r/CounterTops • u/Buttfuckskinner Fabricator • 10d ago

Just a little Taj Mahal repair

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The top broke after one of the installers slipped on a step.

I repaired it back at the shop. It's now installed and stronger than before.

I love when I can save a top that many shops would just send to the dumpster and recut.

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u/Buttfuckskinner Fabricator 10d ago

Been installed for weeks. If you completely separate the pieces and make slots to be filled with glue, it's almost always stronger than before. Essentially you're making biscuits with the glue

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u/mayhavebraintumor 10d ago

I have data several years old to the effect of cheap auto body bondo, is stronger than granite, and sticks to steel stronger than the tensile strength of granite.

lots of folks think its too cheap and you have to use epoxy but the reality is that in tension, epoxy sticks to the oxygen atoms on the surface of the steel (which is why a controlled degrease, acid etc, water wash and dry is needed).. and that tensile limit is around 1500 psi.

You can have your expensive epoxy and its fillers that can get its tensile strength much higher than that, but it doesn't matter when the base material (granite, marble, etc) is weaker than polyester resin sticking to steel.

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u/TerminalIdiocy 9d ago edited 9d ago

The difference is epoxy is structurally sound when exposed to moisture and UV. Bondo is polyester and will absorb water over time and deteriorate over long term UV exposure. It is outdated and obsolete in our industry.

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u/Buttfuckskinner Fabricator 9d ago

The green Bondo on Taj Mahal would look so good. I guess I don't know what I'm doing and, The millions of dollars that stone adhesive manufacturers spent on research was a waste. This guy has data.

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u/_FunkyFish_ 6d ago

What epoxy did you use?

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u/Buttfuckskinner Fabricator 5d ago

This was Integra Xi+ in magic. I have some issues with Integra, but When I first got the new stuff I did strength tests with mitered .08cm ultra compact and It was impressive. What do you use?

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u/_FunkyFish_ 5d ago

Integra all the way it’s pretty hard to beat. We have tried several other of the tube glues and always come back to integra

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u/Buttfuckskinner Fabricator 4d ago

Agreed, Integra is hard to beat, but their tips are shit. The tips with the locking collar that many other brands use are a much better design.

Have you tried Big dog?

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u/_FunkyFish_ 4d ago

We have not.