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Thread: One more q: slab vs glued panel for kitchen countertop

  1. #1

    One more q: slab vs glued panel for kitchen countertop

    So I have another post about some shelving I'm making.

    I'm also replacing the ugly old laminate countertop in the kitchen. Since my island I made sports a pair of Sapele slabs, I've decided (I think) that I'll do Sapele for the shelving (dining room alcove) and countertop (kitchen).

    The original plan was to have the lumberyard glue up a 120" X 36" countertop panel from 8/4 lumber, and use the same 8/4 to make the 41" X 21" shelves.

    Then they said that they have a few Sapele slabs, and for the same cost they could use that for the shelves (live edge). Cool--the island that'll delineate the kitchen and dining room sports live edge slabs, so that'll carry on the theme.

    Problem.

    The lumberyard doesn't have, and can't get (for a while) 10-foot+ 8/4 Sapele lumber.

    So they suggested that they could use the slab for the countertop (rip off the live edge) and build the shelves w/ 8/4 glued panels, and glue the live edge pane on the outter portion of I want that look still.

    My only concern: using a slab for the countertop vs a glued panel (original plan). Will I face issues w/cupping that'll be significant enough to matter?

    Alternatives: another supplier has the materials for the panel based countertop in Sapele. So I could split the order across two suppliers.

    Also, another loca mill can make walnut shelves for $100 each (still 8/4), which is cheaper than the Sapele quotes regardless of being panels or slabs.

    I'll use that slab somewhere. Either as the countertop or cut into shelves.

    Suggestions? Anything to be aware of with slab vs glued panel countertop (w/sink, etc).
    ###
    I have no idea what I did wrong, but as long as I don't do what I did, I'll be good to go.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Atlanta, GA
    Posts
    6,392
    Re: slab v glue-up cupping. In a word: No.

    It must be dry and stable by this point, so you can expect nothing weird to happen.

    ON the shelves: I am having a hard time getting my head around the idea of 8/4 shelves. You parking a VW Beetle on them? Must be a design thing you are looking for. Otherwise, I would go with 4/5 or 5/4............

    I would go with one guy for the materials for this - sounds like it will be an exceptional thing when done, and I would want to partner up with one supplier, and leave him on the hook for the entire deal. If that means you need to wait a while for the 10' x 8/4, that is what I would do - - assuming it is not, like, Christmas delivery we are talking about..........
    When I started woodworking, I didn't know squat. I have progressed in 30 years - now I do know squat.

  3. #3
    Yeah, I agree on the one supplier. In fact I've used the same source I used for my other Sapele projects, even though they're an hour and a half away. Prices are great. People are good. Hard to change to someone local, even though they might be great too.

    Shelves: yeah it's partly a design thing. They'll look like floating shelves, and the kitchen counter will be almost 2 inches thick, and the island between the kitchen and dining room has slabs of 2 and 3 inches thick.

    So a thicker board fits in with the other pieces.

    The shelves won't hold a VW, but they will be holding a bunch of cast iron cookware, a large Kitchenaid mixer, carbon steel pans, cast iron Dutch ovens, etc.

    But 6/4 or 5/4 would be fine structurally.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Atlanta, GA
    Posts
    6,392
    You're all over it, brudda...... Stick with the design/image that you have in mind, and do what needs doing to get that done.

    You have to live with it for a long time, and you never want to look at a finished project and think: "What I shoulda done is..........." Stick with your guns. Or, more eloquently, follow the advice of Adm Farragut in Mobile Bay.

    Be sure to get back with us with photos of the finished deal - I am very interested in what you are doing here............it sounds great.
    When I started woodworking, I didn't know squat. I have progressed in 30 years - now I do know squat.

  5. #5
    Boo hiss. Materials were delivered via courier, and in quite bad shape. Really crushed edges all over, despite thick wrapping.

    Had to reject the delivery. Looks like I gotta wait a bit longer. Ugh.

  6. #6
    Well, things are back on.

    The specialty lumberyard that cut the shelving and made the countertop panel was able to get things back into shape. I requested things be cut slightly larger than needed so I can trim to an exact fit (all pieces are going in 3-wall spaces, so they have to be perfect). That, as it turns out, was my saving grace.

    The shelving was able to be trimmed to remove edge gouges and still be slightly larger than I'll need, so no harm done there.

    The countertop was almost able to do the same---it would have been 1/2 inch too thin front-to-back had they just trimmed it, and I believe that would have ended up looking odd. So they glued on a 1-inch piece to the back portion...but it came from the same slab (they kept the scrap) so it's an excellent grain match. Not perfect, but after finishing I think it'll be just fine. Plus it's at the back of the counter, so it won't be that noticeable anyway.

    So I'm in the process of making templates for the shelving so I can get to cutting/trimming them to exact size. This is going to be quite a project. It's simple stuff, really. I just have to avoid taking away too much material by being very conservative w/cuts: measure three times, cut, test-fit, repeat until it's right.

    Same for the countertop, but with the added PITA of moving around a 10-foot piece of lumber (without dinging it up). So the shelving is my first test, and once I get the process nailed there, on to the counter.

    Once stuff fits, I have to move it to my workshop (set up in my mother's detatched 2-car garage that she's let me take over) for finishing.

    During the month of July, I'm having a team remove a wall between my kitchen and dining room, making room for the island I build last fall (finally!).

    So hopefully in August this can all be completed.

    Sure do like the look of Sapele.

    ###
    I have no idea what I did wrong, but as long as I don't do what I did, I'll be good to go.

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