Will be making an -of course- open baffle from a peice of Corian this weekend. Is this stuff 'gonna ruin my router bits or what? Any experiences working with Corian appreciated.
Jason
Jason
Corian routs very well, just keep a constant, slow advance rate. It also gives of noxious fumes (probably cancer-causing!), so wear a mask & do it outside.
Good luck, and post a picture!
Good luck, and post a picture!
"Is this stuff 'gonna ruin my router bits...?"
If you can afford Corian you can afford the router bits! 😀 😉
If you can afford Corian you can afford the router bits! 😀 😉
Gilid,
Thanks for the tip, especially considering the fumes. Hunting for a christmas camera now, so hopefully I will be able to start posting pics this december.🙂
Traderbam,
Wish I could say so, but in the true DIY spirit I scored it for free from a moneybag doing some renovating. Excellent condition though, wonder how much I'll be able to sell these for!😀
regards, Jason
Thanks for the tip, especially considering the fumes. Hunting for a christmas camera now, so hopefully I will be able to start posting pics this december.🙂
Traderbam,
Wish I could say so, but in the true DIY spirit I scored it for free from a moneybag doing some renovating. Excellent condition though, wonder how much I'll be able to sell these for!😀
regards, Jason
Corian will split
it does route beautifully, however. <p>Having raised 3 teenage boys (once got back from a trip to the Far East with the kitchen door pulled off!) I know that Corian is not as durable as DuPont makes it out to be. I guess marble would have been better!
<p> One other thing, never get methylene chloride in contact with Corian! It will instantly take the color right off the surface. This I leaned from a woeful experience refinishing the bathroom windows. A little splash of paint and varnish remover is indelibly planted on one of the bathroom counter-tops.
it does route beautifully, however. <p>Having raised 3 teenage boys (once got back from a trip to the Far East with the kitchen door pulled off!) I know that Corian is not as durable as DuPont makes it out to be. I guess marble would have been better!
<p> One other thing, never get methylene chloride in contact with Corian! It will instantly take the color right off the surface. This I leaned from a woeful experience refinishing the bathroom windows. A little splash of paint and varnish remover is indelibly planted on one of the bathroom counter-tops.
Marble is pretty soft and porous, so stains a lot. Good thing you didn't get that!
Now granite really is pretty tough stuff. In the U.S. you can get some of it pretty darned cheap because it is now sliced and ground in China (by whom?)🙁 where it is quarried. In the old days , big blocks were shipped to places like Italy to be finished with their much higher labor costs. The premium stuff still is. If you can live with some less exciting patterns, the cost is about $160 for a slab 3' x 5' I think.
Another breakthrough is cheap diamond blades, so getting the stuff cut isn't that much either. Gotta search out the cheapo place in your area! I can help people in the SF bay area. I think a hole for an undermounted sink is $75 but I might not remember that right. So, thats what a driver cut out would cost.
Whatever, my point is that a slab to glue on with Liquid Nails for constrained layer damping isn't necessarily prohibitive- especially if it is on the sides and back so has no cut-outs. Some say granite is bad juju for audio use, but I can't see why.
Now granite really is pretty tough stuff. In the U.S. you can get some of it pretty darned cheap because it is now sliced and ground in China (by whom?)🙁 where it is quarried. In the old days , big blocks were shipped to places like Italy to be finished with their much higher labor costs. The premium stuff still is. If you can live with some less exciting patterns, the cost is about $160 for a slab 3' x 5' I think.
Another breakthrough is cheap diamond blades, so getting the stuff cut isn't that much either. Gotta search out the cheapo place in your area! I can help people in the SF bay area. I think a hole for an undermounted sink is $75 but I might not remember that right. So, thats what a driver cut out would cost.
Whatever, my point is that a slab to glue on with Liquid Nails for constrained layer damping isn't necessarily prohibitive- especially if it is on the sides and back so has no cut-outs. Some say granite is bad juju for audio use, but I can't see why.
Corian is tough on bits and routers. Better have at least a 2HP router if you're doing any prolonged shaping. 1/2" shank bits are a must, also. Be ready for a snowstorm of Corian shavings when you route. Noxious fumes???? Not that I know of.
Pete
Pete
I have the 2 hp Porter Cable
replaced a Black and Decker which eventually wore out. The pc can take 1/4 or 1/2 bits. I guess if you would have to order the importance, a 2 HP router is well up the list, along with a beefy screw gun, variable speed drill, sabre saw etc.
replaced a Black and Decker which eventually wore out. The pc can take 1/4 or 1/2 bits. I guess if you would have to order the importance, a 2 HP router is well up the list, along with a beefy screw gun, variable speed drill, sabre saw etc.
I'm also looking at making a baffle from Corian. I'd get the cutouts professionally done, but is it difficult to drill for mounting holes?
Steve
Steve
sfdoddsy said:
Drills pretty easily with twist drills. Any type of larger hole would be better with a hole saw. Go slow, tho, as it can crack under too much pressure or if the bit jams and jerks. Also make sure the thru holes in the Corian are larger than your fastener. Only rely on the substrate to do the holding power.
Dupont's fabrication guide is a large binder full of specifics and warnings about working with Corian. And every year it grows! In fact, you have to be certified by Dupont to be a fabricator (at least if you want the 10 year warranty). The biggest problem is tension cracks, either by temperature changes or physical pressure.
Pete
I made a TT plinth with 3 layers of Corian. The local counter shop cut three blanks, I routed the internal features and added thread inserts in the middle layer. I was able to use a standard wood hole saw and a small B&D router using a 1/4 bit with no problem, but I never cared if the bits were throw-aways.
I made a fairly nice dust/shaving extractor with a shop vac and lots of duct tape. It still made a mess but I picked up most of the debris in real time. That made it easy to see my path, too.
I took the three pieces back to the counter shop where they glued it together and cleaned up the sides to have a seamless and polished edge. Very nice!
I made a fairly nice dust/shaving extractor with a shop vac and lots of duct tape. It still made a mess but I picked up most of the debris in real time. That made it easy to see my path, too.
I took the three pieces back to the counter shop where they glued it together and cleaned up the sides to have a seamless and polished edge. Very nice!
Get a waterjet place to cut aluminum, steel or marble for you. Supposedly very cheap, on the order of 100 Euros for a large baffle (material & labor).
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