Anyone have any exp cutting corian on a wood lathe? Did you run the lathe at a slow speed or high speed? What did it do to your cutting tools? Any other information you could add would help, this is my first try at turning some of this stuff.

It's easy to turn. You will have to keep your tools sharp and this could mean sharpening them several times during the operation. Still, I think it turns and cuts much better than most of the acrylic plastics. I turn it at about the same speed that I'd turn the same size wood square.

I'd recommend wet sanding - that keeps the fine dust down and also seems to put a smoother finish on material. Just lay a towel or something like that over your lathe bed ways and put a little water on the corian and the paper. Rewet as needed to keep the sanding residue flowing.

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I have some experience working with Corian. Tom is right, go about the same speed as you would with the wood, but a little slower is better than a little faster. Take light cuts. Gouges or scrapers both work. BUT I like to take the corners off the turning square FIRST on a benchtop belt sander. Turing to get the squares to round with Corian on the lathe just takes too much time and dulls the tools too much IMO.

It finishes great because there is no grain so sanding is a breeze. I also wet sand it and finish up with MicroMesh polishing pads. You can get a really nice gleam with the MicroMesh! If you want to go even further you can polish with the HUT product for plastic pens. Great stuff.

Thanks for the information, off to the garage to turn some corian

I only sand through 600 wet and then buff with Dico blue compound. It just makes faster work of the entire process, but I know that some guys really like the extremely fine grits on the Micro Mesh sanding pads.

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One thing to mention is the Corian is quite heavy. I do not know how much compared to othe racrylics & stuff. I turned a few checks and seat trim with it, as well as used it as a Bumer. It knid of threw the balance out of wack on one rod which had a large OD grip. IT's NOT a goodmaterial for braided lines and a bumper, becasue it will groove (at least on the fish I catch)

I assume this is being used for a reel seat insert?

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The Corian that I have is in ½” sheets and I know it comes in ¾”.
Can you get Corian in other thickness besides ½” and ¾”?
How is everyone cutting and mounting the Corian to fit on the Mandrels to turn?

Lynn

Hole saw. What I ended up doing is parrafin the MAndrel,and 5 minute epoxyign the Corian onto teh MAndrel so it did not spin. I didn't know what else to do, the Hole saw bores at 3/8", and was loose on teh 3/8" Mandrel. I'd love to hear what others do.

Billy
I use a hole saw that uses 1/4" drill bit. Once the blank is cut out you can use any size drill bit you need for enlarging the hole in the center.

Regards
Dave

Fishing is Life the rest is just Details

Even though, the corain seems to spin around on the mandrel a bit unless I glued it on. YOu were able to get a tight fit and successfully turn it with chisels?

Here ya go! This will lock ANYTHING into place for turning, sanding or anything else. I've turned down 1/8" pieces of acrylic with no problems. It cant spin [www.rodbuilding.org]

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

Mike Barkley Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Here ya go! This will lock ANYTHING into place
> for turning, sanding or anything else. I've
> turned down 1/8" pieces of acrylic with no
> problems. It cant spin
> [www.rodbuilding.org]
> /photo/3178/cat/500/page/3

Yep!!!! That's it!!!
Works mint!!! (mint: Canadian for real good) LOL

Regards
Dave

Fishing is Life the rest is just Details




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/07/2008 10:16PM by Dave Orr.

I use a 1/4 " or 3/8 drill rod threaded on one end . Slide the set collar up close to the threads and lock it down then use a nut and washer to cinch up the Corian. It wont spin. It's as simple as that.

Lynn: I'm using salesman samples 1/2" thick and 2" square. I find and mark center, drill hole for whatever size mandrel I'm using then grind off the corners . Mount it on a mandrel as described above, chuck it up and turn it.

J.B.Hunt
Bowling Green, KY



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/08/2008 02:21AM by Jay Hunt.

Thanks for the information everyone.

Lynn

I had some mandrels made from a local machine shop ,threaded on one end at the other end I use a set collar like Mike has, then I lock it down with a nut on threaded end. I can usually get it tight enough so that it wont turn on me, has worked well for me.

Ala,

Try sliding a piece of tubing spacer to move the nut and collar away from the stock. That way you can turn/sand/shape right down to the spacer without hitting nut/collar. Works great!

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!