Soft Quartz/ Rubber Scratching

[squibble]

I am currently working on 2 projects using a name brand quartz from Germany. I am finding these 2 different colours with similar, tiny, particulates very soft. The stock rubber protection on my polishing carts is even marking them permanently. I have torn out a whole job as I have been unsatisfied with the finish. I have had this problem with rubber before.

The main focus of this post is to find out what others are using on there polishing areas/tables/carts to protect their jobs from being scratched when upside down. I hate rubber so I have moved to carpet but I still worry about stone dust build up in the woven carpet causing scratches. The carpet also frays and wears out quickly.

Let me know your thoughts. There has to be a better way. Even with harder slabs I still go through magic erasers and other products removing suction cup marks and rubber cart rail marks. Does any body use Cork? I guessing not as it may stain more porous stones.

Thanks for your time.

[clhilde]

high density plastic

[squibble]

Are you talking about something along these lines?

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.a ... &catid=705

Is this what you use?

[clhilde]

That's it
I used it to make templates for my sink cut out machine as well.

Counter sink screws and epoxy to the tables and you should be good to go.

Its to hard for rocks to stick in and to soft to scratch stone or es.

[Andy Ross]

I use wood and havent had any problems. We are pretty careful when things are flipped over though.

[Nick]

I use wood and havent had any problems. We are pretty careful when things are flipped over though.

Same here, and we have every job upside down. We cut 2x4s into like 3/8" and do not attach them to tables but rather move them as neccessary.

[Alex DiPietro]

Same here, and we have every job upside down. We cut 2x4s into like 3/8" and do not attach them to tables but rather move them as neccessary.

This is what we do, and every job goes upside down as well. For things like finishing seating overhangs on Islands we may want to slide on the table we have some clean drop cloths well use as well. We process as much marble as granite and we have no scratching issues...

[B.Baltzegar]

I use carpet on rodding tables. Just change it out every so often.
More often, I see scratching from guys using a lift device to stack pcs onto an a frame or cart.
They will hold it away from the stone already on cart until the last couple of inches on the way down.
I bought a bunch of fake plastic lattice sheets from Home Depot. Cut them into 24 x 48 pcs. I pitch a fit if I see stone stacked without the lattice between. Less scratches now.

[lovegranite]

I think the high density plastic is interesting as rubber is expensive and wears tooooo fast.

[clhilde]

You could use old ss tops about the same as the plastic and free

[squibble]

When you say "old SS" do you mean Corian strips?

[Todd B]

If you are referring to diamond stone then your problem is not the work tables.
The gloss is so high that it scratches very very easily.

Maybe try a protective film to cover the slab.

[Antonio Almonte]

We used to use carpet and changed it every so often.

Is the quartz material "quartzforms" by any chance?

[clhilde]

When you say "old SS" do you mean Corian strips?

yes

[squibble]

We used to use carpet and changed it every so often.

Is the quartz material "quartzforms" by any chance?

The Material is "Quartzforms". Has anyone else had problems with this material or did I get a bad batch?

I have similar problems with Caesarstone "Pure White" and LG "Ultra White"

[Antonio Almonte]

We haven't had scratching issues as we don't put the stone face down as much as we used to.

The small particulate quartz is a little softer imo than the bigger particulate as there is more glue exposed if that makes any sense. It is also easier to see the scratches in the small particulate. I don't know if it is a bad batch or not as it is also happening to you on other brands as well.

[ash20ash]

We use the rubber shower pan liner material you can get at HD. Only gets used when the stone is upside down to protect the surface. this stuff will not hold stone chips at all.

Some es sheens can be changed by a steady breeze blowing through the shop. Hate that stuff.

[Steve A]

I have lots of problems with ES as-well. CNC suction pods leave "shadows" on most of the ES I've worked with. I also wipe down every piece of ES after any wet work, if I don't I get water marks that are almost impossible to get off.

[Curtis R. Marburger]

one shop was telling me on the phone that they bring ES slabs in and clean and inspect before running , then apply plastic film to the entire slab and process
the snag is you got to clean tops after removing plastic film again because of residue

[Joshua Hopkins]

I have lots of problems with ES as-well. CNC suction pods leave "shadows" on most of the ES I've worked with. I also wipe down every piece of ES after any wet work, if I don't I get water marks that are almost impossible to get off.

What kind of machine do you have and whose pods are you using?

[squibble]

one shop was telling me on the phone that they bring ES slabs in and clean and inspect before running , then apply plastic film to the entire slab and process
the snag is you got to clean tops after removing plastic film again because of residue

I like this idea. The only thing I would worry about is loosing vacuum/suction during the machining process.

[Dan R.]

The largest ES fabricators in the world use a protective sheeting to protect the face. I would think they have it figured out.

[MillironGranite]

acetone and magic erasers or acetone and shop paper towels work for us to get he residue off of ES using blick cups and park industries cnc's.

[Alex_Bores]

Not sure if anyone mentioned this, but what about the sticky plastic you buy and put on the floor for high traffic areas in construction?

Forget the actual name of it but ina pinch we used to pick it up at good ole HD. But we all carry it too! The thicker the better.

[Shiny Alex]

We used to use carpet and changed it every so often.

Is the quartz material "quartzforms" by any chance?

The Material is "Quartzforms". Has anyone else had problems with this material or did I get a bad batch?

I have similar problems with Caesarstone "Pure White" and LG "Ultra White"

We send back about 1/3-1/2 of all sheets that come into our factory. Mainly polishing scratches and transit water staining on the blacks and pitting on the white.
Rumor has it here, that a whole shipment was put to one side as it was defective.