I just received some samples of Corian (1/2" thick) and was wondering about cutting the stuff.
I see some circular blades that are suggested and it looks like carbide router bits will do the job as well for edge finishing etc. (I have a Systimatic triple chip plastics blade....any good for it?)
What are personal experiences with this material?
Blade life? Blade recommendations? Easy/difficult?
Will the edges finish in a jointer?
Do you wet sand?
Thanks for any Corian tips.
Not to be a prick (although it's certainly in my nature), have you EVEN done any Google searches on the matter? Surely many folks have laid out much information on working with Corian, and with a tiny little bit of effort, that information can be at your disposal in seconds.
Joe Barta
You could make the same statement about the majority of posts in the NG. What about the OP got you so riled up?
It was a request for general information. Sort of like... "I'm thinking of buying some woodworking tools and I'm wondering what stuff like saws, drills and planes all do." Ok, maybe it wasn't *that* general, but you get my point. And I'm not riled up dammit!
Joe Barta
Hey Joe... they are fighting this war on the topic hvlp.
Some say DAGS, some say who pissed in your Wheaties?
This is a familiar topic too, you know.
As far as Mr, MIchael goes.... PING Robatoy and see if he wants to come out and play.
Robert
I'm not pissed off either.
Sombitch.
I just made a router table out of corian. It works pretty much like a hard wood. Cuts, routes, drills easily enough. People caution you about the dust, but I didn't find it all that bad. I didn't try to joint or fine sand it; but since it routes easily, I expect it would joint just as well.
Some people do worry about the dust, but when I posted my corian question some time back, somebody addressed the dust (rather impressively) citing several studies that it's completely harmless.
The bad news is the dust makes a big mess. The good news is that it is fairly heavy dust and will settle quickly.
Other than that, treat corian like hard wood. Sharp carbide is the way to go.
jc
I like your style. I am still laughing at "And I'm not riled up dammit!"
Thanks.....(the stuff has such a hard feel to it, it makes one apprehensive).
And Joe Blow.....I wouldn't have asked if I hadn't spent an hour searching.
Besides, I was asking about "personal experiences" and that's worth more than "generalized" information.
If you don't mean to be a prick...then don't be one.
I wanted to re-post a link, but the link is dead now.
Some lady started out making 2 inch squares of Corian with an inlay decoration. Here is a similar link:
BTW, my personal recommendation - do most of your finish sanding before machining. Then cover the entire surface (Front and back) with blue painter's tape. Use wet / dry sandpaper from Auto parts store. Finish with liquid auto finish polish like Meguire's (takes a waxy shine real good.) Don't finish with normal WW finishes.
Also keep in mind HEAT is your enemy. If the cutting edge of your power tool heats up the Corian (or more general term Nairoc material) too much the chips will not clear the kerf but will re-melt back to the surface of the Corian. Expect the cutting edge of your tools to dull faster than when cutting plywood. Remove chips and cutting dust as best you can with shop Vac or DC to keep the waste away from your power tool cutting edge to help reduce chance of heat build up.
Phil
Mike,
One can easily cut solid surface with a triple-chip plastic blade and route it with any carbide bits. It will even cut with a jig saw, but some solid surface products will quickly dull a blade. Often it's easier to make a rough cut with a router and sand it to exact size. You'll usually get a much smoother edge this way. To polish it, one uses a succession of finer grit sanding disks ranging from 220 to 1200 and finishing it off with the white scotchbrite pads. If a matte finish is desired, one can stop at any point before reaching 1200 grit. As for dust, my wife will testify that it seems to reach every corner of the house despite every attempt using a dust collection system and shop vac. I am not certain that it's all that heavy as it estimates the consistency and density of flour and seems to float in the air for quite some time. Despite the dust, the resulting countertops are often quite nice, so, for me, it's fun to work with.
Good luck,
Use a 40 (or more) toothed TCG with a 5 degree negative hook and lots of horsepower. Control your feedrate and do not stop the feed during a rip. Elevate the blade so that the three highest teeth protrude above the material.
Extensive. I got into this game when there were only 4 colours. (Four)
I use Royce-Ayr.
HSS edges will dull IOFOAH. Carbide only, please.
Never
You're welcome.
Rob (Chief Cook and Bottle washer)
I had some Corian I wanted to use without buying any special tools. I found a 7½ carbide blade in my 10" table saw did a lot better job than any 10" blade I had. I destroyed one 10". I think the slower tip speed and the thinner kerf was the secret to getting a clean cut. The router worked fine for shaping the edges with carbide bits.
it in countertop sizes for DIY use without having to go through the liscencing process.
I'm not trying to bootleg contract jobs and make the manufacturer assume warranty for any lousy work I might do, I just would like to make my own countertops. I'm willing to take responsibility and hold the manufacturer harmless for any mistakes I make on my own tops.
I wonder when that will come.
Frank
Frank:
IIRC, it is not the Corian, it is the glue / joint sealer sold by DuPont to join up two half's that is the problem. Nasty stuff and easy to mess up. Lots of potential for law suits for leaky counter tops. Deep pockets and all that compared to Counter top installer's pockets.
I have seen Corian, well actually not DuPont Product so I should say Nairoc, solid counter top 60 inches long in a big box home center. Install your self, but at $25.00 per sq foot, so it was $$$$.
Michael, it's not bad to work. I've worked it with bandsaw, scrollsaw, router, and tablesaw. There are special Corian tablesaw blades, but other than that it's like the OP said, it works pretty much like hard wood.
Cutting boards are fun, easy, and make nice gifts.
See
Hint: find out who fabricates it in your area, and pay them a visit. You can usually find one by stopping in a custom kitchen place and asking. They'll probably give you all kinds of cutoffs, and since it costs about $10 per sq ft, it's nice to get it free. I always went back with a gift for the folks in the shop -- a cutting board, small statue, or such.
PS: It *does* raise a lot of dust, and it gives off a methacrylate smell when it's cut. I've had my fun with it, but I like work> I just received some samples of Corian (1/2" thick) and was wondering about
If I may... The adhesive technology for many of the solid surface products comes from a small group of companies. LocWeld and the like. One needs to understand the differences between adhesion and cohesion, and in some cases a combination of both. Joints need to be in proper places and prepared properly. There is a lot more to it than meets the eye. A proper solid surface company will not just back up their product, but their fabricators as well. Wilsonart and Staron are such companies. The customers will never be left hanging.
A lot of the "Me Too' products will not offer that kind of back up.
Any fabricator/installer should have a few million in insurance. You'd be nuts to go into people's houses and work on their kitchen without it.
There are many acrylic solid surface countertop products which are impossible to tell apart from Corian...even by a well equipped chemist.
Those processes protect the customer and the manufacturer and the fabricator/installer. The license approach has come about after other systems didn't work.
There is a lot a fabricator has to know about the products. The adhesives are not to be played with by amateurs, and any other adhesive technology just won't do the job. Disposal of used tubes costs me quite a bit of money each year.
They accept some responsibilities when they sell you the product. I don't blame them for playing these cards close to their vests.
I hope never. Having said that, there are quite a few manufacturers who will sell to anybody. The ones that matter, those who have the reputation of quality, will never sell direct. Imagine a company like mine promoting a product like Nairoc (Corian spelled backwards) and customers going out getting their own after I put my endorsement out there? How long do you think I will keep promoting such a product? That same supplier will also look at the quantities I order vs the one or two he can sell screwing my relationship with them? It's a no-brainer.... on both sides of the fence.
The problem is some of us want the material for something other than making counter tops and backsplashes. We don't neet to make joints and use glue. I just wantes some short scraps to make window sills. They refused to sell it to me unless I was willing to pay the "fabrication" price. I managed to get what I needed out of their dumpster.
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