Bending Corian

[dougmsbbs]

Some time back I posted how to bend Corian. Has anyone done anything with it? I was playing around with it some more, and came up with this simple light box for it. It has the advantage of being easy to get the light spread more evenly across the picture. It also makes a nice shape that will look good hanging on a wall, something the thick box ones dont do well.
A single 7 watt light bulb lights it up very well, too. Nice, simple, cheap, easy to light, and all the cuts can be done with only vectors on the Cw, meaning they cut pretty fast.
What do you think?

[tstryk]

I have some corian coming in this weekend....that is one of the first things I am going to try to make!

[andes]

I like the idea, think it pretty cool. But I missed out on your post about bending corian, do you still have the link soa that I can read it? Are you going to post how you made the light?

Andes

[dougmsbbs]

Try this link: http://www.carvewright.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5686&highlight=corian&page=2

I want to make a few changes to the pattern, then I'll see about uploading it here.
I hung this one in my living room, and now my wife wants to know if I can make one to replace the light going up the stairs. Gotta admit, it'd look pretty good...

[andes]

Thanks -- Reading, very interesting ;-}

Andes

[fyrpuppy]

Where do you find the corian sheets? I've asked around Home Depot and Lowes and they said they could'nt get it. Could you give me some ideas on where to find it?

[dougmsbbs]

Check with local shops that make countertops. You can sometimes get the sink cutouts from them. I think most of us on here get ours from ebay. It's not always offered, but keep checking back, and you'll find some..

[oldjoe]

Wow those look really great. Two of my favorite things to do combined in one job Bending things and carving. Looks like I just might have to break down and get off my butt and get some of that magical corian.
Keep up the good work

[ChrisAlb]

How do you know whether a lithopane will carve well or not?

Since there is no "plastic" or "corian" to choose from for the type of Stain/Finish under board settings, The only thing you can do is put it on wood, with or without grain. When I do this with a photo it ALWAYS looks like garbage. So how do you get a visual reference for how it will look?

[DocWheeler]

dougmsbbs,

That is a very nice application of your idea of bending corian.

I fully intended to do that, but have not done that yet.
Thanks for posting the project.

[Kenm810]

Chris,
A Great place to start--Different Board Colors ? (http://www.carvewright.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4422&highlight=Board+Colors)

On Pine and White Corian

[ChrisAlb]

Thank you Ken
I didn't know that the board finishes were simple jpg pics...DUH. Or where they were located. Now I do. I will experiment.

[amanda0101]

I am trying that as we speak. Hopefully I can move fast enough to make it work. Any ideas on how to build a frame for it? I am good with the CW because of my graphic design and art background but I spent a whole day trying to make a stinking box by hand for my lithopanes and all I did was end up with a lot of scrap pieces of wood. I would love an idea of how to make a curved frame, yours looks beautiful.

[oldjoe]

I think it would be very possible to make the base and top of the frame using the CW, as far as the sides go it would be just a couple of small straight pieces of wood strips for lack of a better word.

[dougmsbbs]

Amanda:
You can take a look at these two files. Maybe they can give you a place to start. I hesitate to send these, and I'll tell you why: to make them work for you depends on if you make your lithopanes the same size as mine, and bend them the same.
The ones I made were 6.25" wide by 5.5" tall. I bend them around a piece of 3.25 electrical conduit I had laying around. As long as I don't change the dimensions or the way I bend it, they all fit this frame.
These also need tweaking, but I'm starting to get real close to what I want...
The projects make use of a 1/4" straight bit. I just told Designer it was the ball nose, and it works fine. If you don't have that, you'll have to change the patterns to make more passes with the smaller bit.
The back piece was going to be actual 1/2" thick, but my local supply seems to be out, so I'm trying it with 7/16". I'm not real happy with it, as my machine head binds up every time I cut it. It does it, but then I have a hell of a time getting the head back up when it's done. PITB.
My idea for the pockets on the ends was to make the back piece fit in flush, and I hold it in place with screws top and bottom. Makes it removable to change the light bulb. I'm rethinking that. It has the advantage of having the CW complete the whole project, with no other operations needed. Just remove them from the macine, sand and finish, and put it together. But it dosn't work as well with the thiner material as it did with the 1/2" stuff. I'd be real interested in what anyone else comes up with!
I wanted something that can be cut in advance, and have a bunch waiting on the shelf when I need them. It also had to be something that can be hung on a wall. This is the closest I've come up with yet. With all the talent on this forum, I'm hoping you people will come up with something this easy to make, but with some kind of redesigned back.
Thanks for the kind words everyone!

[amanda0101]

Thanks for that. On to my next problem, I can't get it to bend. It gets kind of flexible but it just cracks. I put an oven thermometer in to make sure the temps were right and they were. I even pushed it up to 350 and left it in for an hour, still nothing. Any ideas on what I am doing wrong?

[dougmsbbs]

Wow. An hour at 350 and it still won't bend? Have to admit I have never ran into that...
What size (thickness) is your corian? I only use the 1/4" stuff, but the 1/2" should work at those times and temps. Also, are you putting it directly on the oven rack, or in a pan or tray? It may help to put something round and oven safe under it, right on the oven rack. Give it something to bend and sag around as it softens.
Maybe the stuff you have is harder or mine is softer than average. You'll just have to keep trying until you find the time needed for your batch to soften enough. Don't rush it. If it gets a bit soft, but the center is still too cold, it will crack.
Just thought of something: What color are you using? Mine is the bone white. Maybe the additives for the colors makes it soften at different temps? In which case only expermenting with what you have will do it.
Keep me posted, I really want this to work for you...

[hartwoods]

I bent SOME 1/4 inch corian this mornig. Left it in 350 oven for about 5 min. it bent just fine .Just keep experimenting.
Best DON
WWW.TOUCHINGHEARTSAGAIN.COM

[LittleRedWoodshop]

Do you mind if I turn your quote into a sign

[oldjoe]

Go right ahead Jason I saw it at a local resturaunt.

[HighTechOkie]

Amanda, I really think you have some other product than Corian. The fact they sold you a full sheet (30"x145" is how they would buy it from distributor) for $100 when Corian (and other acrylic countertop brands by LG, Wilsonart, etc) typically cost $250+. Also with the temp problem of getting it to bend. Since you left it in the oven for 30min with a thermometer reading 350 and not reduced to a puddle makes me conclude it aint Corian.

Rob

[amanda0101]

Amanda, I really think you have some other product than Corian. The fact they sold you a full sheet (30"x145" is how they would buy it from distributor) for $100 when Corian (and other acrylic countertop brands by LG, Wilsonart, etc) typically cost $250+. Also with the temp problem of getting it to bend. Since you left it in the oven for 30min with a thermometer reading 350 and not reduced to a puddle makes me conclude it aint Corian.

Rob

I thought that too but I took it to my husbands base, they are all Seabees (builders) and chief told me it was definitely corian. He said he could tell by the sequence numbers that were one the back and a few other things. Plus my husband aside from being a bee has a side contracting job and he uses corian for showers and sinks so he would know more than I would. His only thought was that maybe because this corian was used for showers (not counters) that it was reinforced to withstand heat somehow. He's never heard of it but who knows. The fact that they sold it so cheap had a lot to do with the fact that they don't do countertops or showers but supplied it for another company. They weren't going to use it and the other contractors paid for the whole thing so they basically had one sheet and some scraps that the guys didn't take. Plus the guy is buddys with my husband and we order a lot of our cabinets discounted through them when he does kitchens.

[J_Man]

Here's some info on Corian:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corian

So are you limited to the same maximum cutting depth limitation per pass as you are with other plastic? This looks like some material I might need to pick up.

That lamp does look nice!

[dougmsbbs]

You don't have to worry about cutting depth per pass. You won't be cutting it deep enough to make a difference.

And Thank You!

[Corian Crafter]

For those that like to work with or would like to work with Corian but can't seem to locate it. we are recyclers of Corian and can offer pieces of Corian for a very reasonable fee. I make just about everything you can think of out of Corian that most use wood for with my Carve Wright tool. Jeff coriancrafter@centurytel.net

[MCGEE2SKINNER]

Doug that would make a very nice hanging light.

JIM