Sandblasting or Routing Corian

[Bigdawg]

We have to add some dates to signs that have previous lettering that is lightly routed / or sandblasted (about 1/16th deep) into the sign and painted. They want to add more names and dates.

These are finished pieces. Our local guys (and a few non-local) have declined to do it based on the Corian substrate. Say they've had no success with it working well and are concerned about damaging the sign. Totally understand the sentiment.

But is there a better process? Or another way? We can't just add black vinyl (my first thought) because these are around little kids that will pick it off. And it will look bad next to the names that are engraved.

Anyone have any ideas or insight?

 

[nwsigns]

Not sure why thats so hard, we route Corian and other solid surface materials all the time with great success. Perhaps they are concerned about making it align or match what is existing. Pics?

 

[GB2]

Agreed...Corian is a fine substrate to work with and routes nicely. You should get a scrap somewhere and practice on it a little first if you have never done so before. Try a local kitchen cabinet shop or counter shop and if you have the ability to rout it yourself, maybe you can even sell some services to whoever provides you a scrap.

 

[Z SIGNS]

We route corian as well but I would be afraid to do this also.Unless we were getting big bucks.
To many things that can go wrong.
As soon as something does go wrong you'll have to make a whole new sign for them.
Yes it can be done and corian routes nicely but there is the pia factor of matching whats already there,trial and error and getting it to line up etc.
If you can't find someone to do this I would say your safest bet would be to sandblast it.

 

[jeff101]

Type of medium for sandblasting corian?

Hello,

I am hoping to sandblast some letters in a sign made of corian or similar material, to a depth of 1/4". I have tried aluminum oxide 70 grit, but it takes way way too long. My pressure starts at 140, but finds its way down to below 100 within a few minutes. Any suggestions for a good medium I could use to accomplish this please? Thanks in advance.

 

[Joe Diaz]

We haven't routed it, but have had plenty of luck sandblasting it, in fact I sandblast a personalized design in Corian for wedding presents all the time. I know a guy that does corian countertops. He saves the part they cut out for the kitchen sink and gives them to us. They make good little presents for friends and family.

 

[dawg]

im just a little dawg

if it were mine i would cut a sample of MY material, showing the customer, and would set charge as if i have to route all..
then you cant get wrong..

you can pocketing out with a ball endmill small letters..

anyway, somehow you have to explain them it is a lot more work than simply stick onto a vynil text...

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local kitchencabinet shop, or marble shop should have cutoffs, even in their dumpster..

when they cut out a sink, that most time landing in their dumpster..

i have plenty of those cutoffs.. make them a nameplate, and they even save you pieces..

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due to exist names and other text this job even you have the font on hand will takes about 1-2 hour..

 

[fixtureman]

Not sure why thats so hard, we route Corian and other solid surface materials all the time with great success. Perhaps they are concerned about making it align or match what is existing. Pics?

Wasn't it about a week ago that everyone was talking about giving vinyl scrapes away and now you want to go to a cabinet shop and get free corian.

It is out of the box telling their customers to get their vinyl for their machines cheap or FREE from another business.

We are not a friggin marketing benefit for their friggin marketing plan.. I will sell you good vinyl for your project or even cut some figures for you.

That is what I tell them when the occasional looking for a hand out door kicker comes in asking for cricut scraps.

 

[synergy_jim]

Corian is an acrylic believe it or not. It routes the same and can use the same tooling.

 

[Shadowglen]

We laser engrave Corian. We do 12x14" sponsor plates for the local golf course we burn through transmask then spray the fill with krylon fusion for plastic paint. this works for small signs.

 

[CES020]

Wasn't it about a week ago that everyone was talking about giving vinyl scrapes away and now you want to go to a cabinet shop and get free corian.

It is out of the box telling their customers to get their vinyl for their machines cheap or FREE from another business.

We are not a friggin marketing benefit for their friggin marketing plan.. I will sell you good vinyl for your project or even cut some figures for you.

That is what I tell them when the occasional looking for a hand out door kicker comes in asking for cricut scraps.

I think the difference is that the drops you get from cabinet shops are useless to them. They literally throw them in the dumpster. I know people that have gotten 1000's of pounds of solid surface materials from cabinet guys and the cabinet guys were thrilled to give it away because they didn't know what to do with it, other than throw it away. Things like sink cutouts have no value to them, but you can make some cool things from a sink drop scrap. It's plenty of sq. ft left in one of those to make desk name plates, etc.

I've never run into the people that are happy to give them away, but I know a number of people who have.

 

[fixtureman]

I think the difference is that the drops you get from cabinet shops are useless to them. They literally throw them in the dumpster. I know people that have gotten 1000's of pounds of solid surface materials from cabinet guys and the cabinet guys were thrilled to give it away because they didn't know what to do with it, other than throw it away. Things like sink cutouts have no value to them, but you can make some cool things from a sink drop scrap. It's plenty of sq. ft left in one of those to make desk name plates, etc.

I've never run into the people that are happy to give them away, but I know a number of people who have.

There are a lot of cabinet shops that make cutting boards and trivets out of them.