In this part of the tutorial we make a press for the plastic. We press the plastic into it and that gives us a nice thick sheet of plastic.

Here is the press that we make in this tutorial. And it specifically gives us lots of thick plastic that we can cut into blanks for pen making. If you are not making pens you have the option to make your mold press with different dimensions.

You put the heated plastic in the press then add the top part and screw it down. This next picture shows it screwed down. Those two wing nuts are how we screw it down. This presses the square plate onto the plastic.

So, that's the basic concept of how a press is used to press down the plastic into a shape. This is enough for you to make your own press. But let's go ahead and make this exact press for pen blanks.

(Once you make a plastic block please note that it will shrink in cooling and retract from the frame and therefore should not be a problem in removing the finished article from the frame.)

You can copy this design exactly if you want. But, this is a guide to showing you how to make a press. You can make your press to any size desired. And, if you are a beginner that is unsure of the project you can make your mold small enough for one pen blank. That would make it a quick and easy project.

A standard pen blank is 3/4" square by 5" in length. If you are making a mold for a single blank I recommend you make it 1" square by 6 inches. This gives you room for error and inconsistencies in the process.

**Please note too that if you find that one side of your block is slightly thinner then measure and cut all that to fit your parameters.

Timber and hardware used :

• 4 x 11.5" x 7/8" x 7/8"
• 2 x 6" x 7/8" x 7/8"
• 1 x 9" x 13" x 7/8"
• 1 x 11 ¼" x 2" x 7/8"
• 2 x 3" x 6" x 7/8"
• 2 x M8 dome head coach bolts
• 2 x M8 wing-nuts and washers to fit.
• 16 pozidrive screws 1 ¼"
• 1 x can of silicone spray lubricant

Summary of the Mold:

• Start with a wooden base.
• Screw onto it four strips of wood to form a square.
• Cut a piece of wood that will fit into that square
• Add a clamping piece of wood that spans across the square
  

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