Resin, Delrin, or Ebonite?

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dschem

dschem

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I'd like to make a wood fountain pen with a black accent and sleeve on the inside. I know that people will use various materials to accomplish this. Would someone mind sharing with me the pros and cons of materials, like resin, Delrin, and ebonite?

Also, the section will be made out of the same material.
 
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I personally prefer and use ebonite. Ebonite is a traditional pen material. One reason is that it feels warmer to the touch than resins, I find that it machines very well.

I have used Alumilite resin blanks for this same purpose and it also works very well.

I have not used Delrin, but I think you will find that of the three you listed, it is the most difficult to get a bond with, so keep that in mind if you try it. I'm not sure I would want/enjoy a section made from Delrin.

FYI... I always machine groves into my sleeves before using epoxy to glue them into the wood blank. Epoxy is a mechanical bond and needs something to hold on to.

Please feel free to DM me if you have more specific questions and I'll do my best to answer.
 
Ebonite is nice and I agree with David. But, it can be expensive. I like the section to match the body and cap when possible. When needed I use black acrylic acetate.
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d_bondi said:
I personally prefer and use ebonite. Ebonite is a traditional pen material. One reason is that it feels warmer to the touch than resins, I find that it machines very well.

I have used Alumilite resin blanks for this same purpose and it also works very well.

I have not used Delrin, but I think you will find that of the three you listed, it is the most difficult to get a bond with, so keep that in mind if you try it. I'm not sure I would want/enjoy a section made from Delrin.

FYI... I always machine groves into my sleeves before using epoxy to glue them into the wood blank. Epoxy is a mechanical bond and needs something to hold on to.

Please feel free to DM me if you have more specific questions and I'll do my best to answer.
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What kind of groves? Vertical groves? Do you have a picture u could share? I just scuff em but i have made just one, so i am not an expert on this.cheers
 
Like David and Don - my preference is ebonite, followed by black acrylic acetate.

I've used acetal (generic name for Delrin) for other things, but to me it feels a bit greasy. For that reason I won't use it in pens (unless a customer specifically requests it, and even then I would try to talk them out of it by showing them the different materials).
 
Never done it myself, but I've seen pix (maybe it was a video on YouTube, I really don't remember). I guess if the ball was free I might try it, but I feel the cost of a stick of ebonite is trivial compared to the hours of work I put into a fountain pen, why should I deliberately make life difficult for myself? ;)
 
Like Duncan, I've seen photos or a video of it being done, but have no desire to try it.

Also.... most bowling balls now are not ebonite, they are urethane and other synthetics. AND... they are not solid, even a 50 year old ebonite ball, the outer shell is ebonite, and the core is different.
 
I have used just about everything for my sleeves, except delrin. The only thing delrin gets used for in my shop, is glue clamp blocks. I just find them to soft, to slick and nothing sticks to it. (Perfect for a glue block)
As for the other materials, I have never cut grooves in my sleeves. I make sure it's not shiny, so at most I scuff them with sand paper. I've never had a problem.
As for ebonite, I love the feel and look of it. However, after years of "NOT" wearing a respirator, because it just smells a little like sulfer, I now have an have a reaction to that smell. It burns a lot more than it smells, coming out the other end (for a couple of days). Even if I wear a respirator, it any dust lingering in the shop or on my clothes will have the same effect. So now I only have a couple of small pieces left, and it's only used under special request.
 
The only use for Delrin in my shop has been for temporary mandrels when my normal metal ones will not work. I can cut, size, and thread Delrin quickly and use it for a custom mandrel for awhile. It's not super great for strength, but it works in a pinch. The feel of it wouldn't be appealing to me for a pen surface - it feels to slippery.

Second on the stink from ebonite! It REALLY does smell when you work it, but I love how it looks when done!

Kevin
 
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