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Anyone have any experience with Clear Acrylic rod stock?
While searching the web I ran into alot of this stuff and it's priced reasonably, I think.
Anyway, I've always liked how clear stems looked on certain pipes and was thinking of giving it a try.
Anything I should know before proceeding other then Acrylic isn't one of the easiest to work with I know.
But, I'd rather work with it then Lucite.

I'll start with a short primer on PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate): thermoplastic acrylic.
The major brands are: Plexiglas (Rohm & Haas), Lucite (DuPont) and if you are across the pond it is Perspex.
IT IS ALL THE SAME STUFF!! Tho there may be subtle differences in its properties and machining characteristics.
The two differences in manufacturing are cell cast and extruded. Cell cast: liquid resin is cast between panes of glass. Extruded: pellets are melted and forced thru extrusion dies to either make rods or other profiles or extruded into sheet form.
If machining is to be performed, avoid extruded acrylic at all costs. There is a huge difference between cast and extruded when machining. Extruded prices are a lot cheaper but don't be sucked in. There are also scads of injection molding grade acrylics.

As far as making stems from clear acrylic, it will process basically the same as colored stock. The main difference being that you must take great care in all of your work on the innards as it will stick out like a diamond in a goat's arse.

I purchased some from Mcmastercarr. It supposedly lexan polycarbonate. It machines and works like acrylic, only it is a harder material. I may make another stem from it soon.

Delvys Plastics. Slow on shipping but good quality.

Thanks for the replies guys and Ryan Delvie's is one who I was looking at as far as price range.
Thanks again

I have made a couple of stems with clear acrylic and the airway darkens from the smoke. I think it was cast acrylic but not 100% sure, Norm.

notow1 wrote:I have made a couple of stems with clear acrylic and the airway darkens from the smoke. I think it was cast acrylic but not 100% sure, Norm.

I have noticed that in earlier examples although they were machine made pipes and I suspect that the airway wasn't polished
to deter build up and was rough from just being drilled. Never the less I have been able to clean most examples up pretty good and
would imagine if the airways were polished it would be simpler to clean and keep clean if one wished to.

I haven't posted for a while and thought now would be a good time. I have two pipes with clear acrylic stems. (I didn't make them) Brand new they looked pretty cool. But after a few months of smoking, and even with good cleaning practices, they are discolored and kinda look like crap. I won't buy another and wouldn't make one.

snapper wrote:I haven't posted for a while and thought now would be a good time. I have two pipes with clear acrylic stems. (I didn't make them) Brand new they looked pretty cool. But after a few months of smoking, and even with good cleaning practices, they are discolored and kinda look like crap. I won't buy another and wouldn't make one.

I think it greatly matters how and what you smoke. I've noticed when smoking some tobaccos that my pipes will get really grungy just in a matter of a few bowls where as some tobaccos hardly soil my pipe, and I don't smoke Aro's that most are certainly known to really gunk up a pipe quickly.
All in all it just depends I think what a person likes and what they feel is acceptable, particularly considering how many estate pipes are out there with clear stems that are still in my eye in good condition and look fine. I myself have a few and they're not discolored. And too some plastics tend to yellow from age specially if there subjected to sunlight for extended periods of time. So there's many reasons that a clear stem could discolor and this is not to say your wrong, just offering some reasons why they may.