Drilling corian

[Neil]

I turned my first corian pen this afternoon. I have resisted the non wood materials for most of the time I have been turning pens but fear that I am on the slippery slope, the lucida pen looks superb in vivid acrylics, and the corian pens that I turned this afternoon has got the wife enthused talking about getting all the kitchen fitters to send me all their off cuts in exchange for a streamline to give to their latest customer.

However, what's the best way to drill this? Lip and spur or jobber, fast medium or slow?

 

[Woody]

Hi Neil I use Jobber bits and slow and clearing drill bit along the way one reason is if you use corian over 1/2" it will be glued and any heat build up will break the join but is saying that I think some manufacturers are now making it up up 20mm thick

 

[Grump]

Very slow with plastic Neil it overheats and distorts so quickly.
If you wanna go fast as I do, then use a coolant and zip throgh fast.
Any drill as long as its nice and sharp.
Come round I'll show you in my shed init.

 

[Neil]

Hi Neil I use Jobber bits and slow and clearing drill bit along the way one reason is if you use corian over 1/2" it will be glued and any heat build up will break the join but is saying that I think some manufacturers are now making it up up 20mm thick

Woody, six twelve and eighteen are now the standard thicknesses but finding it at eighteen is proving difficult

 

[Jim]

300 rpm for me Neil, if you do over heat it, it goes big at one end, jobber is fine ...

 

[Woody]

Woody, six twelve and eighteen are now the standard thicknesses but finding it at eighteen is proving difficult

Right I thought they had increased it from 12mm but I wasn't sure what size they increased it to so thanks for that mate I used to get mine from David in Ireland and found him to be very helpful he is on this forum http://www.penturners.co.uk/buy-sell/1957-corian-blanks-25mm-x25mm.html and ebay

 

[Grump]

Woody, six twelve and eighteen are now the standard thicknesses but finding it at eighteen is proving difficult

I think it was 6 & 8mm when I used to do it, my machine would do 13mm so they used me for 12mm.
I know they developed a machine to handle upto 18mm mxx but have not heard of it in production from the original samples and trials.
I believe they were in Northern ireland but also our local dupont has the facility to do 18mm as it has the sanme machine.

 

[Lons]

Right I thought they had increased it from 12mm but I wasn't sure what size they increased it to so thanks for that mate I used to get mine from David in Ireland and found him to be very helpful he is on this forum http://www.penturners.co.uk/buy-sell/1957-corian-blanks-25mm-x25mm.html and ebay

There are other competitor materials around if you check with the kitchen suppliers. There tends to be fewer colour and pattern choices though the composition is virtually identical to Corian. In fact when I was in the plastics business in the 80s, ICI brought out a version and I still have a couple of small samples I use as cup mats.
I've fitted a number of Mistral worktops including our own and the standard thickness for that material is 25mm with 12mm available also for splashbacks. i have some off cuts of 3 of the patterns but nothing exciting.

Mistral | Karonia Solid Work Surfaces for Kitchens, Bathrooms, Educational and Retail Worktops

Bob

 

[Woody]

Well thats a new one on me

 

[Grump]

I seem to remember something in the British Visqueen range too which was an ICI product.
They ain't new products but are hellish expensive to produce these days.

 

[Lons]

I seem to remember something in the British Visqueen range too which was an ICI product.
They ain't new products but are hellish expensive to produce these days.

I didn't know that Grump.

We were distributors for semi finished sheet materials and engineering plastics so the rigid stuff like perspex, polycarb, pvc etc. We supplied to mainly signmakers, fabricators, glaziers etc. I have a bit of "secret" polycarb composite as used in the limos of the USA president. It's a wonder their cars could go more than 10mph with the weight they carried.

Bob

 

[silver]

Be careful Neil, you will be turning pink acrylics next..

I drill. Mine with a drill I get out of my drawer, whichever one I pick up at the time.... It doesn't really matter, it's down to preference I believe..

It's more important to get the drilling speed right.. As per Jim says 300 is good in my book..

 

[Penpal]

Neil, I have drilled corian blanks left the drill turned on and drilled up to two hundred at a time using only DeWalt Extreme 2 HSS-G 7mm DIN 338 ie for slims the 7mm without losses or breakouts, no sacrificial board under and have not changed drill speed from very fast for many years now, just saying a mug like me can have success using my methods. I hate fluids near wood or Corian they dont improve the gear over time. My 2 cents. These drills in Australia are fully back on the market individually again I have read complaints as a drill point drill you cant sharpen them who cares after hundreds of drillings the cost each pen is so next to nothing anyway they are wonder drills without peer for the cheap IMHO cost and as the label says be careful they are sharp on the points lands and flutes. For anyone who has not seen or used these drills they have a mini conventional true drill point I used to buy them by the hundred for others as well as me one guy I gave one was a pro pen maker and used this drill I gave him for years unbelievable IMHO again.

They simply do not track.

Apart from this my experiences there are dozens of drilling methods conspiracy theories , manufacturers to choose from methods speeds and recommendations to fill a room on this subject. As a humble pensioner I have given up sending them all round the world simply put it to the test.

Kind regards Peter.

 

[nimrod]

Hi Neil I bought a 29 piece Dewalt Extreme 2 HS from Screwfix they are not cheap £67, but I find them excellent for all materials, I keep them for only drilling pen blanks. I usually drill at about 300 and get good results on whatever I am drilling.
Regards Robin