Corian questions

[John Miliunas]

I got a small assortment of odd-sized Corian cutoffs given to me. Two main questons: 1) Although I know that Carbide is recommended for working Corian, how about turning on the lathe, as in pens or such? I certainly don't have any Carbide turning chisels. 2) I know there's some special (read as "expensive") glue for binding Corian and allowing for virtually invisible seams. But how about if seams weren't an issue and a guy just wanted to bond a couple pieces together? Would poly glue do the trick or does one still need the special adhesive? :cool:

[Todd Burch]

I know a lot of guys that do craft work with Corian and other solid surface materials.

Superglue works just fine.

You can turn it on a lathe - I've seen numerous pens made out of it.

Scroll saw blades work fine - although I'm not a scroller, so I can't tell you which ones to use.

Cuts fine on the tablesaw, but there's a lot of dust. Routes fine. Drills fine. Is hard on any blade/bit.

Todd.

[Jim Baker]

My uncle turned some pens from solid surface countertop scraps. They look really nice, but I don't know for sure if they are Corian brand

[Tom Sweeney]

#2 You could use epoxy
&
#1 - Ask Ken :D

[John Miliunas]

Originally posted by Tom Sweeney
#2 You could use epoxy
&
#1 - Ask Ken :D

I'm kinda' thinking epoxy myself, but I still think I may try poly on a scrap or two. As for the pens, yeah, I was hoping Ken, our pen turner extraordinaire, would stumble on to this thread and give us his insight.

[Ron Smith ... Richmond, VA]

I haven't personally gotten to do any yet, but the instructor at my pen turning class a few weeks back showed me several samples he had done and they were great! I'm going over to a cabinet shop this weekend and see if I can beg some scraps from their table ... If I get some, I'll post a pict!

[Ken Salisbury]

Originally posted by John Miliunas
I'm kinda' thinking epoxy myself, but I still think I may try poly on a scrap or two. As for the pens, yeah, I was hoping Ken, our pen turner extraordinaire, would stumble on to this thread and give us his insight.

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Well - I guess I stumbled in !!! </p>

Corian is not nearly as hard and difficult as itlooks to work with. I have made a lot of Corian pens. I cut and drill the material with the same tools I use for wood. I cut on both by Bandsaw and RAS.

I use the same turning tools as on anything else with no problem. When turning light cuts are required. You can't hog it off like wood.

CA glue works well. If you have a long seam to glue up, special adheasive can be gotten from any cabinet shop that uses Corain --- but it is EXPENSIVE.

It sands and finishes well --- I sand to 600 grit and polish with jewelers' polish.
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Now I have to stumble off to somewhere else
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[John Miliunas]

Many thanks for the info guys! Ken, you came through, once again! I thought it may be something like what you described, but I figured I'd wait for a consult from the expert. I'm glad you mentioned the part about taking light passes on the lathe; I tend to have a "heavy hand" when I first start roughing out wooden blanks. Think I might give it a spin this weekend. Thanks again, all! :cool:

[Dr. Zack Jennings]

I have a large Corian cutting board made from a double sink cut out. When my office cabinets were made 28 years ago, the guys made me a Great Cutting Board.

I recently took it out to the shop and worked it over with my ROS. It's like new.

What do Cabinet Makers do with these cut outs and cutoffs? I think I'll check with the local shop.

[John Miliunas]

Zack, I think cabinet shops would be a good source for the larger pieces. In my case, the stuff I got came from the process further down the road from the shop. It's cutoffs and scraps from the actual install site. It's not unusual for the shops to leave extra on counter ends, so that installers can custom trim to compensate for out of square walls and such. Also, I have quite a few outlet cutouts, which I'm hoping will make good pen blanks. The neat thing for pens in Corian is you don't have to worry about grain matching. If one cutoff isn't long enough for both halves of the pen, no biggie. I'll let you guys know how I make out with this. :cool:

[Glenn Clabo]

Zack,
My experience and understanding is everytime they install a corian counter they are supposed to make a cutting board for the customer. We just had one installed and they gave me all the pieces left over after the cutting board was made. I also know that many of the installers will just give away the scraps.

[Ken Dolph]

Hi.

I haven't put my bio in yet, but we sell Corian for the crafters and industry.

We have a free package of information including a Booklet form duPont - "Working With Corian in the Home Workshop". I try not to advertise on th forums but I will answer any question.

For turning I do not recomend epoxy . Our experience is about four failures in ten. Poly fails very suddenly with Corian. CA works best . Use a medium gel CA for turning, flood the surface and then apply 25 psi or more (screw clamps). In most cases you can get an invisible seam in all but the solid colors.

The stuff is fun to play with and wait until you heat and bend it.

Here you will find pictures of a wood turners group gathering at our place with demo.
http://www.wnywoodturners.com/workshops/fscoriandemo/fscdemo1.htm

If you count your preparation and finishing time with wood, Corian is cheaper

I hope this helps
Ken

[Scott Greaves]

I agree with what Ken Salisbury says. We do a lot of Corian pens. As a matter of fact, that’s all my Wife likes to turn anymore.

Also listen to Ken Dolph above. He knows his stuff. I’ve corresponded with him before, and he’s never steered me wrong.

Super glue is definitely the thing to use. I have gotten some very nice glue-ups on Corian with it. I have gotten most of my Corian as scraps from a cabinet shop.

Have fun! Corian is great to turn!

Scott.

[John Miliunas]

And yet more great information! Checked out the link Ken sent along. Almost looks as though Corian is an art unto itself. Gonna' definitely play with this stuff (if I ever get done with the "honey-do" list, that is!). Thanks again guys and I'll keep you posted! :cool:

[Clem Wixted]

John
...for asking the question about Corian and

Ken
...for posting the WNY Woodturners link with the very heplful information about turning Corian.

I have a friend in the custom kitchens business and I dropped in to see if I could get a few scraps to play around with. He was busy but his forman took me to the shop and proceeded to load me up with a slab of each kind that they have worked with recently. Each is about 6 to 10 inches wide and 5 to 7 feet long. I can make a a gazillion pens with this. :-)

It is Surrell (made by Formica) and not Corian but I am assuming that thay are very similiar.

Can it be glued up the same way?

Ken you recommended "Use a medium gel CA for turning". Could you be a little more specific? I have never used any of this material and would like to get the right stuff. I'm assuming I can get it at Lowes, right?

[John Miliunas]

Clem, though I'm not in the habit of answering for Ken, I think this is what he's referring to:

Super “T” Adhesive has the consistency of syrup and will fill small gaps between parts. It is the perfect adhesive for repairing jagged wood breaks or bonding two pieces not perfectly matched together. Bonding time 10-25 seconds. 2 ounces, non-toxic.

I "copy/pasted" directly from the Woodcraft site, though it's available through Penn State Ind., Rockler and any number of other woodworking and crafts outlets. CA glue is basically what we more commonly know as "Super Glue", though it's been improved upon and you can get it in a number of different consistencies. Hope that's the answer you were after and Ken, didn't mean to step on your toes.
:cool:

[Clem Wixted]

Thanks John

I'll look for it tomorrow.

Ken also demonstrated dry glue up using a thin CA. Is the consistancy given on the label?

I'm looking forward to playing with this. I fixed my lathe motor (bad capacitor) and haven't used the lathe in over ten years.

Clem
A refugee from Waukesha, WI 25 years ago!

[Dennis Peacock]

Clem,

It is just a medium thick Super Glue. It is widely available at most hobby stores. I have only seen the THIN stuff at Lowes but the medium will work best for what you are going to do with it.

BTW, send me a couple of pieces so I can try my hand at turning pens out of that.!! :-)

Conway, AR......

[John Miliunas]

Originally posted by Dennis Peacock
Clem,

It is just a medium thick Super Glue. It is widely available at most hobby stores. I have only seen the THIN stuff at Lowes but the medium will work best for what you are going to do with it.

BTW, send me a couple of pieces so I can try my hand at turning pens out of that.!! :-)

Conway, AR......

Hey Dennis, drop me an email with your address and I'd be happy to send a few suitable junks out to 'ya. :cool:

[John Miliunas]

Finally got my "honey-do" list done! To make a long story short, after a number of failed attempts at drilling out the blanks, I ended up with two workable ones. Here's my first ever Corian pen. Not the best, but acceptable and it's inspired me to continue pursuing this medium. Thanks for taking a peek and I accept harsh criticism w/o retribution!:D :cool:

[Jim Baker]

Criticisim??? What's to criticize. It looks good. Keep up the good work.

[Clem Wixted]

Looks great from here. I'm assuming that you had to glue up the Corian. When you look closely can you see the seam?

The guy that gve me the Surrell said that special color adhesives are available to match so the seam won't show when joining the same color to each other. If joining different colors clear or one of the colors will work.

Clem

[Scott Greaves]

Hey John,

That looks great! You picked a nice color of Corian for your pen. Drilling is a bugger, isn't it. It does get better with more practice.

Clem,

That is a slimline, which you can get out of a single thickness of Corian without glueing. Most Corian is 1/2" thick, and although that doesn't leave much wiggle-room, it is sufficient.

Scott.

[John Miliunas]

Originally posted by Scott Greaves
Hey John,

That looks great! You picked a nice color of Corian for your pen. Drilling is a bugger, isn't it. It does get better with more practice.

Clem,

That is a slimline, which you can get out of a single thickness of Corian without glueing. Most Corian is 1/2" thick, and although that doesn't leave much wiggle-room, it is sufficient.

Scott.

Thanks for the positive feedback. Yup, drilling really is a bugger! Any suggestions for better drilling? I had a number of them "blow out" just as I was reaching the end of the bore. I thought I was going pretty slow and made sure to clean chips out real often. You're right about the "practice". I'm sure it'll get easier with time.

Clem, as Scott mentions, this one is a "Slimline" and the factory width (.502") manages to squeek by. I think that may be why I was having some of the problems with it blowing out at the end of the bore. I've got a couple small pieces, which I glued up this evening with CA glue. I'll see how that works, particularly for the seam visibility. I'll keep you posted as soon as I get some results.:cool:

[Ken Dolph]

I usually reccomend Hot Stuff brand Super-T (this is their medium gel).

Surrel is a polyester material. Please do not judge Corian by it. You will find it more brittle than Corian.

I believe that the same glue will work but I nave never tried.

I know that this is lillte help

Ken

[John Miliunas]

Originally posted by Ken Dolph
I usually reccomend Hot Stuff brand Super-T (this is their medium gel).

Surrel is a polyester material. Please do not judge Corian by it. You will find it more brittle than Corian.

I believe that the same glue will work but I nave never tried.

I know that this is lillte help

Ken

Hey Ken. Is there any way that a person can make the determination in difference between the two? I'm afraid that I'm not experienced with either, so it may be that I've got Surrel here and don't even know it. For whatever it's worth, when machining it, there is the slight odor of melting plastic, though not really overpowering or heavy. :cool:

[Ken Salisbury]

Originally posted by Dennis Peacock
Clem,

It is just a medium thick Super Glue. It is widely available at most hobby stores. I have only seen the THIN stuff at Lowes but the medium will work best for what you are going to do with it.

BTW, send me a couple of pieces so I can try my hand at turning pens out of that.!! :-)

Conway, AR......

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Dennis --- If you will give me an e-mail reminder before the Indiana Picnic I will throw enough in the truck for you to make a couple hundred pens.
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[Scott Greaves]

Any suggestions for better drilling? I had a number of them "blow out" just as I was reaching the end of the bore. I thought I was going pretty slow and made sure to clean chips out real often. You're right about the "practice". I'm sure it'll get easier with time.

Hi John,

There are a lot of different ways to drill Corian successfully. Here's a couple of things you can do to increase your odds. Use a pilot point bit (Bullet Bit). 7mm ones are available from Craft Supplies (believe me, metric ones are almost impossible to find elsewhere). Run the drill press at about 1800rpm. Adjust as necessary to get your best results. A good pen drilling jig that holds the blank securely in a verticle position helps, whether it's a fancy self-centering jig, or a homemade gate jig. Clear the chips often. If it seems to be getting hot, spritz the blank with some water. Have some waste stock under the pen blank to drill into as the bit exits the blank. This will help a lot! If you're still cracking them right at the end, cut the blank longer than you need, and stop drilling short of the end of the blank, then cut it off later. The biggest thing that breaks these right at the end is a "lurch" as the bit exits the material.

See if this helps.

Scott.

[Clem Wixted]

Would drilling part way from one end and then flipping the blank and finish drilling from the opposite end accomplish anything? Would it just move the "lurch" point up inside the blank rather than at the bottom? Would alignment of the hole then become and issue?

Clem

[John Miliunas]

Originally posted by Scott Greaves
Hi John,

There are a lot of different ways to drill Corian successfully. Here's a couple of things you can do to increase your odds. Use a pilot point bit (Bullet Bit). 7mm ones are available from Craft Supplies (believe me, metric ones are almost impossible to find elsewhere). Run the drill press at about 1800rpm. Adjust as necessary to get your best results. A good pen drilling jig that holds the blank securely in a verticle position helps, whether it's a fancy self-centering jig, or a homemade gate jig. Clear the chips often. If it seems to be getting hot, spritz the blank with some water. Have some waste stock under the pen blank to drill into as the bit exits the blank. This will help a lot! If you're still cracking them right at the end, cut the blank longer than you need, and stop drilling short of the end of the blank, then cut it off later. The biggest thing that breaks these right at the end is a "lurch" as the bit exits the material.

See if this helps.



Scott.

Thanks for all the super info, Scott! I do have one of those "fancy self-centering jigs", but no Bullet of the 7mm flavor. (Been using the brad point bit). I'll have to check at Woodcraft for the Bullet. Also, I'm so used to running my DP at much slower speed, that I left it there (600rpm, I think). I'll try to crank it up a bit. I also like the idea of blocking underneath. That may prove to be the hot tip. If not, your last idea may be the ticket, because the scraps I have are plenty long.

CLEM! Thanks for the thought, but I'm thinking that allignment may be an issue. There are just too many variables to get it dead-on once it's flipped over. My blanks are not 100% square and any runout would certainly throw things off. I think trying to get that brass insert in would then be near-impossible. Mind you, I haven't tried this, but that is my thought(s) knowing my own situation and equipment. If you've got really square blanks and real accurate DP, that may indeed work. I think, for my money, I'll give the suggestions Scott indicated first and see how that flies. Will keep ya's posted on progress. :cool:

[Jim Becker]

There is a company called Art Specialties International, Inc. that specializes in Corian for the arts. They have the "real" Corian adhesive which provides a "zero" glue line. They also sell smaller pieces of the stuff if you cannot find it locally from cabinetmakers, etc., who are approved to use the material.

[Scott Greaves]

You're welcome, John!

Clem - I think you would have alignment problems drilling from both ends. The consensus at the Penturners group is that for blanks that are prone to blowing out as the bit exits, the most surefire fix is to leave the blank long, stop drilling short of the end of the blank, and cut that end off to expose the hole later. This becomes more important if you're using stuff like Ivory or some of the more expensive acrylics or stabilized woods, that you just can't chance ruining.

I hope this helps. This has been fun!

Scott.

(I've got to get me an Avatar picture!) ;-)