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View Full Version : Steve Goes Shopping......Part 4



Steve Clarkson
02-24-2009, 10:54 PM
So I finally went shopping for a countertop man.....and I found one in like five minutes.

I stopped in and told him I was looking for a new supplier for small quantities of Corian and asked if he had any sink cutouts. Well, he takes me back into his shop and shows me two pallets of sink cutouts....there were about 20 piles that were each four feet high......literally hundreds of them. He offered them to me for $3 each, so I took 33 and gave him a hundred bucks. Each piece is about 18"x12" (what's that work out to...$2/sq ft ?) and I took a rainbow of colors.

Unfortuneately, they were all 1/2" (actually, I picked up 3-4 that were atleast 1" if not more).

I knew I would be able to engrave the Corian, but I had no idea if my laser (45 watts) would cut through the 1/2"......but it did! It took two passes (with my 2" lens), but got through relatively cleanly. I only cut one piece.....and it was a straight line cut.....and it was slooooow (I tried 5s and 100p).....but it DID get through.

The sides are sharp and rough to begin with, so obviously I need to sand them down and then polish them. Assuming I cut some intricate shapes (lets say an 8" high cursive letter "B"), what's the best tool to sand and polish this stuff? I think a dremel will be too small, but I would need to get into small spots. Any other suggestions?

Oh, I asked him about the Corian adhesives for color filling that was suggested on earlier threads.....and he told me he would sell them to me for like $15 a tube......but that I would need a $300 specialty caulk gun to actually get the adhesive out of the tube! So it looks like auto paint for me!

Hopefully, I'll be able to make something good enough to get my hundred bucks back (any suggestions are welcome).

Maybe tomorrow I'll write Part 5 describing what I found on my shopping trip yesterday to make ANY glass simple and easy to engrave.

onur cakir
02-25-2009, 4:06 AM
Steve hi !

Can you please post pic of corian ?

Steve Clarkson
02-25-2009, 8:05 AM
Sure.....I'll cut something out later today and post a picture.....unless you want to see a picture of the straight line that I cut out........

onur cakir
02-25-2009, 8:20 AM
well i never had chance to take corian to my hands. So it will be a progress for me to see one cutted with laser :cool:

Only corian piece that i saw was 2" thick (5 cm ) and it was installed on kitchen top.

Belinda Barfield
02-25-2009, 9:05 AM
The sides are sharp and rough to begin with, so obviously I need to sand them down and then polish them. Assuming I cut some intricate shapes (lets say an 8" high cursive letter "B"), what's the best tool to sand and polish this stuff? I think a dremel will be too small, but I would need to get into small spots. Any other suggestions?

Oh, I asked him about the Corian adhesives for color filling that was suggested on earlier threads.....and he told me he would sell them to me for like $15 a tube......but that I would need a $300 specialty caulk gun to actually get the adhesive out of the tube! So it looks like auto paint for me!

Hopefully, I'll be able to make something good enough to get my hundred bucks back (any suggestions are welcome).

Maybe tomorrow I'll write Part 5 describing what I found on my shopping trip yesterday to make ANY glass simple and easy to engrave.

Steve, DUDE you are the shoppingest man I know! (Okay, that's probably not a word)

Use a hand router, or table mounted, with a round over bit to soften your edges. Sand with a random orbital sander. Depending on the quality of the surface you are starting with first use 80 gr or 180 gr sandpaper, followed by 220 gr, 320 gr, 400 gr, then green Scotchbrite. (All available through 3M or a millworks supply store) This will give you a nice matte finish. My recommendation - do try to go high gloss. You'll just end up with a scratched product.

I'm not sure if your guy was pushing Corian adhesive, or another brand. Price adhesives by Integra - www.integra-adhesives.com (http://www.integra-adhesives.com). Many countertop companies use Integra adhesives instead of Corian adhesives.
Using the adhesive allows for a smooth surface, and you can't get that with paint. It gives you a much better "finished look" to the project. One issue with filling with adhesive is air bubbles.

I'll send you a PM/e-mail with some product suggestions. Keith Outten will probably have a better method for sanding, etc.

Steve Clarkson
02-25-2009, 3:09 PM
OK, these aren't much to look at......but Onur asked......

Oh, and I took these with my new digital camera......I may have to go back to my old one!

EDIT>>>>>>> I typed this whole long post and clicked on preview and it disappeared.....and when I clicked the back button it wasn't there.....so I'm not very happy right now! Anyway, back to my post.......

So the first picture shows the size of this sink cut out (one of the smaller ones) and then what I vector cut this morning (the thin piece in the middle is the base). It actually took three passes this time......not sure what I did differently. Each pass took just under 20 minutes.

I engraved the guy's name and contact information.......and man, did it ever create alot of dust in the machine! I have to clean it now......that's throwing me off my bi-annual cleaning schedule!

Hopefully after I sand it and polish it, it will look nice. I assume I'll have to use a dremel to get in all those nooks and crannies......hopefully it won't take toooooo long.

I made this to go on the guys desk.......what do you think a reasonable retail value for this would be?

Oh, and thanks for the PM Belinda.....it was very helpful.

Jacob Hebert
02-25-2009, 3:20 PM
Steve:
Bi-annual?! Our M-300 hurts inside after hearing that...

Excellent work on these! "Not much to look at"...You don't give yourself enough credit.

Belinda Barfield
02-25-2009, 3:25 PM
Oops! I forgot to warn you about the dust, which is pretty abrasive. :o Sorry. You'll probably have to clean your lens a lot more often if you're going to run a lot of Corian. If the Corian dust bothered you, don't even think about engraving Ikonmetal.

You're welcome.

Nice work! And isn't that going to look so much nicer than plastic in a metal frame. :)

onur cakir
02-25-2009, 4:28 PM
OK, these aren't much to look at......but Onur asked......

Oh, and I took these with my new digital camera......I may have to go back to my old one!

EDIT>>>>>>> I typed this whole long post and clicked on preview and it disappeared.....and when I clicked the back button it wasn't there.....so I'm not very happy right now! Anyway, back to my post.......

So the first picture shows the size of this sink cut out (one of the smaller ones) and then what I vector cut this morning (the thin piece in the middle is the base). It actually took three passes this time......not sure what I did differently. Each pass took just under 20 minutes.

I engraved the guy's name and contact information.......and man, did it ever create alot of dust in the machine! I have to clean it now......that's throwing me off my bi-annual cleaning schedule!

Hopefully after I sand it and polish it, it will look nice. I assume I'll have to use a dremel to get in all those nooks and crannies......hopefully it won't take toooooo long.

I made this to go on the guys desk.......what do you think a reasonable retail value for this would be?

Oh, and thanks for the PM Belinda.....it was very helpful.

Thank you Steve !

well i'm impressed by the thickness of the material and the result as well...here in Turkey they sell corian only in 150 cm x 300 cm (60" x 120") and costs around 1500$ !!!!!

have to find a small piece to buy :(

Steve Clarkson
02-25-2009, 5:10 PM
That's the whole point.......find a company that makes countertops and ask them for the sink cutouts,,,,,,you might even get them FOR FREE!!!

Steve Clarkson
02-25-2009, 5:11 PM
Bi-annual?! Our M-300 hurts inside after hearing that...

Hehehe.......I hope my Epilog rep doesn't read this...........

Jim Good
02-25-2009, 5:15 PM
I have a granite countertop company that lets me go through their pallets of waste. It's all thick stuff but the price is right! I don't have a corian supplier for their drops. I'll keep looking!

Hey, good job, Steve!

Jim

Frank Corker
02-25-2009, 5:16 PM
Thanks for posting the pictures Steve. I'm the same as Onur, I've never had chance to use this stuff and it's still relatively newish type of material, most kitchen work surfaces are still made with chipboard covered with formica here.

Steve Clarkson
02-25-2009, 5:17 PM
How do you cut/shape it Jim? And what are you making with it?

Keith Outten
02-25-2009, 8:42 PM
Steve,

The Dupont adhesive guns come in two sizes. The large gun is really best for counter top shops and should be about 50 bucks, the small gun I own is about 20 bucks from your local Corian Distributor. The small adhesive cartridges are 7 bucks each, I got 6 colors today for an inlay project I'm planning.

Contact your local Corian Distributor, you can purchase adhesive and the guns from them as well as 1/4" thick Corian without being a certified installer. I will post a picture of the gun and the special tips for them tomorrow with some information about what you should expect.

As far as sanding Corian it is really a lot like wood, use your ROS and a variety of sanding grits depending on the condition of the Corian surface....whether it has scratches that need to be removed. Cut Corian with your band saw, table saw, scroll saw, jig saw or router. I prefer to use my band saw whenever I can. If you need to make a lot of intricate plaques make a routing template and cut them out in two passes at 1/4" deep per pass.

You can also use 3M Scotchbrite pads to sand and polish Corian, get the 5" round disks that fit your ROS and you can hand polish small or intricate areas with the 3M pads. An old fashioned buffing wheel and compound works well on edges and intricate details, you need to smooth out any deep scratches before buffing. I have an old 1/2 HP motor with a chuck mounted on the shaft that I use to buff large pieces and I use an air grinder with small buffing wheels as well.

In a pinch you can use silicone adhesive to glue pieces together and CA glue for small parts works really well.

Use solid surface polish with the white 3M pads for a very high polish.

Paint fill engraving projects with any type of paint you prefer, I use Testors model paint on small plaques and swab the paint into the engraved areas with a Q-Tip. I also use rattle cans for large jobs, spray the whole surface then sand with an ROS after the paint dries.

What else can I tell you about Corian......I love the stuff :)
.

Mike DeRegnaucourt
02-25-2009, 9:02 PM
The sides are sharp and rough to begin with, so obviously I need to sand them down and then polish them. Assuming I cut some intricate shapes (lets say an 8" high cursive letter "B"), what's the best tool to sand and polish this stuff? I think a dremel will be too small, but I would need to get into small spots. Any other suggestions?

Hi Steve,

I used to make a lot of pens out of Corian and I would polish them to a high gloss finish using the following process...first I would sand the pieces up to 400-grit sandpaper. Then I would use the BEALL Buffing system. The first part of the BEALL system uses a compound of Tripoli, next is the White Diamonds compound. For Corian I did not use the carnuba wax. The first two parts would produce an incredibly high gloss finish. Almost had the look of being covered in glass when I was done. :) If you have a lathe, the 3-wheel BEALL buffing system is really convenient.

Hope that helps.

AL Ursich
02-25-2009, 9:58 PM
With the White and Bone Corina the guys over on the Carvewright Forum use the 1/4 inch stuff to make Litho's. They reverse Carve the back and illuminate it with Puck Lights.

I could only find 2 quick samples but it has been a staple in the project gallery.

I bet a laser could do some 3D like work.....

AL

Dee Gallo
02-25-2009, 10:07 PM
Hi Steve,

I used to make a lot of pens out of Corian and I would polish them to a high gloss finish using the following process...first I would sand the pieces up to 400-grit sandpaper. Then I would use the BEALL Buffing system. The first part of the BEALL system uses a compound of Tripoli, next is the White Diamonds compound. For Corian I did not use the carnuba wax. The first two parts would produce an incredibly high gloss finish. Almost had the look of being covered in glass when I was done. :) If you have a lathe, the 3-wheel BEALL buffing system is really convenient.

Hope that helps.

Yeah, I can vouch for the Beall system, it's fantastic. Very fast and easy, it produces glass like finishes on almost anything you try.

James Jaragosky
02-25-2009, 10:30 PM
Thanks for posting the pictures Steve. I'm the same as Onur, I've never had chance to use this stuff and it's still relatively newish type of material, most kitchen work surfaces are still made with chipboard covered with formica here.


Frank Ill bring you a piece....:)

Steve Clarkson
02-26-2009, 12:18 AM
In a pinch you can use silicone adhesive to glue pieces together and CA glue for small parts works really well.

Use solid surface polish with the white 3M pads for a very high polish.
.

I guess my guy builds his profit into the adhesives and caulk guns......

He mentioned the silicone adhesive......but CA glue? California Glue?

Do you use the solid surface polish with the carnuba? Is there a name brand that you use?

Steve Clarkson
02-26-2009, 12:28 AM
Hmmmm.....sounds like Beall gets two thumbs up!

Al, I'm dying to try a lithophane......haven't found the right material yet.....but hopefully soon......

Keith Outten
02-26-2009, 6:10 AM
I used to buy Hopes Solid Surface Cleaner and Polish at the local Borg but they quit selling is over a year ago. You can find it on the Net though. Most paste wax and buffing compounds can leave a yellow film on Corian that can be a bear to clean off.

CA (cyanoacrylate) glue is commonly called Super Glue. The fast drying stuff that if your not carefull will stick your fingers together :) I like the Loctite Gel Control brand in the silver squeeze bottles.

If you search our archives Mike Null had some serious success making a lithophane with his laser engraver. The detail level of laser engraving by far exceeds anything a CNC router can do making lithophanes. Normally 1/4" thick Corian is used for lithophanes, anyone can purchase 1/4" Corian which comes in 30" by 96" sheets or you can reduce the 1/2" thick Corian down to 1/4" with a shop built router jig.

Below is a picture of the small Dupont Corian adhesive gun, cartridge and an extra tip plus the large adhesive cartridge for comparison. Note the tips have a built in mixing feature. They can only be used once, when the glue dries in the tip it hardens and it can happen in just a few minutes. Buy extra tips, leave the last one used on the cartridge until you need to use it again. Both cartridges are Glacier White color and they are available in a large selection of colors to match the basic Corian sheets or for color contrasting inlays.

You can find some very good information in our forums from the pen turners who use CA glue and Corian to make multiple color pens of various designs. Ken Salisbury wrote an article as I recall with lots of information about gluing small pieces of Corian making fancy pen blanks.

You can heat Corian in an oven and bend it easily, it should soak for 20 minutes at 325 degrees F and never exceed 350 degrees or it will degrade. A small toaster oven is useful to create some very cool engraving projects with twists or archs for engraved plaque bases.

The desk sign below was made from Azure Corian, the base is Everest. The back of the Azure disk has a small clock in it, sorry I don't have a picture of the back side.
.

Michael Doyle
02-26-2009, 8:17 AM
I use CA on Corian pens. Never had a problem.

Obviosly the polishing situations are quite different between lathe work and your cut outs. I was going to mention polishing wheels and compound, but it looks like that has been covered already

Here is one of my pens


http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s294/selyod/CorianPatchwork4PIH.jpg

Belinda Barfield
02-26-2009, 9:03 AM
Yes, high gloss can be easily achieved on solid surface products. I advised Steve not to go high gloss for two reasons. First, in most instances it is an unncessary step as a matte finish is acceptable to most people. Second, solid surface products scratch very easily, and a high gloss finish makes the scratches and scuffs much more visible.

One thing I will add to Keith's mention of Hopes Counter Polish. It doesn't last. For items like cutting boards you can apply Hopes, but it is basically gone the first time the cutting board is cleaned.

Oh, and I left electrical switch plates and outlet covers off the idea list.