UHMW = Ultra High Molecular Weight plastic. It is a form of plastic with a polymer chain weight in the 100's of thousands of Daltons, and is a self lubricating bearing surface used in chain conveyors and other applications where metal drags across it. It can be worked with ordinary woodworking tools - cut, lathed, etc to just about any shape you need. Most woodworking supply houses sell rolls of it in the form of tape, about 1/32 inch thivk and an inch wide - it makes great drawer slides, table slides, and guide faces for bandsaws. It is also availabe in just about any size/thickness sheet you might want.
Great stuff.