I generally like to turn and work with natural materials. But I was intrigued by a problem I was having with a Spinning Top Kit I had purchased. It is necessary to have a good solid block of wood 3+ inches in diameter to turn a top. Additionally, I have found that these precision tops are very sensitive to inconsistencies in the density of the wood. I made one out of Kingwood due to its density and because I had some large stock. however, the density is crazy- I had to drill out a 1/2 inch hole on one side to get it to balance!
So I became interested in scrap Corian- you know the sink cutouts that are left over when a countertop is installed. I was able to source a box of this on Ebay, and I went to work.. Here is my progress so far:
The material works very well, if you go slow and don't cut too aggressively. It requires almost no finish sanding (just a light 320, 600, 2000 grit wet sanding) and requires no sealant or finish. These tops are 4 to 4 1/2 inches in diameter and are very heavy.
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