Can Corian be cut with a hand plane?

[Tom Bender]

I want to cut a drip groove in my Corian countertop along a straight section. If I make a plane to wrap around the edge to make this cut, could it cut Corian?

The groove will be about 1/8" x 1/8". I have to test this to be sure it is enough.

[Dan Hulbert]

I've cut Corian using a carbide router bit with great success. Could be slow going using a hand plane, but it could work. Kitchen knives cut it, so a plane should also. You might try using a scratch stock. Hope you have some scraps to test your techniques.

[Christopher Charles]

Hdpe works well so I should think so. Will be curious to see your results.

[Mike Henderson]

Like Dan I've cut Corian with a router bit. Why do you want to do it by hand? A router with a edge guide should do this quickly. They make 1/8" round nose bits with a 1/4" shank. For example, MLCS #6441.

Mike

[Tony Zaffuto]

I'd try a router bit. Some brands are a bit more brittle, and if you ever get the bright idea to run a self tapping screw into a pre-drilled hole, don't! The material is very brittle.

[Jim Koepke]

I want to cut a drip groove in my Corian countertop along a straight section. If I make a plane to wrap around the edge to make this cut, could it cut Corian?

The groove will be about 1/8" x 1/8". I have to test this to be sure it is enough.

This sounds like your countertop may already be in place. To me this might be the reason for not wanting to use a router.

If you search > drawer grooving planes < you will see some planes that will provide ideas on making your job specific plane.

Take light cuts for best results.

Many of us neanders already have planes to do jobs like this. You may have a woodworking friend nearby with a plow plane to do the job.

jtk

[mike stenson]

I've cut it with both a router and a chisel, about a decade ago(?). You'll be sharpening a bit as I recall and it comes off in weird chips, don't expect anything like a shaving.

So, I think a plane will work :)

[Tom M King]

I've cut, and machined a fair amount of it, back in the '80's, and into the '90's, when it was the cabinet top material of choice, before the Granite emergence. You'll be spending more time sharpening than masking everything off, for ease of cleanup, behind a router. I forget what the bits are called, but probably some kind of grooving bit, but it cuts off the outer diameter of a disk, rather than a straight bit.

[steven c newman]

Core box bit?

[Tom Bender]

Yes the countertops are in place. I want to cut a groove on the underside to serve as a drip edge.

I recently spilled water which ran off and down the face of the cabinets and into the drawers. That was messy but something like olive oil would be a little worse. Not wanting to go there I'm thinking that a drip edge along a few feet of straight countertop could really help.

So maybe 3 blades on the plane would make a neat cut, left and right knickers and a straight cutter. What kind of steel would be needed?

Maybe a short piece of a bandsaw blade would work.

[mike stenson]

I don't think you'd need knickers, there's no grain to cut neatly.


edit: I'll just add that I used a chisel to clean up about 1/2" of linear cut. I'd pull out a tailed router.

[Tom M King]

https://www.whitesiderouterbits.com/collections/slotting

Mask the cabinets below with paper, and have a helper hold a shop vac hose close.

It cuts nicely with a sharp cutter. The question is how long anything softer than carbide will stay sharp. Maybe there is some carbide cutter you could use for a "plane", like one of the replacement ends for a turning tool. A V shaped cut/scratch should work.

[Frederick Skelly]

Tom, you could go buy a long scrap of corian and experiment to see if a hand plane would work. Go to a counter store and ask to buy one. If it costs you $20, that's cheap for a chance to test your idea.

[John Keeton]

I would make a “plane” by gluing a stack of 3 sawzall metal blades into a block of wood with whatever fence arrangement is needed. That should quickly cut an 1/8 - 3/16” groove.

[James Pallas]

I worked a good bit of it. It included inlaying stripes on the edge and such. The stuff is a bit brittle. When I laying stripes you had to be careful with the narrow piece between the stripes. If you taped too hard you could break it. I would not cut a straight grove close to the edge. If you bump the edge with a pan or something it will break on the sharp inside edge. 1/2” back or so may be OK. If it were me I try to find a piece same color or something of an accent color. Glue it on than route or sand the edge. The 1/2” wide is still necessary.

[Tony Shea]

If your heart is set on doing this by hand than I would think a scraping cut would work the best. I would make a something similar to a marking gauge and instead of a pin or knife wedge piece of scraper filed to the shape you want and go at it until you get to the desired depth. Garrett Hack has an article or video somewhere about scraping beads and I'm thinking that sort of jig would work better than using a plane.

[Jim Koepke]

If your heart is set on doing this by hand

It may be the space to fit a router isn't as wide as the base of the router to fit. There may be a special slotting bit that could work with the router held horizontally.

The other problem with a router is mistakes happen in the blink of an eye. Hand tools make mistakes slow enough to catch before they are fatal.

This keeps me thinking about a side bead plane:

443266

This is on an edge, would work under the edge of a counter. That would make a great drip edge.


jtk

[Rafael Herrera]

How about grinding a groove with a Dremel tool?

[Curt Harms]

How about grinding a groove with a Dremel tool?

With some sort of jig to hold the Dremel tool steady that might be the simplest. What little I've worked with Corian says a plane ain't gonna cut it. The recommendation to find a piece of scrap is a good one. You might find a kitchen fabricator that has sink cutouts they'd be willing to sell for not a lot of $.

[Tom Bender]

Jim
I think we're on the same page here. I'd be afraid to use a router and a dremel is still kinda scary. Also I would have to get one. I am thinking a short piece of band saw blade with the right combination of carbide teeth might make a good plane iron.

But I also like James' idea of just adding a rib on the bottom. I could test that with a wooden piece attached with hot melt.

[Jim Koepke]

But I also like James' idea of just adding a rib on the bottom. I could test that with a wooden piece attached with hot melt.

That sounds like a plan.

jtk

[Matt Lau]

With some sort of jig to hold the Dremel tool steady that might be the simplest. What little I've worked with Corian says a plane ain't gonna cut it. The recommendation to find a piece of scrap is a good one. You might find a kitchen fabricator that has sink cutouts they'd be willing to sell for not a lot of $.


Stewmac, Lee Valley, and Luthier's Merchantile have a tool for that.
Out of the three, I think the Lee Valley one is probably best.

https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/power-tool-accessories/router-accessories/73720-veritas-plunge-base-for-rotary-tools?item=05J6507

[Matt Lau]

FWIW, my recommendation is the DW611 plunge trim router, with the optional dust collector.
I'm not a fan of Dewalt in general, but this one is pretty good.

Test on scrap

[Mike Henderson]

Stewmac, Lee Valley, and Luthier's Merchantile have a tool for that.
Out of the three, I think the Lee Valley one is probably best.

https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/power-tool-accessories/router-accessories/73720-veritas-plunge-base-for-rotary-tools?item=05J6507

Also MicroFence but it's very expensive.

Mike