Delrin questions

[David Fairfield]

Hi !

I read here with interest about a laserable construction material called Delrin. Not familiar with it so I have a few questions.

Is it available in thin (1mm and under) sheets? If so, who is a good supplier? How well does it take paint? What sorts of glues work on it? Does it flex like styrene?

Thanks!
Dave

[Jeanette Brewer]

Haven't ordered any for our demos/installations in a very long time but, as I recall, all of these guys are delrin suppliers:

www.laserbits.com
www.rubber-stamp.com - Jackson Marking Products Co.
www.millmarking.com - Millennium Marking Co.

[Kim Vellore]

Dave,
Delrin comes in .003 to 4" or more in thickness. No paint sticks well to it.
Only one type of glue works on it, if you google it you will find it. I use E5000 glue and that works well with it. No paint sticks to it you can spray paint it and it will look good but cannot handle it rough you can just scratch the paint off. I like the thin material for thin cutting and rastering better than acrylics because it does not warp like acrylic and lasers well. Mcmaster is one place to get it, In fact I was planing on ordering some more next week from them I am running low on some Delrin sheets. If you want to see what I have lasered with Delrin just PM me and I could give you all my info.

I still use it on models, on parts where you dont handle them often or any moving parts because it is self lubricating.

Kim

[Kim Vellore]

It also flexes like styren but much stronger.

Kim

[Gary Sheriff]

Dave,
Delrin is a plastic - more on the soft side. This is usually the material used to make embossers as well other industrial types of items. It will engrave and cut nicely with a CO2 laser. I have seen Delrin offered in a variety of colors including black and white. Interesting......if you use a YAG or Fiber laser on black delrin, the mark result is a beautiful yellow. The white color does not really mark. A CO2 laser will engrave the material without contrast regardless of Delrin material color.

- Gary

[Dan Hintz]

You may even see some Delrin mounts in the laser itself if it uses threaded rods for movement... Delrin is often used for mounting blocks due to its "self-lubricating" nature. Nice stuff, a bit pricey, but worth the price for mechanical projects.

[Bill Cunningham]

Delrin is also used for seals, and o-rings.. I once opened a bag of cheezies, and found a piece of delrin.. I called the 800 number on the bag, and the lady on the other end, asked my how big the piece was.. I told her the truth... 38 inches, but not to worry, I didn't choke on it ... There was 'silence' on the other end.. she must have thought I was trying to scam her..She sent me a envelope, and I sent the piece to her, and she sent me a wack of coupons.. Somehow during the bagging process, a delrin seal broke, and the machinery stuffed this hunk in the bag.. I would have loved to have seen her face when I told her the size... Yup! Delrin is used in all kinds of food processing because it also a food safe product..

[Dan Hintz]

I told her the truth... 38 inches, but not to worry, I didn't choke on it ...

Please tell me this was a mistype... you opened a bag of Cheezies and found a three foot + piece of delrin?! How big was the frikkin' bag?!!!

I would have hung up on you ;-)

[Bill Cunningham]

Yup!! I thought she was going to.. It was not the family sized bag, or the little one.. I guess it was what ever falls between that.. It was curled up pretty good, and must have ended up in the hopper that fills the bags, but when stretched out, it was 38 inches give or take a 1/4".. It was a couple of inches longer than the yardstick (36") and was originally 1/4" dia. and was shredded by wear down to about a 1/16 end where it broke.. Looked like it might have started life as a 12" diameter seal before it worked loose and got damaged by the machinery..