My wife hated our sink when we bought this house. It is the only thing she didn’t like, so I got tasked with replacing it. It was huge, yet the usable portions were small.
To replace it with a same sized open sink was ridiculously expensive and buying a smaller sink would require redoing the counter tops, which was more money than we wanted to spend.
Then I saw this video and started to see another way. I watched a million videos from Stone Coat Countertops and it looked like a good project that I was capable of.
In many of the videos it was mentioned that before you do a big project it was a good idea to practice on little ones. This sounded like a logical step.
I decided to experiment on our crappy old end tables that were on the verge of being thrown away. They were not even a little water proof, spills and condensation from our glasses had ruined them even though we used coasters. I figured since they were garbage anyway, I couldn’t make it worse. First I had to sand, clean, and put a thin layer of Bondo.
Since I was doing two of them I decided to try a different primer color on each. There is a lot of prep with painter’s tape and plastic, but it was a fairly painless process.
For my first project I decided to do a layer pour. This is where you alternate epoxy with different colors of paint. This was easy to do, but after I finished, I realized that I should have had more thin layers instead of the few thick layers I ended up with, still came out much nicer than what I started with.
After pouring I had to pat it with a paint brush then run my propane torch over them a few times to get all of the bubbles to pop. Then it was just a matter of waiting for the epoxy to harden.
The only issue was a fly got stuck in one before it dried, so I had to scrape that spot. That caused one small rough spot on the corner of the dark one.
Next I turned to our coffee table. It was also pretty rough mostly from the dog sleeping on it.
I went with the technique from the first video. It was pretty straight forward, I sanded and put Bondo down and then sanded it again. I bought a nice gray paint from Home depot and put 2 coats of that on.
Then I sprayed it with a combo of different colored Rustoleum Stone paints.
Once that dried, I put a clear epoxy layer on. Once again, I was thrilled with the results.
For our extra end table, I tried a more complex mix. I can’t find the video I followed, but it involved spraying alcohol and paint on the epoxy to make patterns and splotches. Once that is hardened, I applied a clear coat, once again running over it with a paint brush and torch.
Since those all came out pretty close to how I had envisioned them, I felt ready to tackle replacing my sink. I told my wife to pick from the 3 different patterns I used and she chose the last one. Of course she did.
First we went sink shopping. Trying to find a 41″X 20″ sink cost a small fortune so we decided to get a normal sized sink with one large opening. 33″ X 22″ seemed plenty large. To remove the old sink, I had to take off the garbage disposal and the other 2 drain lines. I capped the unneeded lines.
Now I had to tape and hang plastic throughout the kitchen to protect everything. I also cut some MDF to shrink the hole to the proper size.I put some thin boards under the new material and nailed it in with my brad nailer. Bondoing the gaps and sanding the whole counter top came next. I wish I would have taken more pictures in progress, but I was mostly worried about getting our kitchen back in business.
Then my wife asked me to do a live edge, I said OK, seems easy enough. If I had known how much work and mess that created I would have told her no, but it did come out nice. To do the live edge, I put a lot of bondo on the edge of the counter and patted it with my hands to create spikes. After the spikes dried, I sanded them down to create the effect.
After the initial color coat had dried, I did a clear flood coat. Once that dried, I put on their Ultimate Top Coat. This goes on with a wet roller, followed immediately by a dry roller. It dries to a very hard matte finish.
Am I 100% happy with it? No but the mistakes I made aren’t noticeable unless you look for them.
Overall the kitchen and all the tables I used came out splendidly. I spent $1,059, that is counting supplies and tools. It has been 5 years since I did all of this and everything still looks amazing. If any one is interested here is the website: https://stonecoatcountertops.com/
I still have 1 full bottle of epoxy and 1 full bottle of their hardener. Good thing because my wife now wants me to make a whiskey barrel liquor cabinet/bar. Apparently my bottle collection is a little out of hand in her kitchen.
I have a wooden map of Okinawa and I want to do an ocean top on the barrel, kind of inspired by this table I saw in a store.
Hopefully, I can pull it off and write a part 2. Right now I am trying to find a barrel.
Translated the title as SugarFree Countertop, brain assumed it was Wednesday. Good thing because I just finish breakfast.
Looks great! I’d kill for a 40″ kitchen sink.
Wife gave permission for the bottle collection to expand if there’s more room, right?
She originally wanted a sink the same size, but only one basin.
The price on those changed her mind.
Very cool!
yup
Very awesome.
I’d much rather have one big sink than two small sinks. In my house in Indianapolis, I put in one that was a more or less 3/4 – 1/4 split, which wasn’t bad. Those counter tops look good.
Single basin is nice.
Yes, I understand Ron’s wife’s dislike for that ridiculously huge yet not very useful sink.
Always been a complaint of mine: Structures surrounding or supporting a source of water constructed from water soluble material.
Structures surrounding or supporting a source of heat constructed of flammable materials.
Structures surrounding or supporting a source of electricity constructed of conductive material.
What the fuck?
Nice job Ron
Really like how the tables turned out, both the swirlies and the more sedate coffee table. Neat technique.
Was expecting to see this for your hot water at the sink:
https://rebellecasa.com/case/%E5%A4%A7%E9%98%AA%E5%BA%9C%E9%96%80%E7%9C%9F%E5%B8%82%E3%81%A7%E5%8F%B0%E6%89%80%E3%81%AE%E7%9E%AC%E9%96%93%E6%B9%AF%E6%B2%B8%E3%81%97%E5%99%A8%E3%81%AE%E4%BA%A4%E6%8F%9B/?works=1
Only if you have a fish broiler!
Looks great! I installed a bigass single-basin sink like that years ago and never looked back. They’re so much better for washing gigantic pots and stuff. That one in your “before” picture looks particularly pointless – what’s the purpose of that tiny little basin in the center? Why would you want not one, not two, but THREE drains to worry about springing a leak??
I’ll have to look at that countertop site. I’ve had one problem after another with the cheapo countertops that were in this house when I bought it, which seem to be made out of particleboard rejected by IKEA and secondhand formica stuck on with Elmer’s Glue. A lot of things in this house were done totally half-assed, as I have discovered when doing any home improvement project over the years. I ripped off the carpet on the stairs to fix a few wobbly stairs, and I saw that somebody has shimmed the treads with folded up cardboard.
The other thing I was thinking about were butcher block counters. I like the idea that I could conceivably fix one section if something went wrong with it. My Mom’s house has nice granite countertops that are now cracked, and that’s unfixable as far as I know. I have enough woodworking tools that I could do the job myself.
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The middle was a garbage disposal and the other 2 were regular drains.
I think the realtor told me it was a “chef’s sink” when we bought the house.
It looks good in theory, but not so much in day to day use.
The first house we bought had issues like that.
When the drain clogged and I went under the house, I found the kitchen drain was a hundred elbows put together to sort of make a straight line.
The bathtub drain just went ended so the water was collecting under the house.
How did the inspector not catch any of this?
Better stop, I’m going to have a flashback.
My Mom’s house has nice granite countertops that are now cracked, and that’s unfixable as far as I know.
My parents’ last house had granite counters. I fucking hated those things. They are incredibly noisy. You can’t put anything down on them without making an obnoxious clank or clatter. I used to lay a dish towel down any time I was doing anything, just to muffle the noise.
What delicate sensibilities you have.
They are pretty damn noisy, and I think they’re the most expensive of all common countertop materials.
Even concrete countertops would be better, which may not get you an award from Better Homes & Gardens, but they are strong as fuck and can be patched if a crack forms anywhere.
My mom and brother both have granite.
Not a fan, if you drop anything glass it instantly shatters.
This epoxy over wood is much more forgiving.
That was a battle I lost in this house. We (she) ended up with soapstone, in black, and it looks goodish, but there are some compromises I don’t necessarily like that the wife was initially OK with. I would have gone with wood with a poly coating. Cheaper, but it is hard to argue with a person who loves cooking and their idea of a dream kitchen.
This Is The Last Affordable Sports Car
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cx66JM7-fNs
I really enjoy Driving4Answers
Impressive.
“Am I 100% happy with it? No but the mistakes I made aren’t noticeable unless you look for them.” The problem I have with DIY stuff is that I know exactly where the mistakes are, and they eat at me. Ignorance is bliss.
My problem is when people visit and are impressed, I have to show them those areas.
Laid-Off Federal Workers Hoped to Land in State and Local Jobs. The Reality Is Messy.
No way. After all those Blue Governors said they would be hiring away.
At that rate the 20k or so RIF’d will be hired in no time.
https://www.wsj.com/economy/jobs/federal-employee-layoffs-job-market-a28cc904?st=kjuKko&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
It’s a good thing we can afford to throw money around like that with our budget surplus.
The Last Affordable Sports Car
I watched that Sunday. Excellent. He’s getting funnier.
He is. And he is bordering on meta in some of the videos where explains what tropes are being presented in the video at that moment.
Counter tops – only acceptable materials are stainless steel and butcher block.
Sinks – single large stainless steel only. I hatehatehate the thimble sized, rounded corner Mickey Mouse sized standard crap. If your pot will fit in it you have to chase it around and scrub at the same time as the rounded corners eliminate any stable spot for the pot to sit still.
While we are on it there are a zillion design flaws in nearly everything. Who thought it was a good idea to design flatware with a handle three times heavier than the business end?
Geeez I have been grumpier than hell for more than a week now.
I will rewatch this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovP7BYEfclI&pp=ygUfMjAwIGxicyBvZiB3YWxudXQgY3V0dGluZyBib2FyZA%3D%3D
It is worth it to see the end product but skip over his personal crap and just watch the build.
I still want to do a Lichtenberg and epoxy filled table,
Stone coat a guitar perhaps?
Nice work!
If I were building my dream home, I would use wood as much as possible. It’s more expensive up front, but it’s generally more fixable. I saw a video where a guy built a timber-frame house and used painted wood panels instead of drywall. Then if he ever had to redo the utility lines or investigate a leak or something, he could just rip off the trim, unscrew that panel, do what he needs to do, screw the panel back on, and re-nail the trim with a brad nailer. Done. No replacing drywall and repainting.
It’s true that wood is generally more flammable, but there are fire control systems that could mitigate that risk, and in some situations, wood is even more fire-resistant than other common materials.
While we are on it there are a zillion design flaws in nearly everything. Who thought it was a good idea to design flatware with a handle three times heavier than the business end?
I’ll play. The volume and mute buttons are on the edge of the roku remote control, instead of on the (more or less) flat top surface. Why? It’s easier to hit them by accident than it is to hit them on purpose.
Gah! We have the same one and the same problem. Wife says her iPhone number 15 or 16 is even worse. It has about six buttons all over the sides. You cant. pick those things up without it doing stuff you didnt want.
I think people who do actual design of…well, everything…are kids right out of school who have never used practical things in their lives.
I have that Roku remote. You hold on to the remote in the normal way and you’re adjusting the volume all of a sudden. It is annoying.
Back in college, the computer system had a word processor that the admins used for normal documentation. The F1 key was an abort key (exit without saving). The F2 key was the save key.
The admin in the Comp Sci off took a nail file and popped the cap off the F1 key and threw it away. I was afraid to ask how many times she aborted out of a document and lost her work when trying to save it.
“If I had known how much work and mess that created I would have told her no, but it did come out nice.”
Quoted for truth. I recently redid the baseboards in the upstairs bathroom, and as the whole house is trimmed in wood, naturally I went with boards I cut to pattern to tie in. And then I asked her to choose what stain would work best. “I would like a combination of these two, that would look best.”
Well, yes, it would, but getting a mix just right AND CONSISTANT is a bit more work than I anticipated. But, still, looks great.
Oh, and it looks damn good. You should be proud.
Relevant: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=s33ScN4D-HU
Not a fan, if you drop anything glass it instantly shatters.
No kidding. My mom said one time she had probably broken more glasses in that kitchen than she had in her entire life.
Damn. That looks fantastic. Well-fucking done. I’m not sure if I understand the desire to have bumps on kitchen stone, but as you said. YEP! It was best done that way. I bet it legit feels fun. More organic and less laboratory. As for the spray splotches, yeah. I can see that maddening one. No clue if it could be done with stone, but my first thought was too embellish ’em into feathers. They already do look like ’em. Play it up. (Also possible Dormitory logic. *shrug*)
Also shown: Many skill sets I don’t come close to having any of. (I *can* change a car’s tire. Or I’ve done it before. (And will again?))
I have that exact over-the-sink dish dryer thingie. I like it cuz I don’t have a lot of counter space but I wish I had a wider sink to go with it. 😞
My mom had bought one for herself and she loved it so much she bought one for all the daughters in law.
My wife loves it also.
I am just going to leave this here.
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/regency-28-x-20-x-12-16-gauge-stainless-steel-one-compartment-drop-in-sink-with-12-swing-faucet/60DI12812K.html
That site is an endless source of boners for me.
That looks tiring, but satisfying.
Your first sink intrigues me: never seen one like it.
May I please have a mai tai? 🍹🙂
So either not alcohol or somebody else (or nobody) was at the helm…
Sordid history of millionaire skipper Jeff Knight at the helm in fatal Clearwater ferry crash…
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14660289/millionaire-skipper-clearwater-ferry-crash-jeffry-knight.html
I would kill to stay off some juries
“Only in New York”
https://nypost.com/2025/04/29/us-news/off-duty-female-nj-cop-arrested-for-allegedly-assaulting-two-people-after-breaking-into-their-home/
Sounds like a training issue.
Ahh… Toms River.
Given the vehicle damage this was likely somebody she knew and was not happy with.