Need a material suggestion...

[Rick M]

Little project I'm working on will have a pendulum attached to an axle, the axle will go through either a bearing or bushing (haven't decided yet) and I need to choose a material for that axle. It will be about 1/4 - 3/8 diameter, about 1 - 1.5" long, must be solid, rigid, chip resistant, light colored, and the end needs to be attractive because it will be visible. The material doesn't have to be especially hard or wear resistant as the finished piece will not move much, 99% of the time it will just be supporting the pendulum.

My first thought was wood but almost everything else is wood and I'd like to use something else.
Ivory would be perfect if I had or could get some.
Considered antler but I don't think the end 'grain' would be very attractive.
Bone would be excellent and I have some, just not sure I have a thick enough piece by the time it's turned.
I don't want to use metal for various reasons.

Any more materials I've overlooked?

 

[Canuck]

How about a solid piece of 1/4" - 3/8" round brass.

(You could salvage an old hinge pin, polish it and cut it to the length you need.)

Wayne

 

[aplpickr]

What about a piece of acrylic from a pen blank, or a piece of African blackwood, or a piece of olive wood, or a tagua nut piece, a good substitute for ivory, or some lignum vitae?

 

[Berta]

Why not Holly?

 

[JackLeg]

Dogwood or persimmon??

 

[Rick M]

How about a solid piece of 1/4" - 3/8" round brass.

(You could salvage an old hinge pin, polish it and cut it to the length you need.)

Wayne

Brass is a good suggestion and I considered it but the pendulum is brass and I want more contrast than brass on brass. Also the bushing will be visible and dissimilar metals grouped together isn't really the look I want. They do make brass bushings but don't seem very common.

Why not Holly?

Holly was my original choice and is still in the running if bone doesn't work out or another possibility doesn't present itself.

What about a piece of acrylic from a pen blank, or a piece of African blackwood, or a piece of olive wood, or a tagua nut piece, a good substitute for ivory, or some lignum vitae?

Acrylic would work just fine but I don't want any plastic.
Now a tagua nut is an interesting suggestion... do they have the structural integrity to hold a swinging pendulum of 6-8 oz.?

Dogwood or persimmon??

Looking more for materials other than wood. I'll use holly or ebony if I go the wood route.

 

[Phil S]

Looking more for materials other than wood. I'll use holly or ebony if I go the wood route.

Carbon fiber rod would give you an interesting look, certainly strong enough. I have some if you would like to test. I could bring you some as we need to get together so I can get a couple of your top samples for Duke

 

[FredP]

glass rod?:widea:

 

[chris_goris]

brass rod and turn your own bushing from brass? would cut easily on a wood lathe...

 

[Rick M]

Carbon fiber rod would give you an interesting look, certainly strong enough. I have some if you would like to test. I could bring you some as we need to get together so I can get a couple of your top samples for Duke

I will take you up on this. Good thing you reminded me about the tops, it had already slipped my mind.

brass rod and turn your own bushing from brass? would cut easily on a wood lathe...

That's an interesting idea. I have a few plumbing fittings I saved, might give it a try.

 

[Mark Gottesman]

Tagua nut is plenty hard. Tip of an antler rack, piece of Corian