Doing a job with Corian Silverbirch and I got a nice line around where I inserted the piece for the cove.  Check out the picture, you will notice a line where there is actually different particulate which makes the piece look lighter.

Any ideas?

Andy,
1. Is ist just in a small area, or is it along the entire splash?
2. What about at the edges. Are your edge pieces verticle? And if so, does the material present the same problem where your edges are glued to the deck?
Johnny C

The edge is stacked so it looks fine. I actually cut a rabbet for the insert and still looks like that the entire cove and in the inside corners.

Funny thing is that it doesn't match the splash or the deck.

Hey Andy,
Router out the cove with a Betterly trimmer then cut a 45 deg fillet with the heavy particulate facing up, then glue the fillet in and then cove again that should fix it mate.

Is the aggregate problem because of the route exposing the inside?

If so, would an angled piece solve he problem?

What is a 45 degree fillet? The particulate is facing up and I can still see the line at the backsplash.

Andy, I did a job in silver birch about 3 years ago, I dont think I have any pictures of the job but I could call the homeowner to get some. From what I can remember it looked just like your cove and we use the betterly router. I have noticed it on colors with large particulates with a cove after it is coved it's mostly small particulates that show and they tend to be more noticable next to the deck and splash.

Hi Andy,

I couldnt help reading this. From my expereince its a settling issue problem with large particulates. A quick way to see if thats the issue is to take some scrap from the same pattern and finish the back side. If the back side looks like your problem area in question, its particle settling.

While I could say to the big boys (manufacturers), throw money at me, I can solve this and already have many times, I think the manufacturers already know how to solve this, but just dont want to spend the time and money in formulation and process adjustments to make it happen.

Andy:

Peter has the solution. Rout that bad boy out and insert a finish particulate piece at a 45* and recove it. Before you do, how sophisticated are your customers?

This ain't rocket science. You've got  finished particulate (deck), side particulate (cove) and finished particulate (splash). Side particulate doesn't match finish particulate.

Next time you do this color, stack your cove piece with the finish particulate facing out instead of up or down. It's more work, but less than rerouting and inserting.

Joe

It is definitly a distribution of the larger chips problem ( quality control from the manufacturer ).
 
I think if you glue the 45 with the good side to the backsplash and then rout the cove, if possible a small radius you will cut back in the larger chips again and you should be OK with the color. ( make a sample first ).

I agree with Joe and Peter.

The angle of the route and the orientation of the particulate is the issue, IMHO.

Sorry this pic is a bit blurry but I think you can see what I have done Andy.
 

That works better for Private collection coves as well.

Posted By Peter Carpenter on 10 Mar 2010 03:38 PM
Hey Andy,
Router out the cove with a Betterly trimmer then cut a 45 deg fillet with the heavy particulate facing up, then glue the fillet in and then cove again that should fix it mate.

Peter,
I think you might be correct in using a cove filler at 45 deg would optimize the particulate appearance.  I have been trying to picture just what kind of "Betterly trimmer" you would use to cut out the cove and leave a seamable surface to glue your fillet into.  I would dare say that even the best of us can end up will a very slight undercut from sanding the cove.

Johnny C

I get the idea of cutting on a 45 degree now, but how would that change anything after the cove, isn't the particulate problem still going to be different?

I mean it would still be cutting down into the middle of the material exposing the smaller particulate that would not match the finish particulate that shows on the surface.

Andy, I've been thinking about that myself and I agree your still coving out material. I think it was Joe who said reverse the cove strip and put the face against the face of the splash in that case you would be routing the back side of the material and possible showing the larger particulate after the rout.Only trying will tell if it works. I did stop over to the job I did in silver birch and it looks just like yours, Identicle. The homeowner asked why I wanted to come over and look so I explained the situation with the cove and they dont see it, there looking at the big picture.

I showed it to a few people that wouldn't know the difference and they all said the countertop looked great. Not one person said a thing about the cove.

I guess that is the big picture.

Still like to try to find a solution to this issue. I would rather not be stuck with a large job where the customer complains and we have to tell them, that is the way it is.

Posted By John Christensen on 12 Mar 2010 10:55 AM

Posted By Peter Carpenter on 10 Mar 2010 03:38 PM
Hey Andy,
Router out the cove with a Betterly trimmer then cut a 45 deg fillet with the heavy particulate facing up, then glue the fillet in and then cove again that should fix it mate.

Peter,
I think you might be correct in using a cove filler at 45 deg would optimize the particulate appearance.  I have been trying to picture just what kind of "Betterly trimmer" you would use to cut out the cove and leave a seamable surface to glue your fillet into.  I would dare say that even the best of us can end up will a very slight undercut from sanding the cove.

Johnny C

Johnny:

If one were to replace the coving bit in the Betterly Coving Router with a 1/2" straight cutter, one could replace the existing cove with a 1/2" wide slot, cut at a 45 degree angle which could then be filled with a finished particulate piece. Reinstall the coving bit and profile the cove. 

There can be no elongated glue lines either, because you're seaming the replacement piece into a slot, unlike if Andy's pictured piece were seamed in place.

Joe

Posted By Andy Graves on 12 Mar 2010 12:42 PM
I get the idea of cutting on a 45 degree now, but how would that change anything after the cove, isn't the particulate problem still going to be different?

I mean it would still be cutting down into the middle of the material exposing the smaller particulate that would not match the finish particulate that shows on the surface.

As I said earlier you would have more of a chance to cut into the larger chips if you glue the good side against the back splash and possible use a smaller radius.

After you have cut the cove you probably see still a little difference towards the bench top, but it should not be that obvious as you look more straight at the back.

If you really desperate and want to have a perfect job you would have to cut 3 or 4 strips 11/2" wide material.
Turn on the side and cut a thin strip from the good surface side down, the thickness should be a little bigger than the largest chip.

Glue this strips together and cut your 45˚ coving strips.

If you make the strip 11/2" wide you should get 4 or 5 coving strips.