I should say “templating” because the last couple jobs I’ve had, the fabricators did little more than draw out the dimensions full sized, no scribing etc. I’m running into more situations where the whole issue of having fabricators tell me they have to “template” an installation is screwing up my schedule. If these were complex jobs, or if they were actually doing something I couldn’t do as well I’d be more accepting.
How do you guys handle this? Is it sensible to just provide your own measurements so a countertop can be ready shortly after the cabs go in? Or do you give the client a plywood ct to use while they’re waiting? Kind of frustrating to see a job bogged down just because they want to send someone out to do little more than verify my dimensions are accurate and then keep me waiting three more weeks…
PaulB
Replies
Would it be an option to make your own and take responsibility for it?
Rip some thin luan to 2" strips; break out the stapler and hot glue gun; make your template on your schedule.
Deliver either the luan template or the traced onto paper version. Keep the other for yourself for verification of the top when it arrives on-site.
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Hardboard templating helps assure the best fit and will account for bowed walls, thereby minimizing any scribing.
Wood/solid surface, something like that? It could be more easily scribed and fit on-site.
Stone? Template.
Exceptions? An island with all overhang or a simple countertop that will have the wall seams covered with a backsplash could go off of an accurate drawing.
Depends on how well you want or need the top to fit.
Templating by the fabricator puts the quality of fit all on him.
I scribe the 3/4 substrate that is acually being used, the shop then adds the built up ( at least back when I did it full time) , that is for laminate.
If I was to temp a top now for an unfamiliar fabber, I'd give a luaun pattern and make em follow it.
What kinds of tops are you working with?
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
There is no cure for stupid. R. White.
Well, I recently had a Corian top made up, and about to do a job that will need granite. I guess my gripe is the delay that comes up with working with the fabricator's schedule especially when it seems to add little to the final result, but maybe I'm just being cranky.
On a more practical note... what do you guys do for your customers in the meanwhile? If I'm just replacing cabinets etc I just drop the old top back into place, but if you're doing a kitchen where you can't reinstall the original tops and sink, you can't leave them with nothing for weeks. Do you put it a temp counter? I've been figuring on putting in a simple plywood countertop until the granite arrives...
We do our own granite and quartz top installs, so we make our own templates.
I don't know the exact name of the stuff we use, it's white, plasticy, and looks like cardboard... we call it.... "template board ;).
We drop the templates off and get them back upon completion of the fabrication, they provide great protection once the tops are installted..
as for temporary set ups, We'll either save a section of the old cab tops, maybe 3 foot or so on either side of the sink and reinstall that and the old sink, or if the top gets to mangled coming out we have a sheet of ply ripped in half and screwed together with a cut out for the sink. Seems to work well.
The white plastic cardboard stuff you're templating with is called CorPlast, about $16.00 for a 4'x8' sheet. It is reuseable.
I've used it for years, but with the new lazer templating systems it's obsolete.
Kowboy
With the materials of today, templating is a fact of life. It's like anything else now, you just have to schedule it in and around it.
My granite man comes out with a plotter, enters the info in his cnc and cuts away. With the price of granite I would rather have it that way.
I usually do a 3/4" temp.countertop and let the customers use it for a short while ,they often want some changes before the final template is taken especially with islands or breakfast bar areas.
I rout the edges and put some light salad bowl oil on so its easy to clean,sometimes they are in use for quite a while
If your granite guy is taking more than 3 weeks start to finisn you need to find a quicker team!
If you live in a location where you can buy lauan door skins, they make the best template material ripped into 2" strips. We used to buy them by the pallet in FLorida to do template work in big custom yachts. Lauan strips and a hot glue gun, and you're set.
Bruce
Between the mountains and the desert ...
Templating is a fact with any decent stone job. I use 2" strips of luann and a hot glue gun like the others.
As to a temporary conutertop a piece of laminte particle board, about $35 from any decent lumber yard or Dept. Ripped down the middle gives you 16' of washable hygenic counter top.
I don't have the complete picture here. I was picturing using the full sheet of luan and cutting to fit. With 2" strips, how many do you use. Only around the perimeter with a couple of reinforcements or how? Say you had a straight 10' counter with a sink in the middle, how would your template look?
Basically cut a bunch of 2" rips from your 8'x4' sheet and fire up the hot glue gun.
Lay a piece along the back wall or along one edge, you can then cut the next side piece roughly to length (a little short is okay) the corners do not have to be perfect, and set this in place along the next side. Bend up one corner, squirt a little glue in there and adhear. Repeat with the other sides. You will now have a template of the countertop. If the walls are out of sqaure the template will reflect this. If you need to scribe anything you mark and cut (with a knife or small block plane) to fit. If the template is moving on you and your on your own stick it down with a little blue tape.
For a sink cutout, just glue some pieces across the entire width of the template at the outside edges of the sink, then some pieces across these to mark the front and back. This should be sized so that the template that comes with the sink fits exactly inside the oblong you just created.
Make any special notes on the template with a Sharpie and give them the sink template along with your template. They will cut the stone to the outside dimension of your template, and the sink in it's location.
It's a bit tought to describe, this is one of those a pictures worth a thousand words, but hopefully this makes some sense.