Corian as Hatch Material

[emlesnick]

Has anyone had any experience as using Corian as a hatch material?

Someone who has refit the same boat as mine used it but he is still on the hard.

Any other suggestions on material? Id like for some light to get through if possible

This is how they look now



Thanks in Advance!!!

[UNCIVILIZED]

I'm not sure how well Corian will hold up structurally if used as a hatch. Nor what happens to it after significant amounts of UV exposure. So that would bear serious looking into.

What does work is both acrylic (Plexiglass), & polycarbonate (Lexan). You can get both with all kinds of coatings, & various levels & colors of tinting. Some of the coatings are for UV, with others helping with scratch resistance. And the stuff is commonly used for companionway sliding hatches, as well as drop boards.

Perhaps the one catch about it being that some of it can be pretty flexible. So the right thickness needs to be specified, or that you need to use it as an insert, where it's bolted to something stiffer for the perimeter of the hatch.

[Paul L]

Corian is brittle and subject to cracking. Why would you use it on a hatch?

[bad.wabbit]

Not really transparent. Do as Uncivilized suggests.

Cute toes

[Delancey]

What is the existing material? Is it white acrylic? How thick is it? How is it fastened? What type of caulking/sealant is used to bed it to the wood frame? Corrían is not a cheap material, do you have some laying around?

If you want more light and the existing material is white acrylic why don't you just replace it with clear acrylic? I have some experience professionally with Corian, and can answer questions, just need to know more.

[emlesnick]

Im not exactly sure of what was used originally. Ill find out from the manufacturer.

I had never heard of anyone using corian when I looked at this guys boat.

As far as caulking/sealant Im still just getting started on this boat. A 1983 Shannon and so far everything Ive encountered looks like boat life.

Material thickness seems to be 3/8"?

[CdS2 Roland]

Hello,
I think Plexiglas is cheaper than Corian.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by Paul L

Corian is brittle and subject to cracking. Why would you use it on a hatch?

Yes, I agree Corian will tend to crack independently of sun exposure. As It was said by others Plexiglas is a better material for that use.

[martinperl]

See http://www.4willis.com/pdf/corian/fa...al-Support.pdf
Corian needs level rigid structural support so not very useful for hatch boards or most boating applications. It's also heavy.

[Cheechako]

Corian is crack prone.

[blueazimuth]

Coriander is heavy, expensive, is likely to crack and doesn't let in light.
Stay away

[emlesnick]

Ok awesome- Thanks for all the info!

No corian!

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by emlesnick

Has anyone had any experience as using Corian as a hatch material?

Someone who has refit the same boat as mine used it but he is still on the hard.

Any other suggestions on material? Id like for some light to get through if possible Attachment 137826

This is how they look now

Attachment 137827

Thanks in Advance!!!

Corian is heavy and not translucent. I would pick
Lexan or another similar product. It is bullet proof but does scratch. JMHO

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Cadence

Corian is heavy and not translucent. I would pick
Lexan or another similar product. It is bullet proof but does scratch. JMHO

And loses clarity with UV exposire...so be sure and get lexan with a UV protective layer.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Some sailors have used Starboard (a white plastic board or High Density Poly Ethylene) for some boat projects similar to what you are showing (the tops of Dorade boxes). And I seem to recall it being used as a sliding hatch cover and companion way hatch too. It will be opaque and not transmit any light. It has a matte surface on both sides.

I have no connection to the seller, but here is a link to show you what is available (and several colors):
Cut to Size King Starboard Marine Grade Plastic Sheet

If you want to have more light come through then acrylic or lexan would be first choice.

Good luck and I hope you come back to this thread after your project is done and show us some photos.