Corian router table

[sneezer17301]

Anyone here ever build a router table with a Corian top? I got a bunch of it for a song and was wondering if this was a good application for it? I have access to a machine shop and was going to laminate two pieces together to give the thickness I want. I also was going to use the three piece fence from my craftsman pro table.

[Ken Massingale]

I haven't, but have made other shop stuff from it. I'd try to get at least 1 1/2" thickness and reenforce the bottom with angle. It's surprising how tops will sag over time with a router hanging from them. Corian machines real good with WW tools. I saw it on the Ridgid and rout it like wood, no problem.
What thickness do you have? Ain't pink is it! ;-(

[steve-norrell]

How does the Corion hold up under rough usage, scratches, stains, and such?

We have white Corion in the kitchen and I think it would be too easily scratched and scuffed. IMO. I have to say that the spouse loves it but I think it has too high a maintenance requirement for use as a router top.

Good luck.

[Ken Massingale]

How does the Corion hold up under rough usage, scratches, stains, and such?

We have white Corion in the kitchen and I think it would be too easily scratched and scuffed. IMO. I have to say that the spouse loves it but I think it has too high a maintenance requirement for use as a router top.

Good luck.

The TS throat plates and router table fences I have made are holding up real good. No scratches, roughing-up or anything. And, it's nice and slick.

[sneezer17301]

I haven't, but have made other shop stuff from it. I'd try to get at least 1 1/2" thickness and reenforce the bottom with angle. It's surprising how tops will sag over time with a router hanging from them. Corian machines real good with WW tools. I saw it on the Ridgid and rout it like wood, no problem.
What thickness do you have? Ain't pink is it! ;-(

What I have is all about a 1/2 inch thick...and is assorted colors...but no pink
I got it on an online auction...not epay!
What do I glue this up with?

[Cody.h]

I installed generic brand corian counter tops about a year ago so I had the sink and stove cut-outs leftover. I too have the Craftsman router table that I got cheap a couple of years ago now...great fence and cabinet but the table and plate warped. I googled and found lots of people have glued it up with poly glue. I had some gorilla glue so I cut the leftover in half...trimmed it as big as I could and glued it together so its an inch thick. I got a Rockler alum plate for my P-C 892 and used Rockler T-track around the sides and in front then edged it with some maple.

Been a couple of months now and no signs of sagging yet...a very big improvement over the old table and the 892 with its above the table adjustments and bit changing is perfect of my needs.I can snap a few pics tonight if ya wanna see my version.

[sneezer17301]

That would be great...lets see the pics!

[Cody.h]

ok I'll try to get some tonight and get them posted....have to clean up the shop some first...lol

[Knottscott]

I've used Corian as a cutting board. It machines well and is very scratch resistant. I've heard it's brittle and will need good support.

[drumpriest]

I cannot comment on the corian, but I can on the sears router table. I completely agree with Cody's assessment. The top and plate design arn't the best, but the fence is nice. I have recently put a lift in my TS wing, and used the fence off of the sears table. Worth the 50$ I paid for the sears table, considering my use of it, and now the use of the fence on the new setup.

[Doug Jones]

I have heard reports that corian will sag quite a bit. You will need some sort of bracing system.

[Cody.h]

Ok here's some pics of my router table with a corian top and craftsman cabinet and fence. First is a front view showing the maple edges and the rockler alum plate.




The edges are just screwed together...no glue in case the corian doesn't work out I can easily change it to some laminated mdf.I ran a piece of t-track across the front to make it easy to attach featherboards. After reading alot of posts about router tables I don't have a mitre slot either.



This pic is of the side showing how I attached the fence to the table with some more t-track and my dust collection set-up.





Next is of the inside of the cabinet. I dado'd the 2 bottom pieces where it mounts to the cabinet and just used the same screws that the old top did and then screwed the edges to them. I made them wide as I thought I could to support the top as well as possible.





Here's a pic of one of the cut-offs after glued up with Gorilla glue and then a pic of it broke. It doesn't show in the pics but I can hardly make out the seam between the 2 pieces. I think its gonna be great...way better set-up then the old craftsman top and Ryobi router. A little wax and it slides like a dream and everything is very easy to adjust.

Thanks for looking!!

[LinuxRandal]

Since you have access to a machine shop, I would groove the bottom of the top, through the top of the bottom, and place some metal bars through it for support. Kinda like a torsion box.

[meika123]

I've used Corian as a cutting board. It machines well and is very scratch resistant. I've heard it's brittle and will need good support.

Affirmative on the Brittle part. It machines beautifully, but is inherently brittle. For a counter top or something like that where it is thoroughly supported, it is great. But I would be a little hesitant to use it as a router table top.
But since you say you have it approx. 1 1/4-1 1/2" thick, maybe so. Just don't know.
Let us know how it turns out.

Dave in NC

[greencat]

Ok here's some pics of my router table with a corian top and craftsman cabinet and fence. First is a front view showing the maple edges and the rockler alum plate.

Thanks for looking!!

Thats a nice setup. Where did you get the brackets for the sears fence? The sears fence I got ($20 deal a few months ago) has L brackets that want to ride in a v grove.