[Chris Yaughn]

All,

I have a designer who has expressed an interest in doing a Goldmine top in her showroom. Beverage center, maybe 6 foot long. I have read all the old post on working with Goldmine. My question is, should I be overly concern about adding a coved splash to this top? Keep in mind, all rabbets, coves etc are being cut by hand tools.

Any words of wisdom are appreciated.

Chris

[David Thomas]

Chris, in my experience, it shows build up seams far more than any other color I’ve used. Might show the cove seams as well.

[Tom M]

Al,

If you can’t hide it, can you decorate it?

[Andy Graves]

Chris,

It will work fine with hand tools but it will show lines more so than other colors and materials.

[KCWOOD]

Andy wrote

Chris,

It will work fine with hand tools but it will show lines more so than other colors and materials.

What Andy said. Goldmine has to be perfect to not show lines. And as luck would have it, the seam that shows is NEVER on an end, it is always right in front of your eyes the first place anyone looks. I have never shown a cove, thus never sold one, even though have done them for myself and some friends. Unless I did them all the time, I do not feel comfortable with giving a 100% job. I have seen enough coved backsplashes in the area homestores to know, I would not have them do a cove for me. There is no way I could send that out for display, let alone install in a house. My area just doesn’t have that much upsale potential, I wish it did. For those of you that do this all the time, I know it is $$ in your pocket.

KC

[Chris Yaughn]

All,

Thanks. That is what I needed to know. I wanted ot make sure that I did not over promise. I’ll avoid pushing the cove, especially on the Goldmine in a showroom. I will, however, practice om some scraps. As a matter of fact I am doing wome tops for a neighbor/part time helper. We are gonna do a good bit of cove. Good Practice.

Also, FWIF I have done my first field seam. Perfect situation, back office in a studio, we started the install at 9:00pm. Had the entire place to ourselves. Perfect situation fr the first one.

Chris

[Rob Parker]

Chris, for what it is worth, when I went through the factory certification course at Avonite, they had us do vanity tops in goldmine. About twenty of us did tops, maybe two or three were even close to perfect on seam lines in the build up, rest of us had varying results. I still have that top, will look at tomorrow and see how much ghost line there is.

[Wags]

I have seen goldmine coved and V grooved and you could hardlly find the seams. If you do it right, it till seam as well as any product. Even the glass products have been V grooved and Coved very sucessfully. I have also seen typical Acrylic that you could find the seam from the driveway… When I went throught the Avonite Advance course a few years back (when I was reping avonite) I made a vanity top and an L top, I would challenge anyone to find the seams :)… You don’t need to do it better, just right, to have a successful job.

Good Luck !

[Dani Homrich]

Sorry I don’t have a lot of time I need to get home before 9:00 PM at lease once this week.

I have never had a problem with any of my Goldmine jobs and they have all had a cove on them and ¾ of the jobs were a mirror finish. Almost 80% of my solid surface work is Avonite Class 3 Polyester. I know how to work with the product.
Ghosts are caused by squeezing out too much adhesive, they show up because it is a reflected void!!!!!! Leave the adhesive in the joint and they will go away. If you want to have problems go on clamping your coves with bar clamps, although there is a clamp out there that will replace that bar clamp for under $3, not much to pay for hours of repair work. If you insist on using spring clamps do not put them as close together as you would normally, remember 1 spring clamp equals 3 Dani Clamps in clamping presser. Leave the adhesive in the joint and you will not have any problem with the Goldmine or any Class 3 product.

Chris, if you have any questions about Avonite give me a call 248 852-9248 I talk faster than I
type.

Dani

[Wags]

Danni is 100% correct. Almost all the problems I found with the Class III materials were, sanding the build up strips with an orbital sander and getting dips in them, and then starving the joint of adhesive, which shows up. In the glass series, due to its translucency you get a white void. Bar clamps, spring clamps all have a place, but do does the Danni clamps. I bet Bessey would agree, their clamps are not made for every purpose.

[Joe Corlett]

FEDSAWDAVE wrote

Funny, were you not at the show with the BESSEY clamp guy? Bottom line: One must cut the hypocritical mung! BESSEY is bar clamps and spring clamps. I’m sure Tom from Bessey would just love to read how he’s getting his bang for the buck. Maybe I’ll call him in the morning and get an RGA on 5 grand in clamps!

Dave:

I can find no hypocricy here. I’m sure Bessy clamps are unsuitable for changing the tire on your car. That does not make them bad clamps, it means each clamp has a particular use which is what Dani is saying.

Furthermore, would’t it be obvious that Tom knows the nature of Dani’s clamps? He obviously feels it compliments his product line or he wouldn’t have shared a booth. Duh. Don’t insult the man’s intelligence.

I think your idea to call him in the morning is an excellent one and you can hear for yourself that you’ve found no hypocricy.

Dave, it’s “fabricator helping fabricator” as Dani demonstrated, not “fabricator salesman finding problem where none exists”.

Joe

[Dani Homrich]

I just wanted to post a photo on what happens when you use the wrong clamp to do the job you are doing.

It is all about leaving the glue in the joint.

Dani

[Chris Yaughn]

All,

Thanks again. The first poly job will have to wait. The Desiigner was offered a name Quartz Gratis as well as fabrication for the same top. I told her I’d take the free top, too. I offered to help out significantly on the GOldmine but I wasn’t gonna pay for it myself.

Chris

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