Reply With QuoteHow long of tube do you need?
Seems a random question, I know.
But after searching high, low, sideways and backwards (4 weeks is enough) for a polycarbonate tube with a 11/16'' ID (That's 17.45mm in metric) and a OD of 1'' (that one is easy), I can't find one. I was quoted by a certain plastics company over in California a whopping £1820 for 10 x 24" sections.
Hence - why not make my own? Polycarbonate only has a melting temperature of 155C. But I want to see if anyone else has done it first
A potential alternative is to laser-cut polycarbonate discs, then stack & glue with Methylene Chloride (I've worked with it before, so I have the proper precautions in place), and then mill the resulting product. Having never milled a bit of bonded polycarbonate (especially not to an optical finish), I wouldn't know what to expect.
How long of tube do you need?
Ideally, some 16" sections - gives me space to muck it up, but not too badly.
Just for my own curiosity what do you need it for? and could you get a 1in tube with a smaller ID than you need and just bore it out?
He's Making Barrels if I'm right!
11/16 = 0.6875"
Started Playing Paintball in 1986'
Owner of Instien's Paintball Supply. H'ville Mo.
J4 Torque Dealer, Deadlywind Also Valken, GI sports
on the subject of clear barrels, have you looked for one of the old PMI aluminum/lexan ones? they came on some piranhas many years ago. I believe they were called the prizm.
I look for them every once in a while, no luck thus far. I remember they didn't shoot too well but they sure were interesting to look upon.
Yep, barrels! I have had a long look for the Prizim barrels, and no one seems to have seen one for about 10 years.
As far as boring it out goes, I'm worried about the optical finish on the inside. Here in the UK, 17mm long shank bits are hard to come by. (Then progressive sanding to 17.4mm) I did think about just boring out a solid rod of polycarbonate, but I could only find extruded Acrylic.
Porting holes - I'm not too worried about. I have a 1.5mm E-ZBurr carbide bit somewhere in the toolbox, which I've always found to be a good product for that sort of thing.
I guess I could make it out of epoxy as well.....
- - - Updated - - -
Yep, barrels! I have had a long look for the Prizim barrels, and no one seems to have seen one for about 10 years.
As far as boring it out goes, I'm worried about the optical finish on the inside. Here in the UK, 17mm long shank bits are hard to come by. (Then progressive sanding to 17.4mm) I did think about just boring out a solid rod of polycarbonate, but I could only find extruded Acrylic.
Porting holes - I'm not too worried about. I have a 1.5mm E-ZBurr carbide bit somewhere in the toolbox, which I've always found to be a good product for that sort of thing.
I guess I could make it out of epoxy as well.....
Yep, barrels! I have had a long look for the Prizim barrels, and no one seems to have seen one for about 10 years.
As far as boring it out goes, I'm worried about the optical finish on the inside. Here in the UK, 17mm long shank bits are hard to come by. (Then progressive sanding to 17.4mm) I did think about just boring out a solid rod of polycarbonate, but I could only find extruded Acrylic.
Porting holes - I'm not too worried about. I have a 1.5mm E-ZBurr carbide bit somewhere in the toolbox, which I've always found to be a good product for that sort of thing.
I guess I could make it out of epoxy as well.....
How about getting a 1" OD x 3/4" ID and make some inserts, freak style. Rest of the bore would be a but large but insert would help a lot.
Not 100% sure what you mean there... so, do the external milling/threading on the 1'' OD tube, then have inserts with a 3/4'' OD? That could work, y'know....
Posting Permissions