Anybody use plastic for machining a baffle?
Aluminum is my first choice, but I have plenty of UHMW rod stock sitting around that I could use without buying any more raw materials.
Is it too soft to retain it’s shape after being pounded by muzzle exhaust repeatedly?
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Just to give you an idea how much waste there is from a solid bar of aluminium click on the side show and you will see some of the main measurements of the holes cut through the bar to form the chambers for the air to expand into.
This question kind of relates to the post. As you know I have been making some new shrouds, but I am trying to find a very conservative baffle design. I made a delrin core like Blodnobs, but it just wastes so much material. I think nylon or delrin would be the cheapest thing to use, but I still don’t want to waste so much. I picked up some AA S410 baffles, and they are just a plastic rod drilled out about 7/8 of the way with a large drill, then a small hole through the end, for the pellet to pass through. This still involves using like 6″ of the stuff per shroud.
They were just the first thing I tried to make on my new lathe. I had a whole box of delrin so I figured if I mussed it up it would be no biggie. I didnt so I then made them out of ali right afterward. Unfortunately I never used them in the gun so I cant speak for how well they would last. I believe the stock breach is delrin and it holds up fine so I would think they would be ok up front as well.
So did the Delrin baffles suffer any long term durability issues, or were they retired early because they were just prototypes?
I made my first test baffles out of delrin. It finished up just like the Ali and was like cutting butter.
Ive used nylon on several ocasions.
Usually worked ok but is a little tempramental when it comes to getting a decent finish.
When i’ve made them a little on the tight side ive had to freeze them to push them into the tube as they try to “consartina” . I think due to the heat buildup it expands when its worked.
Hope this helps.
Sean
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That’s one of the joys of billet parts.