Several things.
1) Is the coral stabilized, impregnated, or reconstituted? That makes a big difference in how you work it. In all cases, use fresh belts, slow speed, and don't let it get hot to the touch. Much of the stuff sold is "Reconstituted"....which is just ground up material that is mixed with dyes and epoxy. It looks OK, but is mainly decorative.
2) Most resins cure exothermically. The polymerization gives off heat. Epoxy and CA both give off heat when curing. The film thickness is what limits that to being virtually undetectable in most cases. In mixing epoxy in larger batches, you should spread it out on a large surface or wide bowl/tub after mixing to slow down the heat build up. A pot of epoxy that is mixed in a plastic drinking cup can get too hot to hold. Similarly, if CA is applied thickly, or an accelerator is used, it can get pretty hot. Other reactions with the materials being bonded can cause it to get very hot, too.
3) There is more worry about the heat from grinding and shaping than there is from the CA or epoxy.
4) CA is a great product, but it is used for many things it isn't the best at. Attaching scales and handles should be done with a slow cure epoxy. That also allows dye powders to be added to the epoxy and closely match the handle material color.
