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| 19 Aug 2008 04:01 PM |
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With work as slow as it is in Michigan, I had to get into the granite repair business. The stoners may laugh at me, but I bought one of these repair kits: http://195.3.105.188/invicon/index_en.htmlMost stoners think you can repair anything with super glue. The only problem is that super glue doesn't have ultraviolet light stability, so it can yellow in sunlight. So unless your repaired tops aren't under a window and your repair only has to last until the check clears, you're probably good to go with c.a. Here are some sink chips I've repaired with my fancy new kit: |
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Adam Nelson
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| 20 Aug 2008 12:42 AM |
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I have the same kit. I will admit that it has saved my behind on more than a few occasions. The reason that i bought mine was the ability that it gave me to do some serious repairs in estone. The price was pretty steep but it was worth everyone of my hard earned dollars. |
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Miles Crowe
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| 20 Aug 2008 01:44 AM |
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Joe,
What kind of kit? I haven't seen it. |
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Miles Crowe
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| 20 Aug 2008 11:41 AM |
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Sorry Joe,
I missed the link and went straight for the pictures.
Thanks |
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Randy Evans
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| 21 Aug 2008 12:18 AM |
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I am very, very hesitant to do this, but I thought of you guys (all the fabnetters) when I saw this gardenweb thread. Here is a photo of a quartz patch on a brand-new top:  What do you think? |
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| Randy <br><br>The Hold Steady is the best band in America! |
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Adam Nelson
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| 21 Aug 2008 12:39 AM |
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I am not sure of anything to call that other than hideous. I wouldn't have ever tried to pass that one off. Nothing like that will ever leave my shop looking like that. Is quality even an issue for some fabricators anymore? |
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Andy Graves
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| 21 Aug 2008 01:27 AM |
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That is unacceptable and the fabricator needs to have a talkin with. This is the problem with fabricators or companies that don't care about the quality of the product they install. It give the product a bad name.
Is the customer accepting that? What material is it? Looks like Cambria.
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andy@thefabricatornetwork.com
Countertop Company - www.OliveMill.com |
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Randy Evans
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| 21 Aug 2008 01:45 AM |
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Silestone, according to the homeowner.
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| Randy <br><br>The Hold Steady is the best band in America! |
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| 21 Aug 2008 02:48 AM |
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Color blindness in more prevalent in males, so that repair must have been done by a guy. Before he had his cataract surgery and his glasses were broken. The sun was in his eyes too. No, the power was out and he did the repair in the dark, yeah, that's the ticket.
Joe
P.S.:
Randy, thanks for posting. |
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Tom M
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| 21 Aug 2008 03:08 AM |
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That right there? You know how when you get into a talk with another fabricator, and you're trying to find some way to explain just how businesses without conscience are killing a great industry, and destroying good product reputations? You know, that kind of thing? Where you're just trying to come up with an example to show how p'ed off you are?
That's the photo. That one. |
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...those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.
-C.S. Lewis |
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| 21 Aug 2008 03:22 AM |
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Here are some pictures I took today of a practice granite repair. Thanks to Dani Homrich for the shop space, the Estone Restorer and all the advice.
First is the unbroken piece, second is after breaking, third is glued with an Integra clear /Avonite translucent white mix and Dani-clamped, fourth is the repaired piece and fifth is the repaired piece in the most unfavorable light I could find. The repair is just to the left of the power line reflection which goes right through the middle.
I welcome all criticism, as long as it is accompanied by photographs of your first granite break repair attempt too.
Joe |
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Andy Graves
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| 21 Aug 2008 07:20 AM |
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Were you able to get the two pieces of material to line up on the deck?
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| 21 Aug 2008 01:18 PM |
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Posted By Andy on 08/21/2008 2:20 AM
Were you able to get the two pieces of material to line up on the deck?
Andy: Here is a picture of the pieces realigned after breaking but befroe gluing: |
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Karl Crooks
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| 21 Aug 2008 02:45 PM |
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Posted By revans1 on 08/20/2008 7:18 PM I am very, very hesitant to do this, but I thought of you guys (all the fabnetters) when I saw this gardenweb thread. Here is a photo of a quartz patch on a brand-new top: What do you think? We have seen alot of spot repairs like that on Granite and Marble. Many times its like they dont even try to match a color !!! This one looks like a bad Stone repair was tried on a Quartz top. Very sad ! |
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RESTORE ~ RENEW ~ REJOICE !
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David Gerard
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| 21 Aug 2008 03:57 PM |
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It's been said every artist weaves a flaw into there work as a sign of humility.
(where is the shirking away icon) |
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| insomnia crossed with dyslexia and atheist beliefs may lead one to lay awake all night wondering if there really is a "Dog" |
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| 22 Aug 2008 12:12 AM |
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Since I was critical of the previously posted estone repair, it is only fair that I post one of mine, my first test of my fancy new kit
I picked a color and particulate that was similar to the previous Silestone. This is Cambria Victoria.
This was a sink cut-out so I took a belt sander to the edge and made a profile. The first picture is the original edge.
In the second picture, Dani Homrich knocked the corner off and I got rid of the frayed edges and cut in some anchor slots with a dremel tool.
Third, I taped the edge and light cured the basic fill color. After curing, I dremeled in "particulate" holes.
Fourth is the picture of the deck. You can see it has big black spots and some spots with no particulate. The repair is in context with the deck.
Fifth is a close-up of the repair. Yeah, it isn't perfect, but this was my first attempt. Next time I will fill to capacity and not hold back for clear filler on top like you do with granite for depth. When I added the clear, it added too much depth to the estone. I will also make separate "particulates" and add them to the base in separate "lifts" so my particulates don't blur as they did here.
I hit it with a twenty micron and some Estone Restorer and you can't feel it.
I'll let readers decide if this is an acceptable repair or not. I think it depends on who made the chip. I can gaurantee if a college kid had a party and broke mom and dad's top, this repair would look terrific to him.
Joe |
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Brian Briggs
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| 22 Aug 2008 02:21 AM |
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I never believed in the cost of the Stone Lux kit until I seen it in action. One of my contractors broke an antique bench. The homeowners flew an art/historical stone restoration specialist. He worked on the bench at my shop so I was able to see the kit in action. If you really want to get into restoration, the kit is worth the dough. |
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Andy Graves
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| 22 Aug 2008 05:22 AM |
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Not bad repair. Try tinting the clear so that it is translucent. This may pick up some of the color of the material.
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| 22 Aug 2008 11:49 PM |
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I did a second attempt today and produced a perfectly acceptable estone edge repair. I'm sure everyone would agree if only my photographic skills were equal.
The first picture is the chipped edge, the second is the finished repair for easy comparison.
The third is a picture of my gluing an unmatched chip into the hole. I crushed some estone, sorting out the chip colors that didn't match the base color and ground the rest to nearly sand. I blew the sand through my fingers to blow out the gray cement. I mixed the remaining sand with Avonite Translucent White methelmethacrylate. On my next try, I will color match the adhesive more closely.
I ground the proud piece flush with a 36 grit on my Festool on Rotex and sanded with progressively smaller grits until I changed to the Rotex polishing pad with a 20 micron diamond. This is picture four.
I put a diamond point in my dremel and over the top of the glue line, carved in holes for the black and brown "particulates" which I did with my light kit. I finished polished with Estone Restorer.
Picture five is the repair in the most demanding light.
Joe |
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