How are carved soapstone sinks made??

16 years ago

I was just admiring the carved double bowl soapstone sink that Joshua posted in my thread about runnels. Wow! How is a sink like that made anyway? All I can figure is that you start with a giant block of stone, at least 12 inches thick. Then what??

And how early were deep, carved sinks made? Are those hundred year old sinks we see pieced together?

History lesson please! Or a link to a website with info? (Am I the only one who is curious?)

:-D

Francy

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

florida_joshua
16 years ago
Francy, they do take a big block of stone and core a bunch of holes in it, then finish up by grinding it clean. That is the way you would hand make a sink. There is a little more to it but you get the idea.

If your lucky enough you would have a huge cnc machine like Bucks County Soapstone has and could program any sink you wanted and the cnc would cut it with all diamond tools. . . They just got this machine up and running from what I hear and I can't wait to see the sinks they will be producing. . . They will be leading the soapstone sink industry with what they can create.

The old sinks are what the industry calls a slab sink. Which means they are 5 pieces put together. The old sinks are just square pieces glued together, but now we tounge and groove them with the bottoms ground down 5/8 of an inch so the water doesn't sit in the bottom. The harder varieties are usually notched not tounge and grooved.

Block sinks are made in Brazil and shipped in. As far as I know BCS will be the only company producing them here in the states.
emmie9999
16 years ago
Wow, that is fascinating to think about! huge blocks of stone being ground down into sinks. Wow.

I have a soapstone sink in my basement. It's only about 8 inches deep, but it's about 2 feet deep by 3 feet wide. It's in the corner near the washer and dryer, and was probably part of the laundry set up down there at one time, unless it was removed from the kitchen. (The house was built in 1925.) It's on wooden legs like banister posts. Some brilliant person painted the whole thing. Olive green. :-P

I know a house that has a double laundry sink in the basement, all of soapstone. Each side is as deep as my arm is long! They are about 6 feet wide in total. It's an old Victorian era house in Cambridge, and that was their laundry system "back in the day". Imagine soaking the Thanksgiving roasting pans in those!

Emmie
Related Discussions
Top mount sink on soapstone counters
Q
Comments (19)
We currently have a, now discountinued, cast iron Kohler sink with a drainboard, and we like the drainboard a lot. So, my initial gut thought had been to look for one with a drainboard. Initially we had been planning to reuse this sink but the rethought that thinking we would be fools to invest that much money in countertops to install an odd-sized sink that could not be replaced if something happened to it. The micro-edge does look lovely and we may yet end up with a stainless (even though I am more of the porcelain look person myself) solely because of some other issues we have with size constraints. We too learned many years ago that you get what you pay for, and an initial larger investment upfront pays off in the long run. Perhaps some of those complaints about disgusting looking stainless sinks were from people with the really low end sinks. Even though I know that the top mount sink came later than the era of my house, I too to seem to prefer them aesthetically. Perhaps it is because of the feeling they evoke of kitchens from a earlier era. It's too bad there isn't something similar to the microedge availabe in cast iron. OTOH, I can definitely also see the idea of thinking of my kitchen as not a period piece but as something that has evolved over the decades and has not been static set in one time. I'm sure the housewife who first coccupied it would have been thrilled to be able to upgrade portions of it to the latest technology like micro egde sinks.
...See More
Soapstone sink - five slab vs. carved
Q
Comments (7)
We had a center drain in our last kitchen and this worked very well. We were able to have a full size disposal and turn both of the door fronts into pullouts that each held a tall kitchen trash can. If we didnÂt have a center drain, then this would not have been possible. DH did have to plumb it right to free up all that space, but if you plan for that going in, it should not be a problem. The kitchen we are in now has a 48" triple sink Â but the plumbing is all over the place so it is all wasted space which is sad.
...See More
Soapstone, Sink vs. Any Sink - Soapstone Too Much Work? Pictures!
Q
Comments (7)
Hi- We have soapstone countertops, but no soapstone sink. I went with a silgranit sink (Blanco) because I knew I didn't want stainless, and at the time I was choosing sinks I didn't really consider getting a soapstone one (I'm not sure why). We've only had our countertops since the end of July, and have really only been using the kitchen completely for about 2 weeks. Sometimes I wish I had gotten a soapstone sink, because they are sooooo beautiful and I think the idea of having integral runnels on the side of the countertop is such a great idea. But-I think I'm glad I didn't go that route, mainly because I'm clumsy, I bang things around in the sink a lot, and I think I would be making lots of little nicks and chips. Our soapstone is sort of middle of the road with respect to hardness, as far as I can tell, but I think I would have driven myself (and DH) crazy if the sink were also soapstone. But that's just me. I do LOVE the countertops, though. HTH
...See More
SoapStone Sink...yay or nay
Q
Comments (12)
I've had 2 now and found them easy to care for. I think to avoid most problems (not just with a sink but the counters as well) it's important to choose a relatively hard soapstone....or at least not one of the softest. As far as the sink corners are concerned, a quick swipe with a toothbrush once in awhile takes care of that in a minute. I use old toothbrushes around all my faucets too; especially handy when it's close to the wall. If you're prone to breakage I guess a mat or grid would save you there....no diff from a cast iron sink which I'd also had for many years. Oh, one thing you'd want to stress with a custom sink like this is the grade to the drain. Our first soapstone sink didn't have quite enough and it was a bit of a pain. I did have disposals and had no problems whatsoever. Realize though that any poor installation job always can result in possible problems somewhere. No vibration at all though. I think soapstone farmhouse sinks are gorgeous and can be quite a focal point, especially if the stone has some movement. Everyone is different with the maintenance issue. I know for me maintaining a stainless farmhouse sink would put me over the edge...lol. Fingerprints, drips...arrrghhh!!! :) Soapstone hides a LOT. In fact, I was probably a bit lazy about cleaning it as frequently as I should have because I didn't see it! We used Texiera Soapstone for this job. First rate.
...See More
velodoug
16 years ago
In the early 60's I regularly cleaned motorcycle parts in a soapstone sink in the basement of a town house on East 10th Sreeet in Manhattan. The house was over 100 years old at the time and the sink showed every sign of being that old too. It was made from slabs roughly 2" thick. The dimension were approximately 3'L x 2'W x 18"D. (Lest anyone worry after the fact about solvents in the waste water, Tide was then and still is the best cleaning product for greasy parts.)
bill_vincent
16 years ago
Of course, nobody says they have to be CARVED.

Related Stories

KITCHEN DESIGN Kitchen Sinks: Soapstone for Germ-Free Beauty and Durability

By Rachel Grace

Stains and bacteria? Not on soapstone's watch. But this sink material's benefits don't come cheap.

Full Story

KITCHEN DESIGN Soapstone Counters: A Love Story

By Alison Hodgson

Love means accepting — maybe even celebrating — imperfections. See if soapstone’s assets and imperfections will work for you

Full Story

503

KITCHEN DESIGN 15 Farmhouse Kitchens That Made Us Swoon This Month

By Mitchell Parker

Raw wood, natural light, shiplap siding — we just couldn’t get enough of these farmhouse-style kitchens uploaded to Houzz in January

Full Story

172

FEEL-GOOD HOME Carve Out a Neat Little Nook

By Laura Gaskill

A well-designed nook can add charm and warmth to a room. Here are ideas for creating one that really works

Full Story

FEEL-GOOD HOME How to Carve Out a Corner Just for You

By Laura Gaskill

You may not have an entire room where you can get away for meditation or a catnap, but a retreat is still within reach

Full Story

KITCHEN COUNTERTOPS 10 Top Backsplashes to Pair With Soapstone Countertops

By Becky Harris

Simplify your decision-making process by checking out how these styles work with soapstone

Full Story

KITCHEN DESIGN Kitchen Counters: Durable, Easy-Clean Soapstone

By Ivon Street Studio

Give bacteria the boot and say sayonara to stains with this long-lasting material that's a great choice for kitchen and bath countertops

Full Story

242

DECORATING GUIDES 6 Cost-Effective Ways to Go Custom Made

By Apartment 46 for the Home

Get a look that’s totally you — and possibly for a lower cost than you might think

Full Story

By Mary Jo Bowling

Learn about basin configurations, sink shapes, materials and even accessories and specialty sinks

Full Story

437

KITCHEN DESIGN Kitchen Sinks: Slate Surfaces Rock for Strength and Style

By Rachel Grace

Go for a sandblasted pattern or keep it simple — slate sinks show quality and promise durability no matter how you roll

Full Story

How are carved soapstone sinks made??

Comments (4)

florida_joshua

emmie9999

Related Discussions

velodoug

bill_vincent

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US