Interchangeable Tool Handle Molding System

thingiverse

I make a lot of custom tools to do various tasks. Getting the handle molded both in the center and straight can be tricky. Drilling out a handle for glueing can also be difficult and adds another step and needs epoxy. Better to simply overmold the handle. You could pour your mold with a recess for the tool shaft to mate with but then you are locked into one shaft size for that handle. What if you want to use a different one? That's another mold. This is a system to hold a tool shaft both in the center and aligned to a handle in a mold and also allow the handle molds to be interchangeable to different sized shafts. Simply pour your silicone mold so that the disk shape ends up on top where you pour your resin. Afterward print the appropriate sized holder for the tool shaft you are using. Spray mold release on the shaft holder and Secure your tool into the holder. The holder should index into the disk shaped recess in your mold both centering and aligning the tool shaft. Pour away and demold when it's cured. All the holders should be interchangeable with each handle so you have options for whatever you make. You could also suspend threaded hardware at the desired depth on a well released bolt to make threaded handles. There are split shaft holders if your tool is like a flat screwdriver and would not allow the tip to pass through the holder. I suppose you could just cut the solid one off but why do that? There are lots of shaft sizes included as well as handle sizes and styles I have designed for various tools. With a full set of molds and shaft holders there should be an option for most any tool. Just want the handle without the disk for the shaft holder? Just cut the bottom .125" off the STL file.