PDA

View Full Version : Some more Corian pendants.



Sturdee
1st January 2012, 04:06 PM
Further to the pendants I made from acrylics and corian for Christmas presents (http://www.woodworkforums.com/f8/christmas-presents-144891/) here are some more pendants I have made.

All are fom corian and the photos are in line with my pendant turning learning journey. All are approx 70mm diam.

Photo 1 shows the simple design made by glueing strips of black and white corian together in the Collingwood colours.

Photo 2 shows the colours of Melbourne Storm, being a layer of yellow glued onto a layer of purple, in the simple design.

Photo 3 is similar to photo 1 but with a much larger opening for the hanging cord. These three were a also Christmas presents but I could not show them earlier for Michelle reads the board. :D

Photo 4 is the second design but from a plain granite colour.

Photo 5, 6 & 7 are various views of the latest design. I cut some black and white corian to 5mm thick and laminated them together for offset turning a la an article in Woodturning.Photo 5 shows the front with its happy face, photo 6 shows the back and photo 7 shows the front edge. In this photo it is resting on a piece of untreated black corian.

Next one will be in black and orange and will I be trying to improve the layering and angle of the latest one.

Enjoy, and comments are of course welcome.

Peter.

BTW the background for the last few photos is purpleheart.

dr4g0nfly
2nd January 2012, 12:22 AM
Interesting substance although I've never tried to turn it.

Sure they will go down well with the ladyfolk.

Do you have any pic's or a link to the jug used to make these (the off centre hole).

APD
2nd January 2012, 07:32 AM
Hi Dr4g0nfly

Don't know if this is the one that Sturdee uses but it works for me, a big thanks to our Kiwi friends in South Auckland
http://www.sawg.org.nz/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Jewellery-Chucks1.pdf:2tsup:

dr4g0nfly
2nd January 2012, 09:02 AM
Thanks for that APD.

Sturdee
2nd January 2012, 01:24 PM
Do you have any pic's or a link to the jug used to make these (the off centre hole).

I use a real fancy pendant mandrell which I bought from Woodnworkshop (http://www.woodnworkshop.com.au/index.php?cPath=56&osCsid=7555cc7b3f2f2e178e286f9172ca2a47) as they are an Australian supplier but it's identical to the Joiner pendant plate (http://www.torne-lignum.com/Pendant-chucks.html) available from the US.

I'm very satisfied with the jig and have only just begun to learn some of the ins and out of this jig. Hence my leaning journey.

BTW the link also links to some instructional videos.

Peter.

Sturdee
14th January 2012, 04:23 PM
Next one will be in black and orange and will I be trying to improve the layering and angle of the latest one.


I made the black and orange layered on top of each other and turned them on an angle to see the various layers but it was not successful enough. At the edges there are not sharp lines, maybe if I had the right colour special Corian glue they may be better.

It also did not polish up very nicely so I won't be making more along that line.

Anyway here is the photo of it and this will not be a keeper.

Peter.

Sturdee
14th January 2012, 04:29 PM
Since that one I have been making one of each of the different types of Corian samples and off cuts I collected and have been perfecting my techniques to turning them. They are getting much better and easier to turn especially after extending the mini lathe bed.:D

It is difficult to show the various patterns in the light coloured Corian but each is a different type.

Still have quite a few more to do but here are the ones so far.

Enjoy.

Peter.

munruben
14th January 2012, 05:00 PM
Great work Peter, they look terrific.:2tsup:

dr4g0nfly
14th January 2012, 07:28 PM
I guess that Corian is designed to look like stone. I do like the effect your getting.

Sturdee
14th January 2012, 11:21 PM
I guess that Corian is designed to look like stone. I do like the effect your getting.

Yes as it's a bench top type of material a lot of finishes are designed to look like stone. This is what makes it look interesting when used as jewellery.

At this stage I have about 8 more types to make before I go on another scrounging expedition. :D

Peter.

artme
15th January 2012, 08:44 AM
Good stuphph Peter!:2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:

mick61
15th January 2012, 10:13 AM
G`day peter I am not as fancy as you with the pendants i use a piece of two by one and double sided tape.
Mick:D

dtaylor
16th January 2012, 11:51 AM
New to this forum, and decided to join after I seen the great pendents you made from corian. I just got the Joyner jig for xmas, but haven't used it yet, cold winter here in Ohio. What glue do you use to glue together the corian? Is there a process to glue them together? thanks, great work. Dennis

Sturdee
16th January 2012, 09:03 PM
Welcome to the forum Dennis and I feel humbled that you joined because of my work with Corian. I enjoy working with this material especially for making things like jewellery.

As to gluing pieces of Corian together ideally you use the special glue made by Dupont, but I believe they will only supply registered fabricators and in any case it is rather expensive. I was told that it was about A$80 a small cartridge.The special glue is actually Corian and makes a seamless bond.

However I found using Cyanoacrylate glue (CA glue, superglue or instant glue) works well. I rough sand both sides with 240 grit sandpaper to slightly roughen the smooth surfaces prior to gluing.

After applying the glue I clamp it for 24 hours to be on the safe side whilst it cures. Do not use the hardener as that makes the joints brittle.

In making the pendants I found that cutting strips and gluing them together (see photos 1 and 3 of post 1) works well as I glue the top and bottom surfaces against each other.

However cutting thin disks and gluing them together (see photos 5-7 of post 1 and post 6) did not work as successful.

This material lends itself also to making pens, bracelets and earrings.

Next I will start trying to make some bracelets to go with the pendants.

Peter.

Sturdee
16th January 2012, 09:05 PM
I just got the Joyner jig for xmas, but haven't used it yet, cold winter here in Ohio. Dennis

I also use that jig and it's easy to use. Still working out all the possible ways of decorating with it. Good bit of kit to have.

Peter.

Sturdee
21st January 2012, 03:54 PM
Been making some more pendants as per photos below.

Photo 1 shows a plain white one and a plain oatmeal one.

Photo 2 shows a plain black one and a white with grey spots throughout.

The plain colours are harder to get and surprisingly harder to make as it requires much more polishing to get a great shine.

I'm making a few of the white with grey spots to give back to the people who were kind enough to give me the of cuts I'm using.

Finally in photo 3 a bit of nostalgia for me. :D This one is based on the dutch flag being the flag of my country of birth.

Next I'm going to try making some oval ones.

Enjoy.


Peter.

Sturdee
22nd January 2012, 12:32 PM
Made two pendants both rectangular with the ends rounded. This time it was not out of Corian but out of a similar stuff made by Samsung and it was harder to turn so I'll stick to Corian.

The one on the left is 50mm wide with a large hole and the one on the right is 40mm wide with a smaller hole and I would like some opinions which of the two types looks better.

Btw please ignore that the one on the right is not perfectly rounded. It slipped whilst turning and as there are only prototypes I didn't worry about it.

All comments and advice gratefully received as I need guidance in working out a good design.


Peter.

outoftown
24th January 2012, 09:14 PM
Ok, I know this is a stupid question, but I can't figure out how both sides of the pendant can be finished. I Gather that the pendant blank is glued to the wood on the chuck, so how is the reverse side turned?

Sturdee
24th January 2012, 09:52 PM
Ok, I know this is a stupid question

Not a stupid question at all. Actually rather interesting.

Corian usually has one polished side and one unpolished side. Depending on the type and pattern in the corian I use either the polished side or the unpolished side for the back.

If I use the unpolished side for the back of the pendant then I first glue the polished side down on the sacrificial melamine block that is screwed onto the jig with some hot melt glue.

I then proceed to sand and wet polish this side on the lathe. Then I remove it from the jig by injecting some metho between the block and pendant with a syringe. This will weaken and loosen the pendant. and makes removing the old hot melt glue easy. This side now becomes the polished back of the pendant.

Now having a polished back I reglue the now polished back to the jig again using hot melt glue and turn the pendant.

Finally after removing the finished pendant, again injecting metho, I hand sand the rough edges smooth and wet repolish these edges.

Trust that makes it clear.


Peter.

outoftown
27th January 2012, 08:42 AM
Thanks Sturdee, that does explain the process.