Interchangeable Tool Handle Molding System

thingiverse

I design custom tools for specific tasks, but I've found that getting the handle molded both in the center and straight can be a real challenge. Drilling out a handle for glueing is difficult and adds an extra step, requiring epoxy to secure it in place. A better approach would be to simply overmold the handle. You could pour your mold with a recess for the tool shaft to mate with, but then you're locked into one specific shaft size for that particular handle. What if you want to use a different shaft? That's another mold altogether. I've created a system that allows you to hold a tool shaft both in the center and aligned to a handle in a mold, while also making it easy to switch out handles for different sized shafts. Simply pour your silicone mold so that the disk shape ends up on top where you pour your resin. Next, print the appropriate sized holder for the tool shaft you're using. Spray some 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 are interchangeable with each handle, giving you options for whatever you're making. You could also suspend threaded hardware at the desired depth on a well-released bolt to make threaded handles. There are split shaft holders available if your tool is like a flat screwdriver and wouldn't allow the tip to pass through the holder. I suppose you could just cut the solid one off, but why bother? There are plenty of shaft sizes and handle sizes and styles included as part of this system, which I've designed for various tools. With a full set of molds and shaft holders, there should be an option for most any tool you can think of. If all you want is the handle without the disk for the shaft holder, simply cut off the bottom 0.125 inches from the STL file.