Pipe Making: Difference between revisions

Delrin has proven to be an excellent material for stem tenons in pipe making. It is self-lubricating, and strong. Its strength can also be a disadvantage through--should a pipe with a Delrin tenon be dropped, the shank might break instead of the tenon. Shank repairs are, of course, much more problematic then stem replacement, or repairs to a broken tenon. Another disadvantage is Delrin also limits the shape of the stem near the shank of the pipe where the Delrin is glued into the stem. This is especially problematic for saddle or 1/2 saddle stems where the design must accommodate the location of the Delrin instead of simply worrying about the air way itself. Still, Delrin is the prefered tenon material of many pipe makers, and an excellent alternative to cutting tenons into hand cut stems, or turning down the tenons on pre-molded stems.