How To Build With Delrin and a Laser Cutter

Posted by Soulskill on Thursday September 3, 2015 @07:22AM from the now-you're-thinking-with-lasers dept.

szczys writes: Laser cutters are awesome, but you have to bring your mechanical engineering A-game if you want to build resilient stuff using laser-cut parts. Joshua Vasquez has been building up his bag of tricks using Delrin and a laser cutter to build with techniques like press-fitting, threading, snap-fits, etc. that aren't possible or are non-ideal with the laser-cutting steadfasts of plywood and acrylic. Delrin (PDF) won't shatter like acrylic, and it has more give to it, so even the less precise entry-level lasers can cut joints that will have a snug fit.

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Re:Whoah, Delrin? by Slugster · 2015-09-03 11:01 · Score: 3, Interesting

Delrin is a thermoplastic; my first thought would not be to glue it with some other substance.

(assuming you are in the USA, which you may not be)
Harbor Freight makes a plastic welder for $65. There's better name-brand ones around for $300-$700.

Two other possibilities for cheaply welding plastic: cheap soldering irons (~15W - 30W heat, $20) and mini heat guns ($10 - $30).

If it is not a cosmetic issue, I have also seen thermoplastic parts repaired the following way... You get a small piece of aluminum screen, place it over the break and rub it in with a hot soldering iron.