Soapstone is a soft stone that can be cut and shaped without any special stone working tools. Did you know that more than half the cost of natural stone counters comes from labor? With soapstone you can eliminate that expense and have natural stone countertops for a fraction of the cost! We will even give you a "practice piece" for you to test before you commit to doing it.

Need diamond blades, bits, sanding pads? We have a Do It Yourself Kit, that will make your fabrication a lot easier, and you can have it shipped with your stone order or purchased separately here!

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Step 1: Cutting The Stone

First, we want to make sure that the slabs being cut, are on a flat surface and fully supported, not allowing a piece that is being cut from the slab to fall, this will chip the stone at the end of the cut.

You will use a straight edge to ensure a perfect straight cut.

Although soapstone can be cut with a masonry blade, we recommend that you invest an additional $50.00 on a diamond blade (wet/dry) to get a faster and smoother cut. This blade can be found on your local hardware store, and will go right on your circular saw.

You can cut the stone dry, make sure to use a respirator mask, and because of the amount of dust, cut the stone outside if you can. Do not force the saw to go faster, apply a light forward pressure and let the blade walk through the cut, be specially careful on the last 2" of the cut. On COBRA soapstone we recommend making two passes per cut (stone is 1 1/4" thick, cut 3/4", then 1/2"), on the other stones you can cut it in a single pass.

To avoid scratching the face of the stone you may want to use a masking tape to cover the metal on the saw or you can place the masking tape on the stone wherever there is contact between the saw and the stone.

We also recommend that you do a practice cut on a section of the slab that you will not be using, just to feel it before you actually start the project.

Step 2: Edge Finishing

If the edge finish you want on your countertops is a simple one, like a bevel, eased edge or straight polished, you can do it with your orbital sander or a belt sander or even by hand using a sanding pad. You can start using 80 grit, then 120 grit and finally a 220 grit (Cobra soapstone, go an additional 320 and 400 grit) to match the factory finish we put on top of the slabs. Do not worry if your finish comes out a bit lighter than ours, after you apply mineral oil to the countertops that slight difference will disappear.

If you like a full bull nose or an ogee for example, you will need to use a router with carbide bits.

We also recommend doing a practice edge finish, before you actually start finishing your final product.

Step 3: Sink Cut Outs and Faucet Holes

To do an under mount sink cut out, you have a few options. You can use a jig-saw (with a metal speed blade), an angle grinder with a carbide or diamond blade, or your circular saw. The trickiest part is the radius corners, which vary on each sink model. You can use a hole saw and drill holes on each corners and let your jig saw do the radius, or just do the whole cut out with your angle grinder. The angle grinder also comes in handy to clean up the corners.

To polish (hone) the cut out edge, follow the same procedure mentioned on step 2.

We recommend allowing for 1/4" of stone to overlap the sink all around instead of making the cut out flush with the sink.

For farmer's (apron) sinks, like our soapstone sinks, you will save yourself some time, since you do not need to do a cut out. There will be a countertop to left and one to the right of the sink, and a small piece of soapstone in the back of the sink seamed to the two countertops. Believe us, if you follow our instructions the seams will be almost invisible.

For your faucet holes, your hole saw will do the job just fine.

Step 4: Making Seams

Unlike granite, seams on soapstone are almost invisible. You will have to really look for them to see it, and you cannot feel them. Your guests will never know there are seams on your countertops (if seams are required).

You will use a knife grade black stone epoxy, which we can supply.

Using your angle grinder, "scar" the edges that will be seamed (about 1/8" deep) to allow some epoxy to go in when the pieces are pressed together.

"Butter" the two pieces generously with the epoxy/hardener mix (the epoxy only gives you 10 mins. of working time, so make sure you are ready to seam before mixing in the hardener). Press the two pieces together as tight as possible. Some excess epoxy will "ooze" from the top. Remove the excess epoxy with a spatula and let it dry (10/15 mins.) Sand about a 4" area around the seam using 120 then 220 grit sandpaper with your sander. You will notice the seam line getting thinner. Once you apply the mineral oil to the countertops, you will barely be able to see that seam.

Please place the countertops on the cabinets and seam them in place, instead of seaming them first, then moving them to the cabinets.

Step 5: Installing the Countertops On The Cabinets

There is no need for a plywood base on the cabinets to accommodate the soapstone. Your soapstone countertops can go right on top of the cabinets.

After the countertops are on the cabinets, you will run a bead of silicone wherever there is contact of soapstone and cabinets from the bottom and inside the cabinets.

Step 6: Mounting the Under mount Sink to The Countertop

We recommend drilling slots on the bottom of the stone on the 4 corners of the sink cut out. You will drill a slot that can accommodate a screw head in the stone, so you can attach your clips to secure the sink to the stone. You will also run a bead of silicone along the edge where the sink is in contact with the stone.

If there is anything we did not cover here, we do offer live support on our toll free line 877.478.8170.