LaserUser.com Forum (formerly RDWorksLab)

I needed a hard plastic wear skid for something I was repairing and cut this from 1/2" Corian [solid surface material]. I cuts slow- full power and 1mm/sec but nice and clean. I have cabinet makers who give me the cutouts from sinks in countertops so I have a number of colors. I also have some .25" that cuts and engraves great but that is pretty rare- you can buy 1 ft squares on ebay as the cnc people use it for lithophanes- which can also be done on a laser as the SSM does not burn and leaves very little debris.

I had read somewhere on the world wide interweb (but can't recall where) (and don't believe everything I read on the interweb) that using a laser on Corian results in fine abrasive particulates that will wear bearing surfaces.

Have you experienced or viewed any fine powder or dust material from your cutting? There's a local artist who uses a scroll saw to create some great works with 3 mm Corian and I foolishly asked him the same question. His response made it clear that he has no interest in laser creations and I learned to avoid certain lines of questions when it comes to artists and methods!

You dared to question an Artist's methods Plenty of artists use lasers as a method or part of it, but I know plenty who get antsy when you suggest there may be another or better way "I have always done it this way and it is therefore the best and only way"

The MSDS isn't very revealing https://archplastics.com/wp-content/upl ... n-msds.pdf but it does have an Alumina component and likely other metallic dyes.

I was lucky in that I did not question his methods, but presumed incorrectly that the high level of detail was generated by the precision of a laser rather than his skill at managing the scroll saw. I hope I presented myself at the appropriate level of being chastised during the subsequent conversation!

>>and I learned to avoid certain lines of questions when it comes to artists and methods<<

Been there, experienced that! It can be the equivalent of pulling the pin on a grenade.

The minerals in corian do send off sparks sometimes and I was watching a ' How it's Made' segment this early morning on how it is made- I would not be surprised if the dust is not abrasive. A good point to keep in mind. Thanks.

A postscript to the Corian- I also was gifted some white [or off-white] with no minerals and that cuts nice- no sparks or debris on the surface.