Can this be repaired - Corian

[adonh]

Can these chips be repaired in the Corian range top cover. I would probably have a hard time finding a replacement


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Thanks

[cameront120]

I wonder if you could clamp a temporary edging of some sort to it and then fill the chips with epoxy? Have you checked with a local counter installer who deals with corian? They may be able to repair it if you bring that section of counter in (who knows, they may have an old piece of that style and be able to replace it).

[erock53]

Corian is repairable. That is the wonderful thing about the stuff. The problem is that you can't just buy a small section of it. Your best bet is to go to a local counter top manufacturer and if they had a leftover piece that was the same color, they could repair it fairly easily, or make a new piece. Who made the counter top in the first place? Is this a new trailer, or a refurbished one. If it came from the factory you could always call them.

[adonh]

It is the Bi-fold range cover in a 2005 XL 396 motor home. I found on the Airstream web site Airstream, Inc :: Manuals a great resource of manuals for trailers and motor homes going back several years.

I found in the 2005 390 series parts manual that this is the range cover in midnight color part # 601911. Does not mean it is still available but at least I can contact Airstream and see if this is something that they may still have in stock.

[Frank's Trailer Works]

I spent many years as a cabinet maker. From that, I can tell you it is repairable however the repair will never match. Solid surface varies batch run to batch run. Look in the yellow pages under solid surface and find a local shop. They can make you a new one perhaps even with a color or pattern you might like better.

[adonh]

Originally Posted by 62overlander

I spent many years as a cabinet maker. From that, I can tell you it is repairable however the repair will never match. Solid surface varies batch run to batch run. Look in the yellow pages under solid surface and find a local shop. They can make you a new one perhaps even with a color or pattern you might like better.

What if I can take a strip matching Corian trim from a small section of wall trim from the bath or toilet area. I could cover over that with something that would not be noticeable. Then use that piece to have some cut out the damaged area and repair the area where the chips are.

I don't hold out a lot of hope that Airstream still has this part laying around in the back of the parts warehouse somewhere.

Thanks

Don

[Wabbiteer]

The counter top section can be machined to a edge profile that could allow a new edging strip to be inset there - just a shallow cut that for polished metal, stainless steel or aluminum edge band to be flush mounted, or notched out to allow a new full thickness Corian 'bull nose' edge?

[Frank's Trailer Works]

Originally Posted by adonh

What if I can take a strip matching Corian trim from a small section of wall trim from the bath or toilet area. I could cover over that with something that would not be noticeable. Then use that piece to have some cut out the damaged area and repair the area where the chips are.

I don't hold out a lot of hope that Airstream still has this part laying around in the back of the parts warehouse somewhere.

Thanks

Don

You can give it a try. The issue is that Corian or any solid surface( what the product line is called) is, it is made in batches. The product is made by fuzzing small bits of various colors of material with a resin. The size of the particles, the amount of each color in the matrix, the amount of base color resin all effect the color drastically. Two pieces called the same color from two batches might look very similar from a few feet away, but next to each other they will look drastically different. There is even a difference between the top face and bottom face that must be carefully oriented. When trained and certified to fabricate Corian, I was instructed to always fabricate items for a surface from the same batch. When ever build up is used to create a thicker edge, the two pieces are supposed to come from the same sheet. The glue actually weld the two pieces together and is specific to each color material.
I know this all sounds trivial, but when glued together, it sticks out like a sore thumb. Your material might not be Corian. It could be Fountain Head, Gibraltar, or another line of solid surface. Airstream is real good about working a deal with suppliers for the best price. I suggest finding a solid surface fabricator and have them look at it. You will not be able to buy(unless a supplier looks the other way) any of the material unless certified to fabricate by the manufacturer.
If you were local to Baltimore I would have an excellent shop to recommend you visit. Let your fingers do the walking in the yellow pages and you will find a fabricator.
Another hint... just like cabinet shops, counter top shop workers generally love a cold beer. A six pack can get you a long way.

[reinergirl]

Given that it chipped once, it seems that it would be vulnerable to future chips. What if you went to a metal fabricator and had them fabricate either an "L" or "U" shaped piece of trim that could cover the edge? An aluminum piece or a powder coated black one could blend in nicely and look like it was intentional.

[aquinob]

You could re-rout the edge using a very wide chamfer or bullnose profile, something that would cut in a bit more than the worst chip in the edge. The alternative would be using some other solid surface material and redo the whole top. Corian works fairly easy, pretty much like wood and glues well with ordinary epoxy. Go to Corian Countertops | Discount Solid Surface Sheets and you can find a piece that should fit in a color that you like.

[adonh]

You might know, Airstream still has the Corian range covers in stock, but not in the "Midnight" color. They only have the "Sandstone". Solid Surface.com has a piece of the Midnight but its only 6" wide X 22" long and is 1/2 inch thick not the the 1/4" I need. So I am thinking maybe just a solid Black color if I can find a piece to fit.

[aquinob]

From what I can tell, standard thickness for corian and the like is 1/2". Thicker edges are just build up from strips glued and planed or sanded smooth. What size is the cover you are trying to replicate? It looks like you have a lip of some sorts in the front.

[wolverine]

It's amazing what a good cabinet shop can do in repairing Corian. We have a similar style in our 2005 Classic and had a small section replaced near the rear corner of the range when the existing Corian cracked. Fortunately in our case they had a small matching scrap piece to use in the repair. The repair can not be seen as they were able to blend in the repaired piece to make the seems invisible. If they no longer have access to the original color, I would have them blend in a plain black edge that would match the black metal edge of the range cover. Doubt that anyone would notice that it was not designed that way.

[Frank's Trailer Works]

Originally Posted by aquinob

From what I can tell, standard thickness for corian and the like is 1/2". Thicker edges are just build up from strips glued and planed or sanded smooth. What size is the cover you are trying to replicate? It looks like you have a lip of some sorts in the front.

it is metric.. 12mm. and it is welded with a glue that matches the base color in the sheet. It used to be you had to be certified to buy or work it. I guess things have changed.

[adonh]

Attached is a pdf of the range top measurements. According to Airstream the Corian is attached to the bi-fold range cover with double sided foam tape. So maybe I can get the Corian off in order to work with it. If so I should be able to cut off the damaged piece an inch or so work in a solid black piece along the edge. But I am not sure how that would hold up using double side foam tape to hold the 2 pieces to the cover. I would think epoxy would work better to hold the Corian to the metal cover.