Does anyone know if the Glowforge can cut corian or other solid surface material? Under the Tech Specs it lists corian as engraving only, but under the FAQ section it lists it as being able to cut it.
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Surprised no one has answered this. Never cut corian and not even sure I could identify it if in my hand. But I have seen web traffic outside of this forum that says it can be cut with a similar powered CO2 laser. Keep in mind that it would need to be thin. We’re not talking kitchen counter tops here.
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We’ve never tested it.
It would be great if it would cut through s half inch thick piece. You could cut a design all the way through on two contrasting pieces of the same size and then epoxy the pieces forlorn one into the cutout of the other and vise versa. Could make some cool pattern cutting boards and very little waste.
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For the Glowforge and similar powered CO2 lasers the usual advertised thickness for wood and acrylic is 1/4". I would think corian is much harder to cut. But again, waiting for someone who has actually tried to chime in.
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I’ve chased it down the rabbit hole a few times, especially as a cutting board. Lots of chat about how bad it is for knives, but what cool cutting boards they make. Anything I have read seems to point to the need for power in the laser rather than hazards. I know a former kitchen designer who has boxes of samples she’ll give me. It is something I’d like to try out engraving and cutting. Here is DuPont’s Corian product description. I was fascinated to learn that the primary mineral is bauxite. Would love to have someone who has a Glowforge equivalent wattage CO2 laser share their experience of working with Corian. It is fantastic stuff for many items. Seems that CNC roto tool with proper bit is fastest but lasers can do some fine kerf cuts.
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I love corian! But what I like most about it is that if you stick it in your oven at 350 degrees, you can mold into some amazing looking shapes. Flip routed a piece at school then baked it to mold it into a business card holder. It would be interesting to test out de-focused laser techniques on it to see if you can get thin sheets to bend along specific lines. I have some really nice sheets of 1/4" corian I’ve been dying to test out on a laser cutter for months now! I might be biting the bullet soon and buying a day pass to the TechShop nearby to give it a try- if I do I promise to share lots of documentation photos!
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@steph_ That would be great if you could share what you find out. Thanks!
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