Well of all the things I planned, drew in CAD, mocked up, measured, measured twice, left room for, and dry fit, I never fully mocked up the faucet. Turns out it's made for a countertop of maximum thickness of 1-1/4". I did use the black nut to see where to put the holes, but the nipple on the faucet is too short and longer ones are not available.
It of course would have been very easy to route 1/4" of that section out, but now that the sink is screwed and glued in place it's going to be a challenge to remove some material.
P.S. I was told years ago do NOT use Teflon™ tape if the connections are straight pipe with the rubber bushings inside.
Couple of options-
1. Trace around the black plastic nut, remove the fixture and then carve the 1/4" out with a Dremel.
2. Use a hole saw the size of the black piece to cut a second hole but only 1/4" deep then chisel out the donut. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOUfFaIJUqo
3. Chisel all the way. It would take time and some good chisels but its possible.
That is a very clever trick to re-use the plug as guide for a larger hole saw. But the plug will be a bit under-sized to the existing hole, so it might bounce around. If the palm router won't go far enough to the sink, I might try this:
Clamp a board on the bottom of the butcher block.
Drill from the top with the existing hole saw to get the guide hole.
Drill the guide hole all the way through.
Flip upside-down, use a larger hole saw and go about 1/4 deep into the butcherblock.
I hope I will be able to chip away the rest with the surface relatively even. but I have plenty of scraps to practice on.
That is a very clever trick to re-use the plug as guide for a larger hole saw. But the plug will be a bit under-sized to the existing hole, so it might bounce around. If the palm router won't go far enough to the sink, I might try this:
Clamp a board on the bottom of the butcher block.
Drill from the top with the existing hole saw to get the guide hole.
Drill the guide hole all the way through.
Flip upside-down, use a larger hole saw and go about 1/4 deep into the butcherblock.
I hope I will be able to chip away the rest with the surface relatively even. but I have plenty of scraps to practice on.
If your pilot bit is long enough that will work or you can wrap some masking tape around the plug to replace the kerf and make it the correct size.
Scrap from the 1-1/2" thick butcher block shelf was just tall enough to get the router butt high enough to clear the 2nd step in the sink flange.
With the router all the way down on the setting and with the 1" milling bit I already had it removed just enough material.
I finished off the very rear with a chisel, it took only 30 seconds.
I accidentally made a few divots when one side of the butt fell "off the ledge" but I eventually figured out you can turn it to a 45° angle.
Overall, it's "good enough for rock and roll", I'm just mad at myself for not figuring this out earlier as it would have been very easy to mill out before the sink was installed.
I can't wait to have running water, it's been over a year!
The next challenge will be the 45º cut on the other countertop.
It came out pretty much perfect! The next and last challenge of the entire remodel will be the 45º miter on the other cabinet.
I have not been able to find a 7-1/4" blade with a 1/8" kerf except for this one. It isn't very fine and it's made for heavy-duty demo so I'm not sure it's good for a clean, straight line on a butcherblock countertop:
Frank
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I must apologize. As I now remember, I went looking for an 1/8” blade but could not find one. I ended up buying a Sears/Craftsmen blade, 7-1/4”, 60 tooth with a .088” kerf. This blade is made for crosscutting. The cut you will be making will be sort of in between a rip and crosscut.
I found this blade (the one above that Frank is recommending) that actually is a thinner blade than the one I got. Maybe I was looking for the thickest blade I could find. Note the blades (Frank's) specifications state the following:
• Laser-cut stabilizer vents trap noise and vibration and stabilize the blade
• Laser-cut heat expansion slots allow blade to expand due to heat build-up, keeping the cut true and straight
• Kerf thickness is 0.059in.
Make your cut from the bottom of the countertop with the blade extended as far out of the bottom of the saw base as you can getting the arbor close to the wood surface. The teeth will be cutting up into the top/wood making for a cleaner/sharper cut on the top surface. The bottom, which you are seeing as you cut, may see some chips as the teeth come up out of the wood but that will not matter. Remember, again, to make your cut so there is wood on both sides of the blade and move slowly helping to keep the blade from wandering or reverberating. Let the teeth do the cutting without pushing the saw. Position yourself so you can make the cut in one smooth run without stopping. I ended up making several cuts until I got it right. You can make the 90º cut at the other end when cutting it to its final length. The goal is to get that 45º cuts first. I don’t think my corner was a perfect 90º so my cut was not a perfect 45º. It was because of a bulge in one of the walls. Any small variance can be hidden by the back splash trim piece.
When setting up your blade to the saw base get it to a perfect 90º. Make some test cuts and check those cuts with a good try square to see if they are at 90º. I use small machinist squares to do this.
I used these Tite Joint Fasteners (see first picture below) to bring and hold the joint together. I also used a biscuit cutter and biscuits to keep the top surface level with each other. I did not use any glue.
I got my joint fasteners at Lowes.
When finishing, I put on at least 3 coats sanding between each coat using 220 with the grain. I only put two coats on the bottom. You’ve got to work fast brushing into the finish already applied.
The blade Frank recommended is the exact blade I have, it's really, really thin though.
George:
The idea of putting the blade as far down as possible (saw high up) so the cutting plane is as close as possible to the center arbor makes a lot of sense, never thought of that, nor did I see that tip anywhere on YouTube.
I went to the store and indeed, a Craftsman blade was the thickest I saw at-a-glance. I'll pick one up.
To hold everything together, I have a Kreg Jig HD with uge screws, but the dogbone fasteners might be better, since you have a change to move both pieces around and be sure they are flush. Once that screw from the Kreg Jig goes in, you're screwed, pun intended.
I don't have a biscuit cutter, so my plan is to use a few dogbone fasteners, glue, let it set 24 hours. I'll have a few extra Kreg HD pockets set up. Per the Kreg instructions, they will be about 75º to the cutting plane, and opposing each other. The short part of my "L" is only 18" on the short side so I think all of this will work.
Your cuts look just right, I hope mine come out just as good and that's the last hurdle with my remodel!
Eddie,
You can make several slots along the cut with a router and grove cutting bit referencing the grove cut from the top of the countertop. Make your own biscuits on the table saw with the grain running perpendicular to the 45º cut.
After 5 or 6 failed attempts, I realized this miter cut would never be perfect. For some strange reason, there was always a bow (gap) in the middle. The saw seemed to stall just a bit in the center section – it’s not because of compression in the wood, because the cut-off edge was always hanging free. No idea what happened. The shorter section of butcher block was arched a bit so there would always be a high spot.
I took all the different advice and tried a few things – it turns out the best miter lines were made by running the saw on the top and in the same direction. I used painter’s tape and the wood did not chip, even though the blade is chipping away from the top and not into it. I guess the most important thing is the inside corner and outside corner came together, and the leg is almost exactly 90°.
Turned out there was no difference in the fine-tooth and the wider blade that was less fine. The only difference was the sawdust – MAN – it’s common sense now, but a fine-tooth saw blade makes really, really, fine sawdust – just like you were cutting MDF.
The gap was about 1/16” at its worst and I filled it with wood putty and sawdust. I’m currently sanding down the high spot on the shorter leg. I’ll have more details a bit later. I need to rush, because you are supposed to soak the wood with mineral oil within 48 hours of breaking the plastic seal.
I’ll provide details of how I joined the boards later on.
Yes, I used a guide for the saw. I didn't have any luck with the BORA track system, the one where you attach your saw to a plate and then to a track. It came out OK but not great. Best results was with a framing square, clamps, and using the track as an edge guide. I will have photos soon.
Turned out it COULD and DID come out perfect! The sanding wasn’t that bad and everything is perfectly smooth. Visible at most is a very faint line of wood filler.
For the bottom, I used two dog-bone fasteners and two heavy-duty pocket screws at opposing angles. I also used wood glue – I understand the idea of biscuits and “floating” pieces but the short leg of the “L” is only 12” and I can’t imagine anything bad could happen.
I never used a wood-boring type hole saw before and I never even knew they existed. It worked flawlessly. It seems obvious now, but for the straight rabbits I should have clamped a framing square to the edge to get a straight line with the router, but I guess it doesn’t matter.
I’ll post another photo once the last countertop piece is installed. I still have the tile backsplashes to do, but it’s been over a year and I can finally put the stove back and have a fully-functioning kitchen again!
Total cost was under $800 - the estimate for quartz was $5,500 installed and I would have had to take care of the under-mount sink AFTER they installed the countertop. The price for quartz did however include inserts for the sink mounting hardware.
I have a small island that's on wheels which currently has scraps on it, and I plan for quartz on that one only (maybe.)
OK - that's it for this round. Very happy with the results. Thanks for all the help. What's left is:
1. Tile Backslpashes (subway tile left, brick over stove area)
2. New Range (the one I have is ugly I think)
3. Microwave drawer (effing expensive)
4. Quartz Countertop for the island, which is on wheels
Thanks for the compliments, I'm very happy with it. The island is normal IKEA cabinets and are on a strong frame. There are eight (8) of them. ONE PROBLEM? I purchased what was called "soft urethane wheels that don't mar the floor." One of them seemed to have flattened out a bit and when you roll the island it goes dunk, dunk, dunk
The back-side of the island cabinets has a removable wooden panel. I plan to tile it with something bold, and if in the event the trend changes it can be changed out.
Plan for the backsplash is white subway tile on the left, and brick on the stove wall. The brick will match my new fireplace brick in the adjoining room and also the brick floor in my front mudroom.
The theme for the kitchen has always been "Grandma's modern kitchen." As much as I would have loved to do something bolder, I have to consider resale and have a design that is as timeless as possible. Butcher block countertops have been around for longer than anyone on this forum has been alive and I don't expect them to ever go out of style.
Lessons learned: The island, which is on wheels and pushed away in the photo, will be quartz. It's only 12 square feet, and there is typically a minimum charge of 25 square foot of material. I'm looking at $1700 for the quartz island countertop. It would have only been a few hundred more to do the countertops in quartz and the island in butcher block.
To Come: A retro-looking range (the current one reminds me of the 90s) and a new microwave, built into the cubby hole. Both are OK for now.
I'm poking around for a store that will simply cut me a remnant of quartz and bullnose the edges for me. Hopefully that'll be less than $1,700
Thanks for all the help, I really love this countertop!
Last edited by NiceGuyEddie; 06-21-2022 at 12:32 PM.
Looks nice. I'm sure you can browse through the "bone yard" at a stone place to find 12sqft of quartz. I did that when doing a bathroom remodel and needed a new top for the vanity. They'll finish the edge as well.
I visited yet another stone countertop place looking for a 2'x6' white quartz or marble remnant and the guy told me you can make a countertop from white concrete.
After fiddling around with YouTube I was amazed that you can even paint in lines with grey concrete dye. Make a form upside-down with Melamine board.
Wet sand the whole thing, seal it up. looks like I can do the whole thing for less than $100.
The house is in Chino, not Calabassas, so it's going to be good enough for me.
It's finished. Clever things such as lights that go on when you open the drawers. My favorite part of it is there are no kick-panels - the wood flooring goes all the way back to the wall.
This isn't my first choice in interiors but it was done to be as timeless as possible.
I hope to get a better-looking stove and a real built-in microwave some day.
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Originally Posted by NiceGuyEddie
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