Corian questions...

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

I have a very expensive chunk of Corian 24x54, which I intended to sit in a 2" frame for a desktop. To do this, the frame piece would need to have a rabbet in it, which would dictate it be 2 1/2 - 3" wide to have a 2" reveal/border (which I need). NATURALLY, I ripped the frame pieces to 2". :mad:

Since I don't have any more suitable material on hand (dry, flat, straight mesquite) for the frame, I see two choices. First, forget the rabbet and just glue the frame to the Corian. This leads to my first question...can I cut bicuit slots in the Corian? Secondly, if I go this route, what adhesive do I use to minimize the mess?

Second choice would be to take my skinny frame pieces and glue another piece to them so I could create a rabbet. Problem here is that the frame pieces are already periously close to the finished thickness I need...so there's no room for error.

Suggestions appreciated...and, as always, sympathy as well. :(

KC

[Chris Padilla]

LOL! I was adding a simple shelf under my TV stand (two side pieces and the shelf attached to those...3 pieces total...piece of cake, right?).

The left piece was some 1/2" plywood I had laying around and I cut that one correctly. I have an Incra TS fence so I set it to exactly 4 23/32".

Well, I didn't have anymore 1/2" so I found a piece of 3/4" (23/32" really) and promptly ripped that one...at a later time...to 3 23/32"! :mad: I didn't noitce until after the side pieces were attached and my shelf wasn't fitting right! So I glued a 1" piece of 3/4" to it to fix it.

Weeeellllllll somewhere along the line I either got the 3 23/32" wrong or I didn't cut the 1" piece to 1" because now the side piece I just fixed was a 1/4" too much!!! :mad::mad: So I scrwed/glue the shelf on anyway and then used my flexible backcutting saw to remove the superfluous 1/4". Of course, I didn't cut it straight and dug into the bottom of the shelf here and there!!!!:mad::mad::mad:

Tonight I will take my ROS and clean up the bottom of the shelf and it should be fine. Thank God this will only be seen when the doors are open and even then, you can't see the bottom! Sigh.

So no help for your problem but some sympathy for your plight! :)

[Todd Burch]

KC, glue a piece of wood to the inside edge of your frame pieces, and then rabbet the top part of it off. For alignment, you can biscuit or spline. For critical joints, like counter top edges and bllnoses, I spline with a 1/4" slot cutter (1/2" deep), both pieces, and 1/4" plywood, 7/8" wide.

Todd

(And yes, you can biscuit solid surface material. However, you might see a dark half-moon with the more translucent stuff.)

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

Thanks...that's probably the way to go.

KC

[Dave Avery]

KC,

My first thought was a spline.... cut with a slot cutter as Todd suggested. Dave.

[Ken Dolph]

KC,

Use a spline and no glue. The Corian should float in the frame. Wood expands and contracts with moisture and Corian with temperature. This will give you the possibility of twice as much movement as with wood alone. If you find that you must glue everything together we have found a gluing system that makes the strongest bond of wood to Corian.

I don't want to advertise here but you can check my website.

I hope this helps
Ken Dolph

[Robert Ducharme]

You guys are causing me real problems! I keep looking in the backyard and asking my neighbors but no one seems to know where a corian tree grows :rolleyes: Is this a special southern tree or does it grow up in the northwest :confused: Next step is to go to some hardwood supplier I guess :(

By the way, I have a bonsai tree I am growing. Can hardly wait to resaw it into planks for furniture :D

[Steve Beadle]

You guys are causing me real problems! I keep looking in the backyard and asking my neighbors but no one seems to know where a corian tree grows :rolleyes: Is this a special southern tree or does it grow up in the northwest :confused: Next step is to go to some hardwood supplier I guess :(

By the way, I have a bonsai (spelling?) tree I am growing. Can hardly wait to resaw it into planks for furniture :D

Maybe the Corian tree is really Korean?? (ha, ha!)

[Chris Padilla]

HA! Okay...good one! :)

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

KC,

Use a spline and no glue. The Corian should float in the frame. Wood expands and contracts with moisture and Corian with temperature. This will give you the possibility of twice as much movement as with wood alone. If you find that you must glue everything together we have found a gluing system that makes the strongest bond of wood to Corian.

I don't want to advertise here but you can check my website.

I hope this helps
Ken Dolph

What?!? I thought Corian was supposed to be rock solid. It's gonna expand and contract? I'm not concerned with the mesquite frame moving, but now I've got sumpin' else to worry about! Yikes!

[Chris Padilla]

KC, I think you should find how much it'll expand before worrying too much about it. The temperature swing in the installation area will be...what?

[Todd Burch]

Our kitchen counters are Corian. In the winter, we have a 1/4" gap on one end of a long run. In the summer, it closes back up. It moves a whole lot more than I thought it would.

[Chris Padilla]

Todd, how long a piece so we can calculate the lineal expansion vs. temperature swing? What would you guess is the temp swing from summer to winter?

[Stan Smith]

Evenin' KC

I made an entryway table (modified sofa table) with a corian insert. I was concerned that the corian piece needed more support than the rabbet so I added a couple of cross pieces using m&t Joints. Then I had to cut part of the cross pieces out for the corian to sit in. Sort of bassackwards. Should have made the cross pieces as half lap cuts. This idiocy comes from poor planning. The frame that the corian sets in is alder.

Stan

[Chris Padilla]

Nice little stand, Stan. ;)

Do you notice much movement summer-->winter for the corian insert?

[Stan Smith]

No, Chris, I really don't. The corian just sits in place. It's not attached in any way.

Stan

[Todd Burch]

Chris, the countertop is probably 12'-14' feet long. As far as temperature swings... whatever the wife sets the thermostat to.... I dunno. ;)

[Dave Hammelef]

In a quick google search I found this spec for solid surface materials.

3.5 x 10-6 in/in/deg C. max.