Help with Hi-Macs Solid Surface Seam - Can this be Done?
We recently purchased several sheets of Hi-Macs for our kitchen remodel with the intention to fabricate them ourselves. I KNOW. But we live in VERY remote Alaska and there just isn’t the option for any kind of professional fabrication/install. My partner is a carpenter and I’m pretty handy so fingers crossed I guess.
Question is - can we do a seam as drawn here? I’ve struggled immensely with figuring this out because it’s multifactorial. Trying to accommodate the rules of 1. No seam over a dishwasher (which is the space to the right of the corner cabinet); 2. No seam within a certain distance of a a corner. Also the fact that our corner cabinet isn’t just a nice 90 degree angle like literally all the fabrications guides show.
Some additional info/considerations:
The lower, vertical part of the “L” is fully depicted. The range goes at the bottom of that section. 73” from range to wall. This includes a 21” and an 18” cabinet, a 1” spacer, and then the corner cabinet which is 33” (therein lies the problem as the Hi-Macs sheets are only 30” deep).
The upper, horizontal part of the “L” actually continues on to the right. It’s the 33” corner cabinet, 24” open dishwasher space, a 36” sink cabinet, and then another 24” cabinet for a total run of 117” wall to end.
Originally I drew this in reverse where the vertical “L” was the piece going all the way to the wall. I thought that would be better for a number of reasons. It would shorten the longer horizontal run, making it easier to work with. It also would add some stability to that section for being able to flip it over more easily after it’s seamed. BUT I’m concerned about then routing those two square bits off the front of the 45 degree corner cabinet. If the seam were placed vertically, then we’d be routing INTO that sharp seam angle and I’m worried it would chip it out? I know that you route things both with the countertop right side up as well as upside down (like when doing the edge buildup) so it’s unavoidable, but I’m reading that when you do your initial rough routing as well as the final finish routing that’s with the countertop right side up so…?
Anyhow, super long post and I apologize for that, but any help from those who work with solid surface would be GREATLY appreciated.