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Thread: Corian for Workbench Top?

  1. #1
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    Corian for Workbench Top?

    I'm redoing my shop. I plan to put metalworking things on one side and woodworking things on the other.

    The previous owner of the house put a solid L-shaped Corian counter in one corner. It sits on two-by-fours, and everything is screwed to the wall. It's very nice, but fixed work surfaces are stupid, so it has to be taken out. Tool mobility is a must. I plan to cut it in two non-L-shaped pieces and save it for projects.

    I don't have a real woodworking bench. I'm planning to make one. I don't want to join the bench religion and make a work of art I'm afraid to use. Among the planned acts of heresy: it will have wheels and maybe a power strip screwed to it somewhere. Anyway, here's what I'm wondering: is there any reason not to use Corian for a workbench top? This stuff is 1.5" thick, it won't have to be planed, it can't warp, it's impervious to chemicals, it's tougher than wood, and I can drill and cut it. Seems like a great idea to me. I have to do something with the Corian counter I'm taking out, and I just happen to have Corian blades for my table saw. I bought it from a guy who made Corian counters.
    Cry "Havoc," and let slip the dogs of bench.

    I was socially distant before it was cool.

    A little authority corrupts a lot.

  2. #2
    Sounds like a great idea to me. Just because it’s not traditional doesn’t mean it won’t work.

  3. #3
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    I've never seen a solid 1.5" thick corian countertop; all the ones I've seen are about half that or less with the edges built up, so I'd check that.

    Corian will sag if not well supported.

    One down side would be that it's pretty slick, so holding work to it might be a challenge. That's why you see a lot of folks recommending leaving a wood bench top unfinished, so it's less slick.

    Properly supported, it would make great infeed/outfeed tables or a router table top.

  4. #4
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    I'll bet you're right about the thickness. I have not checked behind the edge.
    Cry "Havoc," and let slip the dogs of bench.

    I was socially distant before it was cool.

    A little authority corrupts a lot.

  5. #5
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    I like using dogs to hold work down and flat. I'm not sure that could be done very easily with corian. I am also sometimes careless with my blades and drill bits, and having a wooden surface is more forgiving.

  6. #6
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    Note that it will not take heat from soldering etc.
    Bil lD

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Paul F Franklin View Post
    I've never seen a solid 1.5" thick corian countertop; all the ones I've seen are about half that or less with the edges built up, so I'd check that.

    Corian will sag if not well supported.

    One down side would be that it's pretty slick, so holding work to it might be a challenge. That's why you see a lot of folks recommending leaving a wood bench top unfinished, so it's less slick.

    Properly supported, it would make great infeed/outfeed tables or a router table top.
    I agree with Paul. We had Corian installed in the kitchen in our old house, and it was 1/2" material over a particle board substrate, with built-up edges. Same deal with the bathroom vanity tops in our new place. When we were shopping for the kitchen in the old place, I believe they told us that the thickest standard size was 3/4" - so I guess it's possible you have two pieces laminated.

    I don't think I'd care for it as a workbench top, but I like the idea of using it for infeed/outfeed or a router table.

  8. #8
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    I used to install it during the time when it was in favor for countertops, after the Formica era, but before Granite. I accumulated a lot of scraps, and sink cutouts. It makes good custom router bases, and shelves in showers (have shelves I made in our Marble shower, and no one has ever commented on them being out of place). I made one shooting board out of it, only because I had some.

    I think it would be good for an assembly table, outfeed table, or even router table, but I wouldn't feel great about it for a workbench top. It's a lot harder than wood.

    It is fairly easy to fabricate, and cuts with normal woodworking blades, and bits just fine. Just feed slow. I do have one saw blade specifically for it, left over from back in that day, but won't bother to change a blade if I'm not cutting a lot of it. The edge forming bits I have for it have solid surface bearings, so as not to leave marking on the edges, but regular bearing bits work fine too, you just might have some fine sanding to do.

  9. #9
    Too brittle and unforgiving for woodworking, in my opinion. Would be great for 'utiliity' benches though - sharpening station, finishing etc.
    Are you sure it's 1.5" thick, and not just a built up front edge? Corian is usually 13mm/ .5" thick.

  10. #10
    During my stint in the plastics industry, we sold another acrylic-based solid-surface material that was essentially a competitor's version of Corian. Most common thickness was 1/2". I recall quoting some 1.0" at one point and that it was ASTRONOMICALLY expensive. Agree that Corian is too brittle for a ww'ing table top. I would prefer HDPE for a ww'ing (or paint finishing) top. It's heavy but cheap and somewhat shock absorbing.

    Erik
    Ex-SCM and Felder rep

  11. #11
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    I have been reading about it. People say it has no structural strength, but the counter in my workshop is so solid and rigid, it feels like working on concrete. I need to get under it and find out what's down there. I'm pretty sure it's just a two-by-four in front and another in back, though. The installation was not a quality job.

    Right now a small Harbor Freight wood lathe is sitting on it, and it works great for that. Maybe I'll make a rolling cart and put the Corian and lathe on it.
    Cry "Havoc," and let slip the dogs of bench.

    I was socially distant before it was cool.

    A little authority corrupts a lot.

  12. #12
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    I has a lot of structural strength, but I have no idea in measurement terms. I'd be surprised if 1/2" sagged over a 2' span without heat added. It's certainly way stiffer than 1/2" plywood. It will break if you hit it hard enough with a blow that would only dent, or flex wood, so it is more brittle than wood, but it has to be a severe impact beyond any normal use.

  13. #13
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    I have a Corian countertop and sink and within one week of owning them I dropped a knife into the sink. CHIP! Not repairable. I love it as a router table but I would never use it for a workbench top.

  14. #14
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    I do still use a little of it periodically, mainly for repairs or matching an existing counter or something. Like Tom said, it is pretty strong. When making the joints, you have to flex it a little to line up the surfaces for the epoxy. No big deal, but it feels as stiff as a sheet of 7/16" plywood or something when you are doing it. I've stress tested scraps, it's tougher than you think.

    Ellen, your sink ship is probably repairable if someone wants to try. All it takes usually is the proper color matching epoxy which the manufacturer supplies, and some sanding. One of my favorite things about it is how easy it is to repair and work with. I wish it was still popular.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ellen Benkin View Post
    I have a Corian countertop and sink and within one week of owning them I dropped a knife into the sink. CHIP! Not repairable. I love it as a router table but I would never use it for a workbench top.
    Ellen,

    I had good results repairing a couple of small chips in our kitchen countertop using a kit from these guys: https://acrylicrepair.com/corian-repair-kit . The countertop was a "granite" pattern, and a repair with a clear acrylic was pretty much invisible - it might be harder to get the same results on a solid color, which I imagine your sink would be.

    Gary

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