# Grubbing My Way Past a Dollar to Save a Dime



## Robert LaLonde (Apr 10, 2018)

I decided I needed to change the sprue and runner layout on a multiple piece stacker plate low pressure injection mold.  I don't have to recut all 11 pieces (10 cavity mold).  I just needed to modify the first two. Rather than recut them I decided I would modify them.

Now remember, other than getting paid to CNC machine molds and a few other parts. I'm not a "real" machinist.  I didn't apprentice in a shop sweeping floors and sharpening drill bits for a hundred years first. So, while I know how (or can figure out how) to do a lot of things I'm not super skilled at a lot of basic things a more experienced machinist would be.

Plate 2 is no big deal.  Just machine half of a sprue and two runners into the face of it.  No existing machined feature is an issue.  Both machines I cut these plates on are still indexed to just drop the plates back in place with a table mounted work stop still in place.  Since I didn't want to recut them I had to pin a couple holes.  I spent some time thinking about it, and some more time hunting up the smallest stock on hand I could turn down to make the pins, then I hunted for pieces that are already to short for another project I'll be starting on shortly.  Finally I turned down some pins to press in.  Of course I dropped one in the chip tray.  After five minutes of hunting for a .163 x .30 pin in all that debris (I cleaned it out a couple weeks ago) I just cut it again.  Then I made a pin guide for the small one to make sure it would start straight, and finally I pressed them in.  Now I am ready to put the two pieces on the machines and make the new sprue and runner cuts.

Well, I just looked at the clock.  If I had just walked out to the saw and whacked off another piece of stock and recut the top plate from scratch I'd have been done an hour ago.  LOL.


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## thomas s (Apr 10, 2018)

LOL I have done the same thing many times. Good thing this is just a hobby for me.


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