[dorkbotsea-blabber] Small section of large-diameter acrylic tube wanted. Where to get?

[jaholmes at silicon-arcana.com]

(whoops--replied first only to Bill; re-adding list)
 
Thanks for the tips, Dan and Bill.  I'll check out those places you suggested, Dan.
 
Bill, regarding the purpose:  It's for a high-voltage utility transformer.  I thought it would be neat to transplant it from its large metal can into something cool-looking.  It will not be run anywhere near continuously, so thermal efficiency unimportant.  Optical clarity is of principal importance, however.  Glass would work fine if it had a bottom.  The intent is to fill it with transformer oil, so getting the bottom oil-tight is the half the battle.  With acrylic, I could just use a solvent and effectively weld a circular piece of acrylic onto the bottom.

Being able to drill holes is a nice-to-have, not a strict requirement.  If I had to, I could run all power through the top, where oil-tightness isn't nearly the challenge it is elsewhere.

Thanks again,
Aaron

--- On Wed, 6/25/08, William Beaty <beaty at chem.washington.edu> wrote:

> From: William Beaty <beaty at chem.washington.edu>
> Subject: Re: [dorkbotsea-blabber] Small section of large-diameter acrylic tube wanted. Where to get?
> To: jaholmes at silicon-arcana.com, "A discussion list for dorkbot-sea" <dorkbotsea-blabber at dorkbot.org>
> Date: Wednesday, June 25, 2008, 1:23 PM
> jaholmes at silicon-arcana.com wrote:
> > I'm looking for a short length (~2') of
> 18" or greater diameter clear acrylic tube with a
> minimum thickness of 1/2", 1" being preferred.
> > 
> 
> What's it being used for? Are you going to be
> drilling any holes in 
> it? Could it be glass?
> 
> If a *near perfect* optical surface isn't your goal,
> then it might be 
> cheaper to cast it from
> bar-top epoxy, or even the polyester used for paperweights.
> 
> Or if all you really need is an electrical insulating
> material, then you 
> could be using glass
> cloth and resin, and winding an (non-transparent) laminated
> ring on some 
> sort of crude
> tuntable.
> 
> -- 
> ((((((((((((((((((((((( ( ( (o) ) )
> )))))))))))))))))))))))
> William J. Beaty Research Engineer
> beaty a chem washington edu UW Chem Dept, Bagley Hall
> RM74
> billb a eskimo com Box 351700, Seattle, WA
> 98195-1700
> ph206-543-6195 
> http://staff.washington.edu/wbeaty/
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://music.columbia.edu/pipermail/dorkbotsea-blabber/attachments/20080626/fb4e3c3d/attachment.html