Best method for turning Delrin

dokey

New member
I plan on making a couple of barrel spinners using 1" round Delrin stock and want some opinions on what tooling to use
 
Delrin responds very well to sharp HSS bits with a bit of back rake. It does almost as well with carbide inserts that have chip-breaker grooves close to the edge so as to effectively form some back rake. Those are the ideal forms, but even simple flat topped inserts with zero back rake work pretty well since Delrin machines so nicely.

RWO
 
Dokey,

As RWO said, sharp HSS works fine. I just use my regular ol' HSS turning and facing tools that I use on metal. Works fine.

Justin
 
HSS tools with a lot of positive rake so it slices the material rather than wedging it off.

One important thing is to have very smooth finish on the positive rake. Too rough a finish will cause the shavings to leave a build up as they slide over it, compromising the cutting edge.
 
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