Plastic?

[dbarrash]

Maybe this is a stupid question…………..
What are the major differences in these different materials? I see blanks made from all of them and I really have no idea what the difference are.
Acrylic, Acrylester, Inlace Acrylester, Acrylic Acetate, Polyester Resin, Alumilite, Alumilite Clear, Silmar 41, Plastic, Lucite, Cebloplast, " Lucitylic", etc.
Thanks, Dave

 

[ed4copies]

It is NOT a stupid question, but answering it would take volumes.

Get a piece of each and try to turn it. You will soon see and smell the differences.

Acrylic-easy
Acrylester-difficult, chippy
Inlace Acrylester the long name for the above--chippy, tempermental
Acrylic Acetate--easiest of the plastics
Polyester Resin--depends on how it is made, generally not bad
Alumilite--easy
, Alumilite Clear-same as Alumilite,
Silmar 41--a polyester resin--depends on how it is made
Plastic--generic name for all of these-
Lucite--Tricky
Cebloplast--extremely tricky, very heat sensitive
" Lucitylic"-ExoticBlanks material--An acylic made to look like lucite--turns very easily

Hope that helps,
Ed

 

[Wood Butcher]

Good job Ed, explained a lot with few words so obviously your not a politician or preacher.
WB

 

[watch_art]

quoted from Ed - my thoughts in quote boxes...

Polyester Resin--depends on how it is made, generally not bad

could be brittle as hell or only slightly so. Threads pretty good but there's some question in my mind about how durable the threads are long term. I've seen em strip really easy. Also some durability issues (at least when going kitless route). Could crack, shatter, break quite easily if dropped...

Alumilite--easy

And durable! I love this stuff.

Lucite--Tricky

I disagree. I'd say it's pretty easy to turn and takes threads really well.

 

[Randy Simmons]

Thanks for this thread, and thanks (again) ed for your answer

Randy

 

[Wayne]

Gentlemen,

How about creating a nice comparison using the initial list that Ed created? This would be a good article for other members.

 

[Russknan]

I agree that this is great info, and should make its way into the permanent library. The suggestion that there be some visual examples to go along with the descriptors sounds good to me, too (unless you couldn't tell the difference from pics - I'm not in a position, from experience, to know.) Sometime, within the next year, I'm going to want to try making my own blanks so this info on choice of materials will be helpful. Bet it would be for others, too. Much easier to find in the library. Russ

 

[dbarrash]

Thanks to Ed and all for enlightening me on this topic! Dave

 

[HamTurns]

Good timing on this question ...

Good timing on this question for me.

I just ordered a chamber from Curtis, a pressure pot from HF and an order of Alumilite materials.

I've been reading up on both stabalizing and molding turning blanks for the last six months or so and this is the first I've seen this (nice easy) comparison.

Thanks
Tom

 

[Kretzky]

Great Question! & some helpful answers coming up esp from Ed.
I think Wayne's idea of expanding the replies or a comparison chart would be an excellent idea.