Thread: Some more Corian turnings.

Very nice job on that.

Well done Peter.

Well done I am going to be doing some turning with corian soon as the stiches come out of the hand. Wel gedaan Regards Roger in RSA

A fetching looking set, nice job.

Hello sturdee,
I am interested in turning some corian - any particular tips & suggestions with tools. Is it like turning acrylics or does it come off better etc. Thanks, Drillit.

Originally Posted by Drillit

Hello sturdee,
I am interested in turning some corian - any particular tips & suggestions with tools. Is it like turning acrylics or does it come off better etc. Thanks, Drillit.

Yes, it's a bit like turning acrylics except that it doesn't fracture or break as easily.

Corian can be cut, drilled and routed the same as timber. I cut pieces on the table saw with an 10" 80 teeth blade which leaves a nice smooth finish. Haven't tried cutting it on a bandsaw as yet.

I found that because of its size 12*12mm drilling for pens blanks is easier on the lathe rather then the drill press. Again frequent removing and clearing the groves is essential. Going slower is actually quicker because it reduces heat build up which would crack the blanks whilst drilling.

For turning very sharp scrapers is the best. Resharpen frequently. Sheer scraping with a skew is great but gouges are not very successful.

Frequent breaks between turning helps to keep the corian cool as it gets quite warm. Wear gloves to avoid burning your hands as the shavings can become hot and sharp. Protective clothing, dust mask and face shield is essential when working on it.

Laminating corian together using superglue is fine, sanding with 220 first helps, but epoxy (araldyte) does not work.

When finished turning it still looks rather dull but when polishing it with wet and dry the sheen starts to come up. I start at 600 wet and dry and finish up with the Micro Mesh pads up to 12000 , then a final hand polish using Micromesh cream or car polish at which stage it has a real glossy finish.

Btw plain solid colours are easier to turn then their speckled stuff but they are harder to obtain. I like using this material because it's strong and has a lovely feel to the finished item when handling.

Peter.

Excellent work Peter and a great explanation of WIP. I have never tried Corian but seeing those results I am inspired to do so.

Peter, nice job. Did not know what is Corian, but saw on the internet that this is a product of DuPont.
Mainly as a sheet material in various colors to get, very interesting.
Merry Christmas.
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Originally Posted by Wikipedia

Corian is the brand name for a solid surface material created by DuPont. It is composed of acrylic polymer and alumina trihydrate. Its primary use is in kitchen countertops, bathroom vanity tops, and wall cladding in showers.
Due to its non-porous quality, Corian is approved for use in specialized environments, such as laboratories and hospitals. Corian's versatility allows it to be joined, shaped, and finished into a wide variety of products.

It comes in more than 100 colors and patterns and can be seen here.

Trouble is most people go for the light or dark subdued colours for their kitchens so bold and bright colours are hard to get from kitchen benchtop of cuts and discards.

A recent issue of Woodturning magazine had an article on making Corian bowls and that was what started me on this track.

Peter.

Hello Sturdee,
As it seems you are on a roll and nothing can stop you now. Well done, but do not forget, our main aim is "to turn wood", ha ha ha.
Joevan.

Joe,

Great minds think alike, just finished turning a last minute Christmas present being a tea light candle holder out of redgum.


Peter.

Nice job Sturdee

Looks like being a very Corian Christmas around your way !

You realise that you've become the "go to guy" for any non-wood turning problems?

Peter, I obtained a good supply of corian offcuts (unfortunately only white) and have been playing with it to see what can be done with it. Found CA glue the best specially on open vases, corian can be treated similar to wood and agree with your
safety precautions, thanks for your hints on finishing I have only finished off with 1200 grit paper. I cut the segments on the table saw with 80 teeth blade. I used perspex to add color laminating some using CA glue. The corian I obtained were 15mm and a lot of 30mm similar to corian, some offcuts are 4ftx3ft. Have added some photos of projects to my album.

Originally Posted by bobcol

The corian I obtained were 15mm and a lot of 30mm similar to corian, some offcuts are 4ftx3ft. Have added some photos of projects to my album.

Some lovely work there, glad that you are enjoying working with other materials like I do.

I have been fortunate that I have collected a lot more fancy and colours in the off cuts that I have been able to obtain. Also they are putting aside for me the best off cuts and they are really encouraging me with ideas.

It helps if you go back and show what you have done with and I give them gifts of the items I've made. All helps to cement a long term relationship with what are my free suppliers of materials.

Peter.