Synthetic Jawari: The way of the future

Project: Delrin Jawari
Recently, I bought a nice piece of black delrin and made a jawari. Granted that my bias is for ebony, but I really like the idea of using something that will maybe last a year or more before a touch up is needed. So, that was my motivation. Good ebony is hard to find at an affordable price, so that is another one.

Working Delrin:
Delrin is an absolute dream to work with, apart from the smell. I use only hand tools to work it due to the fumes. It takes the file nicely and the sanding block. I find it to be a lot softer than ebony. You can rough out the shape in about 15-20 minutes. I am a bit allergic to ebony dust, even when I wear a mask, so this is a welcome change.

Sound:
Initial results are promising. All the tarabs sing really nicely. The sound is full and pleasing. The timbre is not the same as ebony, so I will have to get over that part. It is very slightly spongy sounding now, but I have not finished the final touches yet. I suspect I will need to drill some holes on the underside to simulate bone or horn hollow parts. I think I will have to let it breath more so that there is room for expansion.

Pics to follow...