Mouthpieces Make your own mouthpiece with Polymorph granules!?

[zannad]

Here's an interesting link (graphics speaks louder than words):
Smart Materials - Polymorph - Shaping by Hand

This new plastic melts at low temperatures (in hot water at 60-70 degrees) - then can be molded by hand and machined to perfection into any shape - doh! even a mouthpiece? I guess so; we can make a cast of your preferred mouthpiece (Selmer, Morgan, Link etc.) and then press a second lump of this melted polymorph granules into the cast and wait until the stuff is hard enough...and if it doesn't work? Well, back into hot water again and reshape using another method (nothing wasted) - yep, the stuff is totally recyclable too!!

Now, I'm aware some in this forum are budding technicians who are thinking of building their own mouthpieces so this new polymorph granules might provide the perfect answer - surely prototyping has never been so easy.

more links:
http://www.tomps.com/shop/polymorph-thermoplastic-1kg-p-207.html

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzghjRrZZws

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1h3NOpoHNr8

 

[aldevis]

we can make a cast of your preferred mouthpiece (Selmer, Morgan, Link etc.) and then press a second lump of this melted polymorph granules into the cast and wait until the stuff is hard enough...and if it doesn't work? Well, back into hot water again and reshape using another method (nothing wasted) - yep, the stuff is totally recyclable too!!

If you press a lump of it in a Link chamber, how will you take it out when it's solid?

It could be interesting for experimenting with baffles, though. I am curious about shrinkage%....

 

[MMM]

If you press a lump of it in a Link chamber, how will you take it out when it's solid?

That's easy: you cut your vintage slant link in half and take it out! Plenty of good adhesives around to glue the link back together, might affect resale value though.

Seriously, I believe that if it could be used in mpiece casting, someone may have already used it as this material has been around for many years. I don't see it because, yes it hardens when cold, but it's not dense enough to be shaped as accurately as is required for say a mouthpiece chamber.

Cheers,
M.

 

[MellowD]

So its a definite "DO NOT WASH IN HOT WATER" after playing then?

 

[aldevis]

So its a definite "DO NOT WASH IN HOT WATER" after playing then?

Warning: playing hot jazz might result in liquefaction of the product.

 

[kevgermany]

interesting. I was thinking about toxicity, but take a look here - medical grades available...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycaprolactone

 

[zannad]

If you press a lump of it in a Link chamber, how will you take it out when it's solid?

It could be interesting for experimenting with baffles, though. I am curious about shrinkage%....

Did you check the video of the guy building polymorph screws for his camera? It's quite interesting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1h3NOpoHNr8
Clearly, I gave some hints, but in the end the applications and methods are up to anyone's creativity and dedication...in your particular case I would divide the mold into 2 parts and then deal with each separately - these halves don't have to be too exact...don't forget that the cold polymorph can be machined to precision.

 

[zannad]

That's easy: you cut your vintage slant link in half and take it out! Plenty of good adhesives around to glue the link back together, might affect resale value though.

Seriously, I believe that if it could be used in mpiece casting, someone may have already used it as this material has been around for many years. I don't see it because, yes it hardens when cold, but it's not dense enough to be shaped as accurately as is required for say a mouthpiece chamber.

Cheers,
M.

I have a nylon made mouthpiece and it works and it can machined - don't forget that this material can offers a good prototype for a final product - once you find the right geometry you could spend more resources to make the final product made of proper hard rubber or metal.

 

[zannad]

interesting. I was thinking about toxicity, but take a look here - medical grades available...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycaprolactone

Can be colored as well...but as I've already mentioned - this material can be a starting point to make a suitable prototype for the final product...if it doesn't work you just re-heat and re-shape into another (you can't do that so easily with hard rubber or metal).

 

[AndyWhiteford]

// This new plastic melts at low temperatures (in hot water at 60-70 degrees) -
//make a cast of your preferred mouthpiece (Selmer, Morgan, Link etc.) and then //

I can imagine my sound changing significantly after a mouthful of tea or coffee ;-)

 

[kevgermany]

I can imagine my sound changing significantly after a mouthful of tea or coffee ;-)

Dragon breath? ;}

 

[zannad]

It appears a post has been removed which might be understandable - still, some "savvy" with some shaky technical background enter the thread without giving more tangible clues which isn't that fair...since they apparently profess (in their subtle way) that they know better - when they can't even put some tangible data on their claim (simply because they haven't got them).

Not many in this forum are prepared to cut their Links in halves just to try out this novelty - that would be real silly - more so because there are better ways to make a proper cast and that involved the use of other materials too (then it becomes too complex).
Think easy - e.g. make even an external cast and cut a chamber (there are 100's of ways) - and if it doesn't work? Back into hot water and try again the next weekend...(a casual fun approach).

Apart from the technicalities involved in making a mouthpiece from scratch there are far more relevant factors - the Morgan and Brilhart are very few and so well established that anyone thinking of making mouthpieces "seriously" needs some super-human skills and lots of determination...

Then, I might have named this thread differently - only limited minds can stop at thinking mouthpieces only - this stuff is so useful for anything.

 

[aldevis]

since they apparently profess (in their subtle way) that they know better - when they can't even put some tangible data on their claim (simply because they haven't got them).

Well, if you stick your little finger in a Slant Link, you will notice that its chamber it is bigger than the bore. It is enough technical data for me to avoid filling it with something that cannot be removed under 60C. This is the major problem in making mouthpieces with a chamber bigger than its bore. Great makers found various solutions to this issue, more or less expensive, but they also know how to put a proper facing on the result.

I personally think I will try the material in making baffles, but I cannot be so excited about replicating a whole mouthpiece, since for a reasonable amount some professionals can do it properly, in various materials, on any piece not covered by active patents.

 

[zannad]

Well, if you stick your little finger in a Slant Link, you will notice that its chamber it is bigger than the bore. It is enough technical data for me to avoid filling it with something that cannot be removed under 60C. This is the major problem in making mouthpieces with a chamber bigger than its bore. Great makers found various solutions to this issue, more or less expensive, but they also know how to put a proper facing on the result.

I personally think I will try the material in making baffles, but I cannot be so excited about replicating a whole mouthpiece, since for a reasonable amount some professionals can do it properly, in various materials, on any piece not covered by active patents.

Many MPs (not just Links) have chambers that are more complex than they appears (let alone the bore being smaller than the chamber and relative difficulties in extracting the cast) - there are other materials which might be used for that and these don't need to be rigid after they set these can removed and still keep the original shape - so, it involved more than 1 casting and some positioning marks too
...
Now, why getting too seriously and not just go with a gung-ho casual approach? - more so, why trying to copy other MPs exactly? Your original is going to be far better anyway - especially if you try to make an exact copy of it.
I have the granules and about to use them for some serious body repair of the many saxes which are waiting in the loft - now, that's is far more practical and realistic use - only, I wondered for an instance - why not trying to make a mouthpiece with that? Have I tried? No...I'll leave that to some ambitious guys in this forum as it seems there are a few who would appreciate this thread - despite some skepticism...

 

[kevgermany]

It appears a post has been removed which might be understandable -

Check your pms