What plastic to use?

Question

Advice please, about plastic that is easy to machine and has a small degree of =91give=92, possibly a form of nylon?

Unfortunately I have to do a lot of woodworking in my (mainly) metalworking workshop. In an attempt to save the place from being filled up with rust inducing sawdust I need to attach the vacuum cleaner to the router, jigsaw, sander etc. The woodworking tools I have (mostly DiY store specials) all have different sized dust extractor outlets.

What I intend to do is turn up a series of adaptors that will plug into the vacuum cleaner hose and fit in the dust extractor ports of the various tools. As the bodies of these tools are mostly plastic and are not accurately sized a bit of =91give=92 in the adaptor will be needed.

I do have a piece of plastic bar stock which will do for one adaptor but I need more and I have no knowledge of plastics so have no idea what I should be looking for.

Any advice on what material name to look for would be much appreciated.

John

the wizard · Accepted Answer

Hi John,If you are interested I can send you a list of various plastics andtheir properties. It's from a very helpful  company called WatfordPlastics in NW London. As with most things it helps to know what youare asking for before you ask.T.W.

Duracell Bunny · Answer

Delrin - comes under several different trade names. Easy to machine, cheap & a nice smooth finish easily achieved. You can polish it to a mirror finish easily too if need be.

Karen

If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning.' Catherine Aird

Stephen Howard · Answer

I use Delrin for such things, turns a treat.Regards,

Richard Edwards · Answer

I have a Trend Shop Vacuum. That unit comes with a stepped coupling allowing connection to various tool extract orifices. Take a look at

formatting link

Down the screen is a link to the Trend catalogue page. The adaptor is there as a spare. If you are using a small diameter vacuum hose it mill not work though! With regard to making your own Aluminium or steel bar and tube are as good an option as plastic.

Richard

Cliff Coggin · Answer

I suggest that any sort of engineering plastic like Delrin or nylon is grossly OTT for this application. It may be nice to machine but to make the adapters John needs would cost more than a new vacuum cleaner. To my mind any plastic that is cheap or even free would be suitable, as it needs no special properties.

Given a choice I would select unplasticised PVC. It is soft enough to "give" or conform to slight irregularities.

Cliff Coggin.

I do have a piece of plastic bar stock which will do for one adaptor but I need more and I have no knowledge of plastics so have no idea what I should be looking for.

Any advice on what material name to look for would be much appreciated.

John

Richard Shute · Answer

I've done it the other way round and used 32mm PVC basin drain pipe attached to tools and a matching coupling on the vac. Just the push on type not the compression. Cheap and cheerful and if you bust or otherwise trash one it's less than a quid and no time to get another from the plumbers merchants.

Richard

Stephen Howard · Answer

You can get 70mm dia rod X 350mm for less than £15 - or half a metrefor around £20.Regards,

Geoff J · Answer

You may find this supplier of interest John.

formatting link

I bought a Camvac Dust Extractor from them together with a couplle of the Flexible connectors CVA100-50-102. You can cut them up if required, and for one piece of kit I turned down the outer dia to fit a `special'. All relevant workshop gear now easily connectable. And the Camvac extractor itself is the dog's do-dahs. Way better than a vacuum cleaner.

Geoff Johnson

What plastic to use?

Join the Discussion

Didn't find your answer?