Turning corian in colder weather conditions

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twoshoe6

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Aug 10, 2020
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Archbold, OH
I have access to tons of free corian for pens. I started turning corian in July and really like the results. My issue now is that I keep my shop at about 50 degrees at night. When I turn the material, it is constantly cracking. Today I had three blanks in a row chip out as I was finishing them out. Does colder material tend to chip and break easier when turning? I can bring blanks inside the night before, but am not sure what is happening. I did not have this issue until the temp started getting colder outside. Any suggestions? Thanks
 
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maxwell_smart007

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Is your corian blank absolutely flush with the brass? If you're tightening up the tailstock and it's pressing on the corian at all it's liable to crack. Same deal with tools that aren't sharp enough...

I don't turn corian enough to remember if I ever had an issue, but I've turned a few, and I doubt my shop is warmer than 50 degrees...
 

magpens

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Try keeping your Corian warm overnight and see if that makes a difference in the way they machine ... some Experimental Physics at play here !!

How are you attempting to round the blanks ? .
Do you first drill them and then mount on a mandrel for rounding ?
Or ... do you do the rounding by using the "Turning Between Centers" (TBC) method ? . This requires more localized pressure from the tailstock
You can make the pressure less localized by using a metal washer with the right size and hole diameter at each end of the blank when doing TBC.

If your blanks are square cross-section, try partial pre-rounding them (roughly) on a belt or disc sander to help reduce the likelihood of chipping.
 

twoshoe6

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Aug 10, 2020
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Archbold, OH
Is your corian blank absolutely flush with the brass? If you're tightening up the tailstock and it's pressing on the corian at all it's liable to crack. Same deal with tools that aren't sharp enough...

I don't turn corian enough to remember if I ever had an issue, but I've turned a few, and I doubt my shop is warmer than 50 degrees...
May be too much pressure on corian and not flush with the brass. I have about twenty sets glued up and ready to go next week. I will try making sure the material is even with the brass. Only been doing this about 6 months, love it and this was my first issue. Also only using carbide tips on my turning tools, that makes a lot of difference.
Thanks for the info, this site is great for solving issues.
 

tomas

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Jul 12, 2010
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Rio Rancho, NM
I would try taking the corian blanks to bed with me each night and only take to the shop the blanks I'll be turning that session. Says the guy who hasn't turned any corian yet, but they are all nice and warm.

Tomas
 

TG Design

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Jan 22, 2018
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Dayton, Oh
The only issue I have experienced with Corian was during assembly. It cracked when pressing the cap together on a graduate. Luckily the pen was segmented and I just removed the cracked section. I sanded the brass tube for less tight fit and used a drop if CA to ensure it wouldn't come apart. I've been using it for awhile now, no issues. Cheers.
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