds of base materials (usually polyurethane) and all kinds of fillers ranging from aggregate to metal and beyond.

Usually the material is spec'd out by density, typically how many pounds per cubic foot (or metric equiv). This will give you more of an idea of how you would want to approach cutting than anything else. Do you have a density value for that board?

-B

[pkirby]

I've cut a lot of tooling boards and as Brady said, they have such a vast range of properties that there is no way to give you an accurate answer without specifics. But, if you contact the specific manufacturer of the product you will be using, they will most likely have the recommended bits as well as feed rates. That's what I did and the results worked out well.

[davidp]

Thanks Brady and Paul,

In my original question I may not have been specific enough. I asked for peoples experience with cutting and using Tool board. I am not interested in speeds and feeds, as I will work that out for myself. I was after peoples experience with cutting and using tool board, for example does it warp once stress is relieved on one face, does it cut "dusty" like MDF or in chips like PVC, is it toxic or any special handling requirements. Those sort of experiences and tips would have been helpful.

The local distributor is still to provide a Material Safety Data Sheet and there is none available for download from the manufacturers web site so any information about the product would have been helpful. Tom and Scott provided some relevant information.

Thank you for your replies

David

[pkirby]

David,
I've cut some tooling board that was real easy to cut and made nice chips like PVC will. But the majority of the tooling board that I cut has some unique properties to where it makes a whole lot more dust than anything else. Also, it comes as a cast from my manufacturer so I do plane it flat one side first, and then flip it over to flatten the other side. It's like MDF in that it will resist warping if laid flat but it does have the capability to warp. One of my co-workers is allergic to it, but it doesn't bother me. If you end up cutting it, let us know the results and we'll try to give you advice based on your results.

Thanks,
Paul

[davidp]

Thanks Paul,

I managed to get a sample and have a play with it. We still have not been able to get a MSDS however. As you said it cuts with nice chips, the dust seems to be very fine, almost like talc. I hear your advice about allergies, and will definitely use a mask and gloves when handling it.

If we get the job I will let you know how we get on. It is a large job approximately 25 sheets so your input was invaluable. Thank you.

Regards,

David
Sydney