Stainless steel countertop for kitchen sink

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whats up guys!im new to this ...but ive been a lurker for a while!!i decided to post because i know u guys are good at this and i needed some pro advice...ive been welding for a while about a good four yrs...lol i know thats not nearly enough but im not stopping any tyme soon!!anywayz back to the subject i  never messed around with stainless steel...n i got this job where they want a stainless steel counter top for a kitchen sink...?i was wonderin if u guys can post some picz of some projects maybe or plans for this .....anything will help i need some advice!!!!!thankz alot guyz! the countertop  is about l10' x w2' and 3" can anyone help?
Reply:I work a lot with stainless- and one thing for sure about stainless- everything costs more.For something like a sink, you gotta tig weld it. And then grind the welds out til they are invisible.If you arent extremely tooled up, I would job out the sheetmetal fab.Stainless is harder to work with than mild- you need a bigger shear, a bigger brake, and so on.You can order stainless in a variety of finishes. For kitchen counters, I would go with what they usually call "brushed" which is usually a one directional 180 grit sanding pattern. Kind of linear scratches. However, if you need to do any visible welds, you need to do one of two things- either figure out a way to EXACTLY match the factory finish- the pros buy these, very expensive sanders-http://www.csunitec.com/sand/surfacefinishing.htmlOr, after you get the brushed stainless, add a finish of your own you can duplicate- sometimes I hit the new stainless with a random orbit sander, with 120 grit on it, making my own random sanded finish. That way, after I weld, and grind out the welds, I sand the welds with the same random orbit, and it matches.I would be thinking 20 gage or so for thickness. I suppose you could go down to 22 gage IF every single bit was contact cemented to a backing board of MDF or something. For commercial kitchens, with unsupported stainless, they often go up to 16 gage. 16 Gage stainless is HARD to bend, you need big expensive tools to work it.You can plasma cut it, but it leaves a lumpy nasty edge, with black slag on the back- expect to have to grind it.For finishing, as in grinding out welds, I use a 60 grit blue alumina zirconia flap disc on a 4 1/2" grinder. I like the Klingspor brand, but Norton or Sait is good too. The blue flap wheels are tough enough that you dont need a hard grinding wheel, but leave a fine enough finish that you can then start to finish sand. I usually go to a 120 grit blue flap wheel next, then use a DA sander or a random orbit, with finer paper. All the way to mirror finish is possible, but a whole lot of work. Whatever finish you go with, sanding out welds and scratches is going to be the biggest part of the job.With the right tools- a big shear, a plasma cutter, a big brake, good abrasives, and a site portable tig welder, its not too bad to do this work. Without em, you will be inventing new swear words.I like the new Miller Maxstar STH a lot for doing these welds on site- small, clean, and it does great welds. If you dont wanna drop the $1500 for one of these, many Welding supply stores rent em- at my local, I can get one for $30 a day, supplying my own argon tank. Cant beat that- for a day or two of site welding, its a bargain.
Reply:We do lots of tops, just did a bunch of curved ones. We usually get the customer to supplyan AutoCad drawing file to match the wood subtop and then waterjet cut the holes and such. In your case it sounds pretty straight forward. Unless you have the right stuff to bend the top, let a qualified shop bend and cut the hole. If the sinks are integral and not drop-ins you'll need to keep the work cool while welding on it, use some pieces of aluminum flat bar and rags soaked in water. Weld the corners and use enough filler rod to be able to sand the weld back to the base metal. Use 180 grit paper (Aluminum Oxide) and a wood block to regrain the area.#3 is typical for kitchens and #4 is a higher polish and prettier but harder to maintain.You'll need a very flat subtop to glue the Stainless to, use Wilsonart 945 spray grade contact cement. Don't put any glue in the weld areas as it messes with the gas andwill foul out your work. The minimum thickness is 16ga for a welded top. I'd get somesample corners made up and practice on them first, you'll be sick if you foul out a 300.00sheet of material. Hope that helps you. Ben- Advanced Architectural Metals.Last edited by thatsgonnaleaveamark; 03-24-2008 at 09:28 PM.
Reply:i've been wanting to do SS counter tops, but the wife won't sign off on it.
Reply:thankz for the responses guys!!!seems a lil too much for me i think ill juz buy the ss countertop made....do any of u know where i can get a good deal?
Reply:Stainless steel kitchen countertops have now officially left the restaurant and entered the home. Choosing it instead of other kitchen countertop available offers germ-resistant, beautiful and scratches can be polished out.
Reply:Something that was pointed out to me at an local AWS meeting last year was that stainless does stain and will show fingermarks and stains.  That is one reason why some appliance finished look like stainless but are bare steel coated with clear enamel.  To prevent marks on stainless you must use commercial stainless cleaners.In a commercial operation this is not a worry but for some fastidious house frau she will notice slight changes in the shade of the finish over time unless she used stainless cleaners on a regular basis.  It is wise to forewarn customers to prevent complaints months after the job is completed.
Reply:Stainless steel sinks offer a clean look with a gleaming shine. They can easily be paired with various color appliances and or counter tops. A mirrored finish stainless steel sink provides a shiny appearance. Some consumers prefer the brushed steel look because it is easier to hide scratches than in the mirrored finish. Consider the gauge, or thickness, of the steel. That will affect scratch resistance and will contribute to muffling noises created by objects banging against the sides. The thickest is 18-gauge steel. You can also find thinner 20- and 22-gauge steel but it is more likely to be scratched or dented.
Reply:hey guys...new to the forum... as to the question of stainless countertops here is my opinion.... i've worked with stainless for 19 years and my thoughts are the heavier the better.... you get less warpage the heaveier the gauge.... i personally have built some countertops with 12 gauge material though i use alot of 14 and 16 gauge material ....i've found when you use anything lower than 18 when you glue it down and look in the right light you can see the glue trail....
Reply:As an addition, to keep the stainless steel countertop in excellent condition, it is important to avoid scratching the surface of the countertop.  Because the surface of a stainless steel countertop is shiny and reflective, any scratches on the surface of the countertop may be very noticeable and difficult to remove from the countertop surface.  Items that may scratch the surface of the countertop include scouring pads, scrubber sponges, knives, and items that contain steel wool.Last edited by Tensaiteki; 02-27-2012 at 07:33 AM.
Reply:It is really very good idea to get a stainless kitchen countertop for your kitchen because stainless steel is heat-resistant, durable and easy to clean, making it a smart countertop choice.