Turning Nylon

[Munty Scruntfundle]

Hi folks.

Has anyone here tried turning nylon on a wood lathe? I currently don’t have a metal lathe.

Obviously there are many different nylons, any advice appreciated.

Thank you.

 

[MikeG.]

Yep, I've done it. It turns nicely, but clean your work area first.......the waste is horrible to clean up if mixed up with a whole lot of sawdust.

 

[marcros]

what are you making? I have turned acetal, which turns well enough on a wood lathe, but is an issue trying to glue it to anything.

 

[Lazurus]

I turned some odds and ends in nylon and acetal when I made my Vacuum chuck system, I found carbide tools nice to use on it, and a negative rake scraper can be handy to if it is very hard.
http://www.awgb.co.uk/awgbforum/index.p ... l#msg44455

 

[Lons]

It's easy enough to turn though noticeable differences between grades, as said scraper or carbide tools and you should aim to get a finish from the tool if you can as sanding can be a pain, if I need to sand I usually use wet and dry.

The shavings are awful and usually charged with static so stick everywhere and wrap themselves around the piece as you work. Don't use too high a speed either but you'll soon discover what's best.

I have quite a lot of various types from my offcuts haul when I worked in the industry many years ago and it's very useful material to have. I used some nylon 66 to make new wheel bushes for my golf trolley just last week

 

[Robbo3]

As mentioned in my Tips & Tricks thread, the use of a tumble drier sheet will alleviate most of the static problems including on goggles or face shield.