Our soapstone peninsula has brackets like those mentioned above.

Our soapstone is not in yet, but we are doing a bracket like above for our 15" overhang.

Math teacher, Which bracket are you doing? The straight one or angled one? Do you have legs or corbels in addition?

I'm doing the L shaped one, because of the oddities of ikea cabinets (can't notch the back out). If I had standard cabinets, I would have done the straight ones.

No legs or corbels, but I have cabinets supporting the sides at each end of the overhang.

Brackets and corbels cannot obey the 1/3 - 2/3 cantilevering rule and are usually only attached cosmetically. You may get a big beefy bracket, but if it's screwed into a 1/4" thick MDF cabinet back, you've got nothing. 1/4" thick steel brackets without triangulation support are easily bent by hand; I've done it.

A custom steel frame of 1" square tube steel with the welds ground, painted flat black, and let into the cabinets and supported appropriately is inconspicuous and foolproof, but not cheap or easy.

Joseph, how about the two legs and apron under the overhang? Does that do anything to prevent island tipping if someone would stand on it? I've got seven kids so anything could happen here.

We actually dropped to a 10 inch overhang so we didn't need to worry about support for our soapstone (and also get a bigger cabinet for storage). It is enough for us to comfortably eat there but it also isn't our primary seating area in the kitchen.

mommytofive:

You can do the legs if you want to hit your knees; most people don't. It's certainly strong enough.

I cannot conceive of having responsibility for seven children. I get exhausted and frightened just thinking of it.

We have a 10 x 5 soapstone island with a 15" overhang. We have the island cabinetry sides come out the 15" to provide support.

Joseph, do you mean hit your knees on the legs or on the apron under the counter?

muskokascp, so you have nothing in the middle for support then? Just the cabinet sides on the end? No apron connecting the sides?

nothing in the middle. The stone is on top of plywood that comes out to within about 6" of the edge at the seating side.

wow, it looks gorgeous.

"Joseph, do you mean hit your knees on the legs or on the apron under the counter?"

Could be both depending on the size of the apron.

You would still. Red some type of support for the pictured island. Invisible steel or stretches wiith cross pieces. Something to make it safe. It is not safe as picured

Please see the thread below (but do not post any questions, etc., on it. If it doesn't answer the OP's question, the OP should continue to post here. If it doesn't answer anyone else's questions, please start your own thread and don't hijack mommytofive's thread.)

From the thread, "Stone Information and Advice (& Checklists)":

• Countertop Support - depth:
  • If your granite is 2 cm thick, then there can be no more then 6" of of unsupported span with a 5/8" subtop
  • If your granite is 3 cm thick, then there can be no more then 10" of unsupported span - no subtop required
  • If you need support, to determine your corbel dimensions:
  • Thickness of Stone - Dimension of Unsupported Span = Corbel Dimension
  • e.g., an 18" total overhang in 2 cm would require a 12" corbel; the same overhang in 3 cm would require an 8" corbel

• Countertop Support - length:
  • A corbel or support every 30" of unsupported overhang

Ask your fabricator to look into "Counter Balance Brackets". They offer support without being obvious. At least one company, "Chemical Concepts" has them.

http://www.chemical-concepts.com/marketsegment/product/view/135/countertop-fabrication/counterbalance/9/)

http://www.chemical-concepts.com/media/pdf/CounterBalance%20Product%20Guide.pdf