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Darren Null
03-18-2008, 7:20 AM
This is the mark II. The mark III will additionally have little clips to hold the layers together tightly...in production a little chocolate seeped between the layers with the mark II- at the very least it's a waste of chocolate.

Improvements from the mark I:
1) There's little pegs and corresponding holes to hold the layers in position.
2) Every layer is a little larger than the one below- in the mark I there were 3 layers the same size, and the middle one slipped slightly; making it very difficult to get the chocolate out. When the chocolate has set, you turn the mould upside down and remove one layer at a time. with the smallest layers at the top, this makes it easy to get the chocolates out.

There are, alas, no photos of the finished item or the chocolates- the mould was sold before it reached room temperature and the chocolates didn't last as long as that!

Obviously, you have to customise the mould for your own use- the CDR is just to give you an idea. Biggified, you could use it for mashed potato and ice cream, to suggest just 2 applications.

EDIT: When I burned it, I put the restaurant's logo and phone number on all the little cut-out bits so they could use them as mini business cards. Waste not, want not and all that. I removed them on the SMC version to avoid confusion.

Dan Hintz
03-18-2008, 8:12 AM
This thread is worthless without pics... ;)

Darren Null
03-18-2008, 8:37 AM
Artist's impression.

Ryan O'Hara
03-18-2008, 12:30 PM
Darren, very interesting. What material did you use for each of the layers? I am assuming something food safe?

Darren Null
03-18-2008, 12:34 PM
It's all 2mm acrylic.

Jack Harper
03-18-2008, 2:03 PM
Darren,

I like your design. One question though. I get the first, second and third pieces, but what is the fourth one for? It looks like you are using it to thicken the square base, but if so, why not just use a thicker piece here?

Darren Null
03-18-2008, 2:19 PM
It's mostly because I've only got a 10W laser and it's too much of a nancy to cut much more than 2mm if I want intricacy. Thicker acrylic would be a good idea.

Anthony Scira
03-18-2008, 2:57 PM
SWEEEET !


Sorry could not resist.

Rodne Gold
03-18-2008, 4:51 PM
If you use High impact pex , sort, of like polycarbonate but cuts like pex (its pex with a rubber component), you can flex the mould to get the chocs out , using a little spray n cook sprayed into the cavity prior to pouring will make it real easy to release as well.
All you have to do is separate the bottom sheet with the pattern, you should be able to release the choc by pushing it out the other 3 layers (pushing it on its face and it pops out thru the layer with the biggest hole)

Ed Maloney
03-18-2008, 5:02 PM
How deep is the raster of the letters and graphic?

Darren Null
03-18-2008, 5:39 PM
I went about 1mm in. The palm tree is an etchtoned bitmap and that came out fine.

EDIT: I did suggest pouring something in to make removal easier, but my wife (who is wise in the ways of chocolate) was very emphatic on the subject. No oils. Ever.

A 50-shot or stacked 25-shots is in the planning stages. We worked out, incidentally, that we'd have to sell at 3 chocolates per 1 €uro to make it even vaguely worthwhile. Pouring chocolates is a high-maintenance biz.

Christian Kaplan
03-19-2008, 7:29 AM
Fantastic ídea. I`ll try it the next day. THX

Barbara Buhse
03-19-2008, 11:08 AM
So, would you be able to take a thicker material (maybe 1/4" or 1/2" plexi) and just engrave the different layers into it, starting with the top and working your way down? I can see this maybe selling well with all the soap makers who make homemade soaps, but unlike chocolate, a soap mold would probably need to be one piece, I think liquid soap has a much thinner viscosity than chocolate (but alas, does not taste as good!)

Darren Null
03-20-2008, 10:53 AM
In theory you could, but you may have difficulty getting the item out if you use acrylic...it doesn't flex. Maybe if you use high impact pex, like Rodne suggests, there'd be enough flex to remove the finished item...don't know- never used it.

If you were using a dense-ish liquid, it might be possible to go with the multi-layered design and maybe line it with clingfilm (saran wrap?). You'd have to be careful to avoid wrinkles, but it's theoretically possible. Or put the mix in the fridge until it's gloopy enough to stay where it's put.

Bill Cunningham
03-21-2008, 11:23 AM
About 30 years ago, I built a cooling tunnel for a chocolate company in Toronto. The way they got the chocolate out of the moulds, was to simply cool it down in the mould and I guess it shrinks like anything else that gets cold, and out it drops.. (Gained about 5 lbs on that job :D)