Delrin Sleeve

[Mark Beattie]

I'd like to try my hand at utilizing a Deleon sleeve to accomodate an acrylic stem tenon. I only have 3/8" delrin at the moment. I guess my question is "Can I create a sleeve that is 3/8" in diameter and use that to accept a 5/16" tenon (or less)?" how much of a wall should a person leave for the delrin? Thanks.

[andrew]

If you are using it as a sleeve it can be pretty thin and still serve its purpose.

[staffwalker]

Might be a good time to talk about delrin sleeves or at least my experience with them. Many times I have used some sort of metal tube to strengthen a small dia shank. Before I started using metal I would often cut a delrin tube with the mistaken belief that since delrin was so strong a tube would prevent the shank splitting. Not so, in my experience, delrin has tremendous strength along its longitudinal axis but little strength when used as a sleeve. A delrin sleeve will stretch when a too tight tenon is forced inside which will cause the shank to split. This I know from direct personal experience. So if you are using a delrin sleeve so your stem tenon will slide into the sleeve without squeeking or binding, more power to what you are doing but if you are using it because you think it will prevent a too tight tenon from splitting the shank, forget it, you are asking for trouble. Just my thoughts for what they are worth even if my name isn't Rad. bob gilbert

[wdteipen]

There's no reason you couldn't use a 3/8" Delrin with a 5/16" mortise in it. You only need 1/32" walls in the Delrin. Bob is right though. If you're looking to strengthen the shank or bamboo, Delrin isn't a very good material for that. If you just want a slick tenon fit or are using it to cover airway drilling marks in the end of the shank then it works well.