Delrin source?

Whistle
1

Does anyone have a good source for purchasing Delrin rods in the U.S. for fipple blocks?

DC

2

US Plastics is where I get mine.

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/product.asp?catalog_name=USPlastic&category_name=8765&product_id=11291

3

McMaster-Carr and Small Parts, Inc. also carry delrin rods. (Sorry, but the McMaster-Carr website isn’t built to accommodate a direct link to the product.)

4

I get mine from Enco, which is an industrial supply company. Their prices may not be the lowest, although they’re pretty good. However, I get other machining supplies from them, such as reamers, lathe tool bits etc., so it’s easier to just order from one place. Their service is quick.

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRHM?KNC-DV6174368836&OVRAW=Use%20Enco&OVKEY=use%20enco&OVMTC=standard&OVADID=20596387512&OVKWID=26117246512

5

Thanks for the info.

I have a question for brewerpaul and Carey. Are the advertised diameters pretty accurate? Right now, I’m using tubing with an ID of 15/32, so a TRUE 1/2" diam Acetal rod would be perfect, requiring very little tweaking to fit. Naturally, it would do no good to get rods that are a hair too small in diam.

DC

6

I don’t want to answer for Paul or Carey but my experience is that the diameters are pretty accurate, unlike some other materials I have used. I stock six or seven different diameters of delrin/acetal for the various designs I make. Each size tends to run a few thousandths to a hundredth of an inch over the advertised size. I haven’t had any that ran under size.

And don’t overlook solid PVC rod. It’s less expensive and more readily available at local plastics suippliers. It machines nicely(but I love delrin). It is also very durable, at least in whistle and flute applications.

Feadoggie

7

Yes, diameters are pretty accurate.
BTW-- Delrin is really tough to glue, so shoot for a good snug friction fit.

8

Hi

I have used epoxy for fipple blocks for PVC and CPVC whistles.

  1. Cut off a bunch of 2 1/2" lengths of your pie and superglue them to something they will glue too and stand up on. I have used aluminium sheet.

  2. Smear the insides with mould release agent. Fill wit epoxy (with or without thickener). Leave until set.

  3. Break the tubes off the surface, cut carefull along two sides and break open.

Ready made fipple block material is yours and will be a perfect fit in your tubes.

Use slow epoxy for the minimum amount of potentially harmful additives and preferably check with the manufacturer of the epoxy.

West epoxy (for boatbuilding) is used with the slow hardener for potable water tanks on boats. When I checked years ago, they said their fast hardener contains some potentially harmful additives. Still well below legal or dangerous limits, but the slow hardener has none.

Regards,

Owen Morgan

Yacht Magic
Anchored in the lagoon, St Maarten
My new blog.
Click here for my latest reported position. (Use the satellite view.)

9

Yes, casting or molding is another approach that works very well. Polyester resin works nicely too. It’s relatively inexpensive and is available in small amounts at most every craft and hobby shop. I outlined my process for molding plugs some time ago in this post:

http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?t=53075

Another alternative for molding a plug is poly clay. Again, it’s cheap and available at every craft, art and hobby store around.

There are also many creative options available to you if you use the resins and clay. You can cast resins in various colors, even layer the colors or imbed small objects in the casting. The polyclay is available in gobs of colors and several colors can be rolled together to make designs. You do have to bake the poly clay to cure it.

Feadoggie

10

This is all great information.

I’d considered doing a plug cast with resin as suggested using the existing CPVC tube, but I think I’ll stick with Delrin rods. For the size of tube I’m using, 1/2" Delrin will require very little fitting work and no messing with epoxy or resins.

Appreciate all the input.

DC

11

Yep, what Feadoggie said. The stuff I get is just a hair oversize so you can reduce it to the exact 1/2 in if you need to. But as Paul said, letting friction help you keep things in place is a good idea. Because they might be left in hot cars etc. I still pin everything together. I didn’t at first, and had a couple fipples move. If you don’t want to locate approprate pin material (whatever that means to you) you can drill a small hole thru the various parts and into the fipple and fill the hole with epoxy - casting a pin in place.

12

I just superglue everything once I’m happy with the voicing and position of the fipple block. Then I use the Dremel to shape the mouthpiece end so the block and tube get shaped together. Cured superglue is not poisonous.

Regards,

Owen Morgan

Yacht Magic
Anchored in the lagoon, St Maarten

My new blog.
Click here for my latest reported position. (Use the satellite view.)

13

Just ordered from Enco and I’ll have the Delrin tomorrow since they ship from Atlanta and I’m right next door in Huntsville, AL. Thanks for all the response to this thread. Lots of good info.

DC

14

I second McMaster-Carr, if you have any future purchases. They also ship from Atlanta, as well as somewhere around Princeton, and Chicago (I’m sure they have other depots but those are what I know).

Of course, it also helps if you’re a student with access to a university machine shop. One’s man’s scrap is another man’s treasure!

15

I second McMaster-Carr, if you have any future purchases. They also ship from Atlanta, as well as somewhere around Princeton, and Chicago (I’m sure they have other depots but those are what I know).

Of course, it also helps if you’re a student with access to a university machine shop. One’s man’s scrap is another man’s treasure!