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Surell Countertop Construction

In this segment, Bob Vila meets with Rich Rogers who explains fabricating techniques for Surell, a solid-surface material manufactured by the Formica Corporation.
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Surell Countertop Construction

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" Hiring an -- Bob as you got our material our countertop material to solve certain product -- made by Formica corporation sure. And this countertop that you're creating is not your run of the mill job visit right we have a main deck made out of confetti listen to the dollar that's the stuff right there. And then we're doing three colors in the shape of a -- Natalie. Each one of these shapes will be laid into this white confetti stuff. And it shaped like a -- how do you make it out of green stuff -- we have three colors where this is pine that's. Peel and the black and starry night which is going to be the stamp we know that for the banana leafs down right very exciting part going to do it. Well it's a little tricky but it's nothing we can't handle can we get started -- can't. Rick what size are the leaves but families are gonna be ten inches wide when he inches long we have three color here they're going to make up the -- And this when you've already put in the black. Strip that represents the the spine of belief Heidi how do you do that a paper so we have the blue on a bigger piece we can't really put the small peace on -- we have a big piece of of the starry night here. But we're gonna glue them to the pine that's. And it's not you don't just cut it with a -- we have a special routers here with -- with a wavy bit. And a special base so we can cut one side on the high and one side on the low so that. They -- so there's an actual wave into that NIC what you're saying is if if you didn't cut them on and offset based like that. You'd have the waves touching and what you want is the ways interlocking that's -- create that real tight joint that's right okay -- we heat can she do that -- after we can't. -- eye protection. And particle masks is I think there's a lot of dust involved in. Using material right that's correct. Food value guests who edges that are ready to be glued together. -- done that the paper towel. That's alcohol. Mean the end. -- respond then that brought a very important step very important. What type activities of are using this as a special -- of these adhesive that is color matched. So it's hypocrisy. But it's custom color matched to whatever particular color throughout -- right. All right how long does this take to set up takes about an hour -- set up. Ready does do some more gluing here. I was a good idea to put down a strip of tape on your workbench so that you don't have a -- Sonny and when you finished fluid look now. Rick you've got that you've made the second cut on the black so that you created the the effect of what is the spine of the league. In negative glue the other piece up to it right that's correct all right -- legal gap for the joint. And that also have to set up about it now our report for making five of these so we've got a number of them in progress. That's plant these I made a template an architect to prove it so that's the shape of the week that's the shape of the late. I notch to shape into one of our leads. But I have a problem getting the not just into the confetti right so I have a little trick to avoid that problem okay. I've transferred. That's it from the template onto that material just with a pencil right see it there and we're going to cut out the not just okay. The next step is to take this jig to make the final cut with around her. I see which -- short gets going to be. Now how are you making these triangular pieces to fit perfectly into the -- I had this negative template that matches the other one and I need to use this to make my cut out of the triangle okay. Once the confetti triangles are glued in set we're ready to wrap up an entirely. And you've made another Jaeger templates that's going to be your guide for the routers. -- So now you've got to do make it. Corresponding. Cut. On the -- can others. And it's a bit that's correct nice job thank you -- wanting to give it the rest of about a week."

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