Cutting Corian

[Rookie432@aol.com]

I need to pick some veteran brains. Ha
I have had my shopbot for about 6 months and now after making enough sawdust to cover all the pubs in Ohio I'm starting to get the hang of it all.
Now I'm finally getting some requests for some paying jobs. My question is has anyone had much experiance cutting Corian. A local Corian distributor is very interested in having me do inlays. Considering He currently farms the work to Canada I think the relationship can finally start paying for my investment. What concerns me is He is telling me that his Corian is normally
cut at 150 to 225 inches per minute. I'm not sure this speed is necessary. If anyone has cut Corian
would you be willing to offer some cutting advice before I spend hundreds more on bits and material just to get it right. Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks

[shuttle]

The handling of Corian is a well guarded secret..

http://www.pinske-edge.com/catindex.htm
http://www.counterpt.com/corian/corian_csi_specs.htm

'Refer to DuPont Corian® Fabrication and Installation manual E-88639'

[rgengrave@aol.com]

Bill I did a few jobs with Corian and I am here too tell you one thing, make a mistake and you lost big time.

Forget the cut speed, just make sure you do it right the first time, me I would cut at a slow speed like .75 just to make sure I did not ruin a $200 + sheet of Corian "COST WILL VERY IN DIFFERENT STATES"

Ron V

[jkforney@yahoo.com]

Bill
Give me a call. We are certified fabricators. We cut it all the time. Inlays are a piece of cake.

John Forney

[visionm@swbell.net]

John,
Do you have a website to view or any info on fabricating Corian? How do I learn more about the product and becoming certified? I bought a SB a few months ago and want to learn all I can and all my options.

James Burnell

[visionm@swbell.net]

Bill,
How did you get the word out about having your SB and "getting the cutting jobs. Any info is appreciated on how to make $$$$ on my machine.
Thanks James Burnell / Dallas area

[jkforney@yahoo.com]

James
No web site. As to becoming certified, contact the solid surface suppliers in your area and get information from them. They normally require a minimum purchase, require an inspection of your shop and want you to attend a fabrication class (usually taught by someone who is younger than shoes I own). Then you are certified and the company will stand behind you for the 10 years. I think you can buy the material kinda bootleg but it is up in the air as to the individual companies honoring any defects in your work.

A good way to get the word out that you have a SB is to use typesetter, carve a contractor/business name on a small piece of wood. I then cut the bottom at a 20 degree angle on the saw, use the cut off as a base and make a name plaque for their desk. I stain and finish it and give it to them. Sure beats a business card. Only a sugestion. Also I use Vacarz to do my carving. Check vectorcam.com for 30 day full demo.

By the way I am certified in Fountainhead, Surell and Gibralter. Corian is too difficult to work with. Not the material, the company.


John Forne

[visionm@swbell.net]

Thanks John for the sugestions.

James

[jkforney@yahoo.com]

James
Surell allows v grooving. A 90 degree bit makes a mitered edge. This allows you to make edges very fast. They require that you have a 1/4 radius in all inside corners which means you have to glue a small 1/2 x 1/2 block in the center and make a template (also done on the shopbot) for a hand router, straight bit and template follower.

This v grooving allows us to make solid surface table tops (coffee, end, sofa and dinning) with only four cuts on the back side of a piece. Think of a rectangle with the sides going past each other. Throw out the little corners and you have miters to the top and to each end. It takes more time to figure out how to hold down the piece than it does to cut it.

Turn it over and make a inlay design (in our case often, 1/8 route 1" in from edge with a 1/4" route 1/4" offset and then another 1/8 route. Three lines 1/8 1/4 1/8.) We then pour in inlay material (often a different color adhesive) sand, sand, sand. Make or buy some legs, add an apron, corner blocks and sell.

White fluer de lis (have no idea on spelling)at corners with black or dark redish solid surface. Looks like a million bucks. Maybe their initials in a circle in center. You get the picture.

John Forney

email Billy Pulumbo for info on carving marble.