JB

Joe Bleau

07/03/2007 10:44 AM

Silestone as Router Table Top?

I believe I saw a post here where someone was gloating about having
found silestone at a good price to make a router table top. Since I
am about to build another riouter table and was thinking about using
MDF with HP laminate the post made me wonder if perhaps silestone
might be better. It seems to have all the qualities a RT
requires--hardness, machinability. The question really is if it is
that much better than MDF. How thick does it have to be to eliminate
all danger of sagging? Will it warp? It should not since I don't see
how moisture could penetrate. Would anyone who is using it as a RT top
please post impressions. Thanks.

Joe


This topic has 8 replies

Rd

"Robatoy"

in reply to Joe Bleau on 07/03/2007 10:44 AM

07/03/2007 1:15 PM

On Mar 7, 10:44 am, Joe Bleau <[email protected]> wrote:
> I believe I saw a post here where someone was gloating about having
> found silestone at a good price to make a router table top. Since I
> am about to build another riouter table and was thinking about using
> MDF with HP laminate the post made me wonder if perhaps silestone
> might be better. It seems to have all the qualities a RT
> requires--hardness, machinability. The question really is if it is
> that much better than MDF. How thick does it have to be to eliminate
> all danger of sagging? Will it warp? It should not since I don't see
> how moisture could penetrate. Would anyone who is using it as a RT top
> please post impressions. Thanks.
>
> Joe

Silestone is 30 mm. a 24" x 12" won't sag to the point you'd notice.

bb

"bdeditch"

in reply to Joe Bleau on 07/03/2007 10:44 AM

07/03/2007 3:24 PM

On Mar 7, 2:41 pm, Joe Bleau <[email protected]> wrote:
> I got into this because of someone's gloat about getting a Silestone
> router table top. It sounds great but I thought it was like Corian
> and could be machine with woodworking machines. Apparently it can
> not. Wonder how the gloater made his cutout to accept his router
> plate? It sound like it would make such a fantastic top I am
> wondering if I couldn't have a marble shop do the cutout for me.
> Any ideas. Thanks.
>
> Joe

What happened was a screw up when they did his counter tops and this
was part of the "I am sorry we screwed up" deal.

Rd

"Robatoy"

in reply to Joe Bleau on 07/03/2007 10:44 AM

07/03/2007 3:46 PM

On Mar 7, 6:42 pm, Joe Bleau <[email protected]> wrote:
> On 7 Mar 2007 15:24:41 -0800, "bdeditch" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>
> >What happened was a screw up when they did his counter tops and this
> >was part of the "I am sorry we screwed up" deal.
>
> Wonder how much I would have to spend to get someone to screw up
> something for me and then make me a Silestone RT top?
>
> Joe

Where are you located?

Tt

"Todd the wood junkie"

in reply to Joe Bleau on 07/03/2007 10:44 AM

08/03/2007 6:08 AM

On Mar 7, 10:44 am, Joe Bleau <[email protected]> wrote:
> I believe I saw a post here where someone was gloating about having
> found silestone at a good price to make a router table top. Since I
> am about to build another riouter table and was thinking about using
> MDF with HP laminate the post made me wonder if perhaps silestone
> might be better. It seems to have all the qualities a RT
> requires--hardness, machinability. The question really is if it is
> that much better than MDF. How thick does it have to be to eliminate
> all danger of sagging? Will it warp? It should not since I don't see
> how moisture could penetrate. Would anyone who is using it as a RT top
> please post impressions. Thanks.
>
> Joe

I am the lucky gloater. I have had the table top for a few weeks now
and it is awesome. I just set it up for some edge jointing and my
stock is coming out perfectly square from end to end.

I used to have a laminated mdf (basically an old kitchen countertop)
and my stock would come out somewhat square in the middle, but not at
the ends. This was because there was a sag in the middle. I propped
it up but was still not perfect.

I can tell you that silestone is ideal for this application. I
originally asked my countertop guy if he could do this with granite,
but he resisted saying it would crack much easier. Silestone has much
less chance of shattering since it has resin built into it's
composition. My piece is 24" x 36". They cut out the inset for the
router with their CNC machine. I would definately not try this at
home.

As far as cost goes, I paid nothing, but if you make nice with one of
these guys you could probably get a cutoff from their production shop
fabricated for less than a hundred. If you are in the market for a
new granite countertop, make that part of the deal beforehand.

Rd

"Robatoy"

in reply to Joe Bleau on 07/03/2007 10:44 AM

08/03/2007 11:53 AM

On Mar 7, 8:24 pm, Joe Bleau <[email protected]> wrote:
> 7 Mar 2007 15:46:15 -0800, "Robatoy" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >On Mar 7, 6:42 pm, Joe Bleau <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> On 7 Mar 2007 15:24:41 -0800, "bdeditch" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> SNIP
>
> >Where are you located?
>
> Florida Keys

That's a bit of a trip. I had also hoped, that by chance, I knew
somebody in your area... I don't.
DO stick with quartz, instead of granite. A much better choice for a
RT.
Cambria, Silestone, Ceasar Stone, and my personal favourite Hanstone.

Draw up your RT cut-out on a basic vector program (Adobe Illustrator
will do)
and contact Park Industries and see who has one of these:
http://www.parkindustries.com/content/view/31/32/
in your area. The same people will have cut-outs from cooktops or
larger sinks.

You might get lucky, I hope you do.

r

JB

Joe Bleau

in reply to Joe Bleau on 07/03/2007 10:44 AM

07/03/2007 5:41 PM

I got into this because of someone's gloat about getting a Silestone
router table top. It sounds great but I thought it was like Corian
and could be machine with woodworking machines. Apparently it can
not. Wonder how the gloater made his cutout to accept his router
plate? It sound like it would make such a fantastic top I am
wondering if I couldn't have a marble shop do the cutout for me.
Any ideas. Thanks.

Joe

JB

Joe Bleau

in reply to Joe Bleau on 07/03/2007 10:44 AM

07/03/2007 8:24 PM

7 Mar 2007 15:46:15 -0800, "Robatoy" <[email protected]> wrote:

>On Mar 7, 6:42 pm, Joe Bleau <[email protected]> wrote:
>> On 7 Mar 2007 15:24:41 -0800, "bdeditch" <[email protected]> wrote:
SNIP

>Where are you located?

Florida Keys

JB

Joe Bleau

in reply to Joe Bleau on 07/03/2007 10:44 AM

07/03/2007 6:42 PM

On 7 Mar 2007 15:24:41 -0800, "bdeditch" <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>What happened was a screw up when they did his counter tops and this
>was part of the "I am sorry we screwed up" deal.

Wonder how much I would have to spend to get someone to screw up
something for me and then make me a Silestone RT top?

Joe


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