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About how long do you guys usually make your delrin tenons, both the end that goes into the pipe and the end that goes into the stem? Is it the same length on both ends, or is one end longer than the other? What's the shortest/longest practical length you would normally use?

If the answer is, "It depends," then what does it depend on?

i used delrin on my first few pipes. my tenons were typically 1/2" on the mortise side and 3/8" to 1/2" on the stem side. the reason it would vary, and the reason i stopped using them is the fact that when making a very thin, or sometimes saddle stem you can sand through into the delrin. it will piss you off. I found that with practice and patience I can cut an integral tenon with the wood lathe that looks better and takes about the same amount of time to make. Another problem I have with delrin relates to transparent or semi-opaque stems. It really draws your eye to the transition when you have a black tenon and glue showing through a transparent stem, or cumberland stem with a black tenon for that matter. I am also not smart enough to clean all of the epoxy away from the joint.

15mm inside the stem and 15mm inside the shank, that's on a 6mm tenon and they are threaded for security.

Thanks. That's about what I had been doing. Delrin is my only option as I don't have a lathe of any sort. My problem is drilling straight through the delrin on the drill press, especially since the extruded delrin isn't always perfectly straight. If I can get away with drilling a 3/4" piece of delrin rather than, say, a 1" piece, it makes it a lot easier.

There is an easy way to cut delrin on center with a drill press. Cut a bunch of delrin tenons first. Put a junk piece of wood in your vice. Drill a mortise in the junk wood. Now stick each piece of delrin in this same mortise for drilling. Everything is all centered and proper. You just need enough throw in your quill so you can change out bits without moving the junk block.

andrew

"especially since the extruded delrin isn't always perfectly straight."
If your Delrin isn't perfectly straight, and of consistent diameter. . .look at other Delrin sellers (McMaster-Carr, for one).
Delrin should be crazy consistent.

d_mc wrote:"especially since the extruded delrin isn't always perfectly straight."
If your Delrin isn't perfectly straight, and of consistent diameter. . .look at other Delrin sellers (McMaster-Carr, for one).
Delrin should be crazy consistent.

Run, d_mc! Ruuuuuun!

It's the delrin I got from JH Lowe. I don't know where he sources it, but the thickness is perfect. It's just that the foot long rods aren't arrow-straight all the time. Or they might have gotten bent during handling somewhere along the line.

Anyhow, I like the idea of drilling the delrin on center. I had been doing something similar, but overly complicated. I'm going to try that out next time around.

Nate makes his tenons really long and fat to compensate for his lack of...

PremalChheda wrote:Nate makes his tenons really long and fat to compensate for his lack of...

Short, skinny drill bits ??

I'm not a pro at using Delrin and I don't use it often but when I do I drill 3/8" in the stem and typically leave 1/2 - 5/8" long for a 5/16" diameter mortise and tenon.

caskwith wrote:15mm inside the stem and 15mm inside the shank, that's on a 6mm tenon and they are threaded for security.

Intense!

PremalChheda wrote:Nate makes his tenons really long and fat to compensate for his lack of...

skill?

e Markle wrote:

PremalChheda wrote:Nate makes his tenons really long and fat to compensate for his lack of...

skill?

e Markle wrote:

PremalChheda wrote:Nate makes his tenons really long and fat to compensate for his lack of...

skill?

Ernie! I'm surprised at you! This is supposed to be a caring and nurturing environment where young carvers like Nate can learn and grow. For shame!