Marble softer than Aluminum? Seems unlikely. Can't find a Moh's harndess for Aluminum, but marble is 3.0 or higher.
The oxide coating that naturally forms on aluminum is certainly harder than marble if that is what you mean. But that layer is too thin to matter when milling aluminum.
I'd expect the cutters suitable for even soft stone to be grinding cutters, not 'slicing cutters' like those used for wood or metal.
Isn't corian plastic? E.g. an organic polymer. Hardly comparable to rock.
OK the outcome. I chickened out on using a router and went with the grinders. It cut like butter with a medium 4.5 inch grinder wheel and left bright white if somewhat rough edge. I then hit it with a medium grit sanding disk with the little overlapping flaps. It smoothed it OK but burnt it a bit. I used no cooling just moved the grinder. I had three edges to do, two about 2" long to match an existing ogee and the third about 12" which was a straight cut. The first try on small edge is OK, the second came out real good & will be the front. I just beveled the remaining side for now.
The next problem was the existing piece was an antique "tea with creme" color and the new edges were bright white so it didn't matter how close the cut was, it still stood out like a sore thumb. Ten minutes later and a quarter can of Comet cleanser, it all blended together. Based on how the Comet erased the burn marks, I think I'll tune it up at my leisure with a profile sander and silicon carbide paper. So I never tried routing, but for that adventureous soul out there...it might work.
Thanks for all the advice.
Jerry
Hmm, I guess the burn marks were from materials in the sandpaper, like the adhesive that holds the grit onto the paper. Makes you wonder if similar burn marks on wood (from power sanding--not power sawing) might be cleanable with solvent.
This is very disappointing news. With all the conversation on the subject, we needed something more dramatic. Shattering table tops, holes blown in the walls from flying chips, tools exploding.
Simple tools and it worked. bummer.
| Morris Dovey wrote: || || Marble can be machined with CNC routers. I would guess that || carbide-tipped bits with 1/2" or larger shanks are used. Spindle || and feed speeds would need to be chosen carefully, and there'd || need to be an effective cooling system to prevent overheating the || bit. | | I'd expect the cutters suitable for even soft stone to be grinding | cutters, not 'slicing cutters' like those used for wood or metal.
On the ShopBot Forum, at
There's another discussion of routing marble with a photo at
|| My quick search turned up a granite (harder than marble, I think) || at
You got the first part right. It's not rock. For routing purposes, however, it's much like a soft rock (harder than soapstone, softer than granite).
-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA
I wasn't going to respond to this thread since I didn't want anyone to get hurt trying this, buttttt, I did put a 3/8 roundover on a slab of marble with a router and a carbide bit about two years ago. I used a bit that was about to be trashcanned anyway(cheapie), and an old crapsman router(my first router, what did I know). I did it freehand and dry. The only problem was the dust storm it made. A little polishing and it turmed out great. I now have an MK 10" wetsaw and a diamond profile wheel so I wont be doing that again.
Corian is methyl metacrylate with Aluminum TriHydrate filler. ( and dyes ) When the proper sharp router bit is selected, and the rpm is just right, the feedrate appropriate for the depth of cut, the bit will slice/cut the material creating very thin shavings of the cut you're taking that are light enough to become somewhat air-born in a floaty sort of way.... that reminds me of me and my sweetie sitting in a Swiss meadow surrounded by tiny butterflies...
*SLAP*If you're getting 'dust'.. you're 'grinding' turning the ATH white and leaving a white line. Polyester solid surface countertops will almost always 'grind' as the stuff is nothing but auto-body filler with aquarium gravel tossed in for colour..IOW..crap. (You also cannot thermoform polyester) eStone, as I call it, (engineered stone) is 93% quartz and 7% acrylic... sold as Silestone, DuPont Zodiaq, Cambria, FormicaStone...and many more. You work that stuff the same as granite(MUCH harder than marble, btw) diamonds and lots of water.
If any of that dust came from the carbide bit, cheapie or not, I hope you had a mask on your face. According to my sharpener, carbide dust has cobalt in it and will hurt your lungs.
and if there were any silicon in that granite, silicosis.
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