pipemakersforum.com

So i realize the there are preferences for stem material between ebonite and lucite in terms of smoking etc, but was curious of your thoughts and opinions on working with these different materials from a pipe carving outlook?

So far I've found that ebonite is more forgiving and easier to work with on my lathe, however it stinks and mrs bluesy keeps asking if i'm ill and need to see the doc. Lucite seems more brittle and less forgiving to work with, but doesn't stink so badly and comes in a plethora of more colors.

I strongly prefer making stems out of ebonite. I haven't used lucite per se more than a couple of times. If I do use alternatives, it's usually acrylic. I think after working with ebonite long enough, the smell rarely bothers me anymore. You can also get ebonite in dozens of different colors.

Having said all that, it comes down to what my customers want. Most customers prefer ebonite, so I make ebonite stems unless it's a commission where they have a specific preference.

I have read all of the posts on the Forum and think it is best to not mention smelly ebonite and I can't find the smiley face emogie, Norm.

I also prefer ebonite.
I find that acrylic has a “slippery” feel and requires more pressure and a coarser bite to shape it. Also, acrylic can show the pattern of the swirls as a low relief when it is polished. One of the the amber/tortoise shell patterns will have the inclusions pop up when it is heated and bent and requires complete refinishing. That is a particularly noxious PIA.
However, I do like the way some of the acrylic stems look.
DocAitch

Acrylic is a catchall for Poly(methyl methacrylate). Trade names are Plexiglas, Perspex, Acrylite, Lucite et al. It is basically all the same stuff.
There are two basic forms, cast and extruded. Avoid extruded like the plague as it has very poor machining qualities. Polyester is a different animal altogether. A lot of pen blanks that are advertised as acrylic are, in reality, polyester. I think some pipe makers have unknowingly purchased polyester and had bad results and incorrectly blamed acrylic.
I prefer acrylic over ebonite but them I'm somewhat prejudiced as I've worked with the military grade cell cast sheet for over 40 years, making illuminated aircraft control panels.
For pipe stems, it seems to be pretty much the preferred material across the pond. In my opinion, it is not hard to work with if the right tools and cutter geometry are utilized. It is easy to bend and with the right compounds and techniques it will polish and shine like a diamond in a goat's arse. Plus, and George will agree wholeheartedly with me, IT DOES NOT OXIDIZE.
The biggest negative towards it seems to be "mouth feel". It is definitely harder (if you bite thru acrylic it was either way too thin to start with or you have a real set of fangs) than ebonite and has a noisy "clickety-clack" on the teeth. One of the reasons the big makers like it is the fact that it is easy to injection mold and thus reducing labor costs. However, if it is not done properly it can be overly brittle and I think this is another one of the things that have given it a bad name. Hand cutting rod stock makes for a stronger stem. Vulcanite is also molded via a compression molding process and the stems are very cheap to make but are ultra prone to oxidizing.

If you get powdery shavings, you have polyester, if they are brittle and sharpe, it's acrylic.

Polyester requires some different techniques to shape and polish.

Well damn... I just lost an hour of my life reading the stinky rod, smelly ebonite thread...

Bluesytone wrote:Well damn... I just lost an hour of my life reading the stinky rod, smelly ebonite thread...

It's not lost if it was decent entertainment

I work with acrylic the most, and I like how it polishes and doesn't oxidize. On the other hand I think ebonite is softer and easier to shape and sand, but harder to polish. The smell doesn't bother me.
Polyester I've had once or twice, and it's absolute rubbish to work with. Doesn't bend decently, doesn't turn well and is a PITA to polish.

Some forms of acrylic are just plain not suited for stem material. I have one where the smoke passing through the stem is warm enough to make the stem bend.

sandahlpipe wrote:Some forms of acrylic are just plain not suited for stem material. I have one where the smoke passing through the stem is warm enough to make the stem bend.

Hmmm, I cannot think of a "form of acrylic" that would come close to doing that. Unless, of course, you are burning coal! Anthracite or bituminous?

I'll have to look it up. It's stuff I got from a pen blank supply. It's not actually acrylic, but some form of polymer/polyester something. Needless to say, I have that stuff set aside for whenever I feel like making pens again.

Massis wrote:

Bluesytone wrote:Well damn... I just lost an hour of my life reading the stinky rod, smelly ebonite thread...

It's not lost if it was decent entertainment

And there it is! I feel like we can't just entirely co-opt the term Godwin's Law for this board's version of it. Messer's Law, perhaps?

Bluesytone wrote:Well damn... I just lost an hour of my life reading the stinky rod, smelly ebonite thread...

you know what happens in the stinky rod thread , stays in the stinky rod thread.......

sandahlpipe wrote:I'll have to look it up. It's stuff I got from a pen blank supply. It's not actually acrylic, but some form of polymer/polyester something. Needless to say, I have that stuff set aside for whenever I feel like making pens again.

50 lashes with a wet noodle!!

I state again from my previous dissertation:

"Polyester is a different animal altogether. A lot of pen blanks that are advertised as acrylic are, in reality, polyester. I think some pipe makers have unknowingly purchased polyester and had bad results and incorrectly blamed acrylic."

Had I not teased you about burning coal and you made your confession that "it's not actually acrylic", some of our gentle readers would have thought "well there is another bad thing about that crappy stuff called acrylic, it won't hold a bend worth a flip".

Another 50 lashes for good measure!

oklahoma red wrote:

sandahlpipe wrote:I'll have to look it up. It's stuff I got from a pen blank supply. It's not actually acrylic, but some form of polymer/polyester something. Needless to say, I have that stuff set aside for whenever I feel like making pens again.

50 lashes with a wet noodle!!

I state again from my previous dissertation:

"Polyester is a different animal altogether. A lot of pen blanks that are advertised as acrylic are, in reality, polyester. I think some pipe makers have unknowingly purchased polyester and had bad results and incorrectly blamed acrylic."

Had I not teased you about burning coal and you made your confession that "it's not actually acrylic", some of our gentle readers would have thought "well there is another bad thing about that crappy stuff called acrylic, it won't hold a bend worth a flip".

Another 50 lashes for good measure!

I always though polyester was for making groovy looking suits in the 70's

Bluesytone wrote:

oklahoma red wrote:

sandahlpipe wrote:I'll have to look it up. It's stuff I got from a pen blank supply. It's not actually acrylic, but some form of polymer/polyester something. Needless to say, I have that stuff set aside for whenever I feel like making pens again.

50 lashes with a wet noodle!!

I state again from my previous dissertation:

"Polyester is a different animal altogether. A lot of pen blanks that are advertised as acrylic are, in reality, polyester. I think some pipe makers have unknowingly purchased polyester and had bad results and incorrectly blamed acrylic."

Had I not teased you about burning coal and you made your confession that "it's not actually acrylic", some of our gentle readers would have thought "well there is another bad thing about that crappy stuff called acrylic, it won't hold a bend worth a flip".

Another 50 lashes for good measure!

I always though polyester was for making groovy looking suits in the 70's

Now you know where all the old leisure suits went. Recycled into polyester rod stock for unsuspecting pipe makers. Let's DISCO!