TexasTimbers

And to think on top of all these considerations I get to cast a concrete counter top to accommodate it, the current sink, possibly another rinse sink, and a curved-end nook that will house a removable butcher block.

As if I hate this kind of challenge.

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Allthumbs27

Hey TT me and a friend of mine were thinking about doing a concrete counter top. But we were gonna form the sink and make it concrete also. Make it one big solid piece with no breaks in it. Thought of doing something like that?

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TexasTimbers

We started the design out with a formed sink, built in angled "drain board"complete with ribs and all. She has this idea that she wants to keep the sink because it's . . . . you guessed Stainless Steel. I will also now build a rectangled void to house the cooktop. I'll over-size it so that if the top ever has to be replaced there will be room for a larger unit. I'll trim the excess space with ebony (or the black persimmon I have) or some like wood, or have some SS trim made for it to match the rest of the SS.

But I think I have her swung back in the direction of a momolithic pour so the sink and all is concrete. But I admit it will be a challenge because it's gonna be a divided sink, and one well will be 16" deep. It's not even the pots & pans sink though, that's a next to the dishwasher on the west side of the kitchen between two cubby walls.

I've not seen a monolithic counter/sink design like in my head, but I know I can do it. I have a DVD by Fu-Tung Cheng, and it leaves no stone uncovered. In fact, he covers every minute detail do extensively it is very difficult to remain awake at times. My wife has fallen asleep both times she has watched it. But once you watch it, you are pretty much an expert at doing it, although you have not yet even poured one. It's not a difficult project, as long as you prepare the forum meticulously, and watch the DVD several times. After watching it the first time, you know what parts you can fast forward through and still not miss important details. It makes the one hour DVD about 25 minutes that way.

I will watch it one more time without FFing it, just before I begin to build my forum though, just to make sure I don't over-look something critical. He used to sell the dies for the concrete but I don't see them on his website now. The website I linked for you is new from when I was there last time. Our concrete counter is going to be massive, and running right alongside and parallel to it, 12" above it, is the breakfast bar (a thick wooden slab counter top) which runs the full 9' length. So it's a two-tier island counter. She wanted to be facing the dining area and living area while cooking, and facing a wall. I hate that design where the cook top and the main food preparation counter is facing a wall. And since we're on pier and beam, I had to install numerous additional support blocks beneath the counter area.

The entire kitchen, dining, and living area (great room) are all open to each other because of clear span designs using timber framed openings. We like wide pen spaces. The great room area is actually not built yet because it's housed in the north end of a 16' x 50' add-on I'm trying to get dried in before the winter sets in good. But all this endless rain is hampering that significantly. I have that opening between the Bois 'd Arc support posts temporarily closed in now but in a way that'll be easily opened up when I get the add-on dried in.

The east end of the two-tier counter will butt against the temporary wall between the posts, so that when we remove it, the dining and kitchen area open up into the living area. So it will be a true island not a peninsula; eating in the living area will be common so that end of the counter is designed as an additional serving area/mini-wet bar, so the cook can set hor's d orves and whatnots there for the lazy guests to come get their snacks themselves when they refresh their drink.

Lots of info but thought you might get an idea from it. Every time I look at a picture or read someone's post I get new ideas, whether I use them or not, sometimes I will run across something down the road and will remember a design detail that will work elsewhere. yes I have been taking pics. I will start a thread at some point soon, but I want to get a little further along. I'll certainly do a whole thread just on the concrete counter top in the showcase section, since it will also incorporate plenty of wood. Too much concrete without other natural elements makes it too "institutional" and "cold" feeling to us. We have plenty of wood (and even a canvas wall pony wall) to offset the cold feel of concrete. i think when this all comes together it'll be about as cozy and homey as it gets. We hope anyway.

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Flame Box Elder

woodnthings

"Nailed Down" so to speak. I would make a few cast samples as I'm sure you have planned. I am sure you know about various tints that can be added to color it brown, black, grey(er), red etc. You will need a small vibrator to settle the pour as well. This is probably all covered in the DVD, but just in case.... bill
There will be a party when it's all finished

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If you're not making dust, you're gathering it. After I reread my own posts, I agree with myself even more.

Allthumbs27

Yea man I would definately love to see the pics on the countertops. We have been studying up on it for a while now and the only thing that has us a little worried is the polishing. But we plan on making a few sample pieces before we attack the main thing. Good luck with it. Thanks for the link. We will check that out a few times ourselves.

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Every fight is a food fight when you are a cannibal.

TexasTimbers

Of course what I meant to say was . . .

I figure anyone who may have read this thread knew that, but just in case. And yes, it's always a good idea to build mock-ups. In this, a case . . test-pour.

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Flame Box Elder

daxinarian

I am about to hate myself for doing this, but I feel the need to be a nerdy nit picker...
Many grades of stainless are highly magnetic, it is only the "Austenitic" stainless groups that are not. The austenitic stainless group is 18-8 steel, AKA "300" series like 301, 302, 304, 316 etc... Most stainless steel average folks run into (appliances, store bought bolts, etc..) is a 300 series steel, hence the myth that "ALL" stainless steel is not magnetic. The 400 series of stainless is magnetic, so an object made with 440 stainless will be attracted to a magnet, 440 is by no means a "lesser" quality, infact 440 is used for many surgical instruments and high quality cutlery (go check your stainless steel knives).

Interstingly, if you beat the heck out of a 304 stainless bolt (or your wife's refridgerator) with a hammer, it becomes magnetic. But then if you heat it up (over 700 degrees) it will once again lose its magnetic properties.

class dismissed...