Poly Rod/bar Supplier

[handsw]

I am trying to make my own maul and reading some thread I have seen that poly wins against rawhide.

Do you know some store who sells poly rod/bar with diameter 80mm and length 70-80mm and that ship across EU?

Just to be sure, poly means polyurethane, right?

[barehandcustoms]

http://www.universalurethane.com/sheet-rods-tubes.html

[handsw]

They do not ship outside USA, I'm searching a store in Europe with reasonable shipping costs

[barehandcustoms]

Sorry, did not see the Europe part of your post.

http://www.directplasticsonline.co.uk/

Company has several styles of rod and block you can purchase.

http://www.directplasticsonline.co.uk/PolyurethaneRod - Poly Rod only goes up to 62mm though

http://www.polyurethanemanufacturers.co.uk/rods-tubes-blocks-and-sheets.html - Might be worth calling them if you still haven't found what you want.

Edited October 17, 2014 by barehandcustoms

[Sanch]

I would use acetal (Delrin) not urethane..just my HO.

[handsw]

Mmm, I will take a look at that store.

I would use acetal (Delrin) not urethane..just my HO.

Can you tell me why you suggest the acetal? according to an hardness scale I have found on internet, polyurethane has a hardness between rubbers (too soft) and plastics. Nylon and acetal have an hardness very high so maybe they can damage the tools.

[Sanch]

think of it this way if your hitting your tools hard enough to cause damage 1. you have very poor quality tools 2. you will most likely go through what ever thickness leather your tooling unless its saddle skirting 3. polyurethane will "bounce" more than rawhide, Delrin and or wood....more bounce=more work for your arm=less time tooling, plus more chances of injury IMHO. also if your dead set on polyurethane as a maul/mallet why not just find a skate shop and buy some already cut and drilled skateboard/longboard wheels? Whew! that was more than 2 cents worth!

[handsw]

So do you think that the choice of poly, made by all mauls manufacturers, isn't the best one? Well, if I find a store with both poly and acetal I will buy two heads and I will use both of them to make a comparison.

Edited October 18, 2014 by handsw

[Gump]

My local plastics supplier suggested I use "ultra high molecular weight" poly, as it is preferred by stone masons for their mallets because it doesn't mushroom their chisels. It is quite dead and doesn't bounce much at all. I bought 2' of 2" dia. for $12cdn.,enough for 6 heads 4" long. Gump.

[handsw]

Even Polyethylene 1000 is UHMW and I can find it on ebay but I don't know if it is too soft compared to poly or acetal