diy idler roller - material?

[izeman]

i need to make an idler roller like this:

what is the material called that it's made of? somekind of super hard plastic. also found eg on the feet of a sofa or table so it's easier to push around and not destroy your wooden floor.

i would like to buy some sheet and then make a roller in the lathe.
i will also need sheets of around 140x50mm 5mm thick, but have no idea what to look for. what's the plastic called, and where to buy?

is it polyamid, or polyurethan? or something else? it needs to be really hard and durable.

 

[JEB]

It could be delrin, or wrm? polyethylene , try Mc master carr for materials and a explanation

 

[izeman]

problem was easier, after i found someone who also tried to make one. he was using polyurethane. after i had this, i looked into ebay shops and found that polyamid and polyacetal are the preferred material for this. they have good gliding capability and are very non-abbresive.

 

[kfong]

I used a skinny rollerblade wheel and machine down the center.

 

[r3volved]

problem was easier, after i found someone who also tried to make one. he was using polyurethane. after i had this, i looked into ebay shops and found that polyamid and polyacetal are the preferred material for this. they have good gliding capability and are very non-abbresive.

The majority that you'll find online (through ebay, amazon, etc) will be polyurethane...but those are the cheap ones and can wear down quickly (in my experience).
As you mentioned, there are preferred alternatives

 

[spinningmagnets]

I also bought a used set of in-line skates and then made an idler with one of the wheels. I chucked the wheel onto a drill and spun the drill while holding a sawzall blade that was pulling away from be (so I would not get stabbed). very cheap easy and fast.

 

[r3volved]

^^that's a great idea and would work perfectly

 

[izeman]

I also bought a used set of in-line skates and then made an idler with one of the wheels. I chucked the wheel onto a drill and spun the drill while holding a sawzall blade that was pulling away from be (so I would not get stabbed). very cheap easy and fast.

what about wear? how long do they last? inline skates wheels are very soft afair.

 

[r3volved]

Inline skate wheels are urethane as well as skateboard wheels and should wear around the same rate as the purchased urethane rollers...
A roller would be similar material harness to a skateboard wheel...a little harder than my longboard wheels @ 72a

 

[spinningmagnets]

I cut the groove down to the hard black plastic in the wheels core, so the softer wheel material only forms the side-walls. but even then, I am not putting any stress on the roller, it is just a chain-guide. I think I got 6 wheels (or 8?), and the skates were $5 at a charity used items store.

it's a fast and cheap experiment until you find the "perfect" roller material...

 

[Dauntless]

The preferred material is the one that will last, these things have teflon additives, etc. Just a suggestion that if you can find the right store bought roller it'll be better than anything you can casually make. Acetal, PVC, etc.

 

[www.recumbents.com]

Machined inline skate wheels work fine for non-power side chain management and should not wear. If you need a power side idler, there are many fine aftermarket power side idlers. I can recommend Terracycle idlers. http://www.t-cycle.com Optionally you can use a Fenner pulley. These are available from Mcmaster Carr and are inexpensive. I recommend the 5" dia model. Get the one with a rounded bottom, those work better for chains than the flat bottom ones designed as belt pulleys.

-Warren.

 

[2coupedup]

Cast nylon... best would be LFX or oil impregnated. Can be bought in rod form to make diy easy... self lubricating n all...

 

[2coupedup]

I have sold it to quite a few motorcyclists for custom diy setups...