Hi, just a quick question. Assuming neither flute has metal parts (so, let’s say a WD Sweet Shannon vs a Burns folk flute), which one would weigh more? And is it even enough of a difference to be noticeable?
Quick question but I’m not sure there’s a quick answer.
Wood tends to vary in weight from piece to piece, species to species. So is the Folk Flute made from Blackwood, mopane or boxwood?
Delrin comes in several formulas as well although I think most flutes use the most generic version.
Wouldn’t you want to compare the same flute design and profile but made in the different materials?
The only decent reference point I have are two Copley flutes I own. One is blackwood with sterling fittings and slide. The other is fashioned in delrin but in all other respects is identical to the blackwood flute. It is not the same scenario you have described but they both have the same metal parts. So can we compare those?
I have not put either on a scale to measure the actual difference in weight. The delrin flute seems marginally heavier. But it is not enough to think about when playing, IMO.
So there’s one useless data point on the subject.
More useful might be this. The Wood Database lists African Blackwood as being, on average, 79 lbs per cubic foot. Using the figures from the Delrin data sheet I calculate a cubic foot of Delrin to be 88 lbs. Converted into cubic inches the delrin weighs in at .0513 while blackwood would average .0457 lbs.
Feadoggie
Thanks for the info. And I forgot to say it, but I did specifically mean blackwood.
I happened to have a couple of recently finished flutes in the shop. Delrin: 10.3 ounces, Blackwood: 9.3 ounces. Both 3-piece with sterling silver rings and almost the same profile (the blackwood has a little larger diameter at the bottom of the head joint and top of the body).
I suppose to reinforce the socket/tenon areas.
In general Delrin will be a little heavier. It could happen though that a maker decides to make a delrin flute with thinner than usual walls, it might be tricky to turn but once made it won’t crack anyway. In this scenario it could end up being lighter than a normal wooden flute.
Exactly.
FWIW, I owned at the same time an M&E Delrin six-key and a Noy blackwood eight-key, and while both are good flutes, the M&E was notably (“significantly” is another word I might have used) heavier, enough so that one would give preference to the Noy just on weight alone. How much of this is due to construction I am unable to say; the M&E was a robustly-built instrument, but blackwood requiring some substance to survive a flute’s life, the Noy was no sparse thing either.
Hhhmmmm? Are you sure it is Delrin? I do not believe that Michael Cronnolly has made his flutes out of Delrin. The three I have here are made from food grade PVC rod stock AFAIK. He’s done ebonite flutes more recently. But yeah, my M&E Rudall is a fairly heavy beast. It’s heavier than my 5-key M&E Original or at least balances out to feel that way.
Feadoggie
Sorry - I simply assumed that the M&E was made of Delrin. Never mind. 
Nano, I think you made a good and useful point. Some of these polymer flutes are heavy flutes. I support your observation! 
Yep, my M&E Original keyless would make a darned nice billy club if the joints weren’t there.
Feadoggie
On Highland pipe forums, people have said that African Blackwood’s density and weight is less than polypenco/delrin when measured.
I know I had two sets of pipes by the same maker, one in polypenco, one in ABW, and the poly set was much heavier.
One would think that makers would use thinner walls for their polypenco instruments, to achieve the same density as wood.
Delrin is heavier than any wood I’ve encountered, though to be fair I haven’t checked it against some hunks of desert ironwood that I have.