What is this material?

This topic has 22 replies, 12 voices, and was last updated 6 December 2015 at 22:58 by MalcB.

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4 December 2015 at 22:39 #215121
Chris Denton
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@chrisdenton53037
The first time I used a lathe was at school, 20 years ago, the material I used I don't know what it was.

It was black rod and had a polished finish, it cut like plastic, but the outside finish was patchy grey and black, almost like carbon fibre. When cut the bar was black, so the grey was just on the outside?
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4 December 2015 at 22:39 #24258
Chris Denton
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@chrisdenton53037
4 December 2015 at 23:19 #215127
Bill Mull
Participant
@billmull
Glass impregnated Nylon perhaps?

I used it once to make some panel stand offs,and looked and machined like you describe.
4 December 2015 at 23:42 #215129
Chris Denton
Participant
@chrisdenton53037
No, I've used GF nylon in injection moulding. The scarf was long and soft, GF Nylon swarf would be brittle and hard I imagine.

The grey patches were around 10-20mm randomly but regularly spaced from memory
5 December 2015 at 06:47 #215145
John McNamara
Participant
@johnmcnamara74883
Sounds Like Hard rubber?

Often patchy grey black

**LINK**

Regards
John
5 December 2015 at 08:03 #215146
John Haine
Participant
@johnhaine32865
Ebonite?
5 December 2015 at 08:12 #215148
Clive Hartland
Participant
@clivehartland94829
Sounds like Ebonite, often used for knobs on electrical instruments.

Clive
5 December 2015 at 09:55 #215156
Chris Denton
Participant
@chrisdenton53037
Is that quote a rigid material?

The piece I used was 6 foot long x 1.25" diameter with not much flex along its length.
5 December 2015 at 10:10 #215160
Douglas Johnston
Participant
@douglasjohnston98463
Could it have been black delrin. I have some bits that have a greyish mottled outer surface but are solid black when cut.

Doug
5 December 2015 at 10:25 #215163
Anna 1
Participant
@anna1
Nylatron, maybe?

Anna
5 December 2015 at 10:32 #215165
Clive Hartland
Participant
@clivehartland94829
Send me a couple of feet and i will confirm the item.

Clive
5 December 2015 at 10:40 #215169
Vic
Participant
@vic
Posted by Anna 1 on 05/12/2015 10:25:11:

Nylatron, maybe?

Anna

Yes, sounds like Nylatron to me as well, it's common enough.
5 December 2015 at 11:59 #215173
Chris Denton
Participant
@chrisdenton53037
Posted by Douglas Johnston on 05/12/2015 10:10:11:

Could it have been black delrin. I have some bits that have a greyish mottled outer surface but are solid black when cut.

Doug

Could be, can you post a picture when you have a chance please.
5 December 2015 at 12:00 #215174
Chris Denton
Participant
@chrisdenton53037
Posted by Clive Hartland on 05/12/2015 10:32:10:

Send me a couple of feet and i will confirm the item.

Clive

Unfortunately it was around 20 years ago and I no longer have it.
5 December 2015 at 12:02 #215175
Chris Denton
Participant
@chrisdenton53037
Could be Nylatron, I'll have a better look later, thanks.
5 December 2015 at 12:31 #215177
Gary Wooding
Participant
@garywooding25363
Here's a photo of a handle I made from a piece of Nylatron rod. As can be seen in the short upright piece, the mottling is not very deep.
5 December 2015 at 15:23 #215194
Douglas Johnston
Participant
@douglasjohnston98463
Hi Chris- I would love to post a picture of the delrin but I have recently installed windows 10 and my old card reader has stopped working with the computer. Just had a good look at the delrin and the mottled surface appears to be extrusion marks on the surface and looks a bit similar to the nylatron picture but more banded.

Doug
5 December 2015 at 15:54 #215199
martyn nutland
Participant
@martynnutland79495
Dear Chris

Did they really never tell you what it was you were machining? Bearing in mind schools don't normally have huge budgets for this sort of thing, it can't have been from a wide choice.

Let's see now… black, maybe grey, cuts like plastic? Something 'ny-lony' it has been suggested? Sort of thing they are making troll suits from these days, I imagine.

Best

Martyn
5 December 2015 at 22:25 #215227
Chris Denton
Participant
@chrisdenton53037
I don't know what the troll suit means?

Mr White didn't know what it was, I do remember him telling me that all the material they had was donated.

He seemed to trust me to do anything, I was the only student allowed to use his solder remover, also the only person allowed to use the Harrison lathe unsupervised, no idea why. Strangely I now have the same Harrison lathe in my workshop.
5 December 2015 at 23:56 #215232
Robert Dodds
Participant
@robertdodds43397
Chris,

Could it have been a black grade of Tufnol? There were black grades a few years ago and one or two stockist still offer some but it appears to be becoming obsolete

Bob D
6 December 2015 at 10:09 #215262
Chris Denton
Participant
@chrisdenton53037
I don't think it was Tufnol.
6 December 2015 at 10:45 #215270
Vic
Participant
@vic
The overwhelming "feature" of Tufnol is the smell when you machine it.
6 December 2015 at 22:58 #215367
MalcB
Participant
@malcb52554
Sounds like Nylatron to me as well or ebonite as also mentioned.

There is also a slim possibility it could be glass filled Noryl as I have seen this in sheet and rod in the past along with for injection moulding.
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