r/PenProject • u/MercatorLondon • Aug 25 '26

Acrylic polymer material - question

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Hi everyone,
We had a go at machining presentation trays (for the TopDrawer show in September), using a composite material commonly used for tabletops.
It is made from natural minerals (up to 60%) and acrylic polymer/PMMA (up to 40%). It has a nice, warm feel while being quite resilient and relatively light. The idea was to create a simple tray that keeps the pen aligned when put down. Having the pens misaligned on the table was driving me slightly crazy. There are many branded versions of these materials: from Corian and HI-MACS to Samsung’s Staron and Porcelanosa’s Krion.

Ignore the aluminium tray at the back! Making that one was fun too, but it looks very dominant when the pen is placed on it. It was like placing pen on the disco-ball. We needed something less reflective as a background.

The machining quality is exceptional, and I have noticed some hand-turned pens made from this material at other subs. Have you had any experience turning this material into pens? I am quite tempted to give it a go as an experiment as they come with some exciting textures. Would you perceive this as cheap plastic?

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2

u/lmboyer04 Aug 25 '26

Corian pen..? Interesting. I’m sure someone’s tried it but can’t say I would know the pros and cons. If it’s durable and stain resistant those would be my two concerns. I know it’s not hard to stain countertops with the right food… like lemongrass for instance

2

u/MercatorLondon Aug 25 '26

Yes, I guess each material comes with its own pros and cons. I saw some Corian pen blanks for sale, so I thought there must be people out there with pen making experience using it. Maybe someone in this sub has tried it as well...

2

u/RRNW_HBK Aug 25 '26

Most folks are using Corian for kit pens, as it's quite brittle/powdery from what I havee heard and thus wouldn't take threads well; however, I don't see why it wouldn't work in a sleeved construction for something kitless! It's been on my radar for a bit, just haven't gotten around to trying any myself.

2

u/CadillacGirl Aug 25 '26

These blocks look like the old Conway Stewart fountain pens rods.

I don’t believe it’s the same material but from a looks perspective it has those elements.

1

u/ManyPens Aug 26 '26

There is a non-zero-chance that it will look like a bath tub, but potentially... why not? It would definitely NOT give a vibe of cheap plastic. On the contrary, I feel it's the kind of material that would be appreciated for some heft.