Stainless in DC

January 22, 2008 8:20 AM

Where in the DC area would I get a custom-shaped piece of stainless steel for a kitchen countertop?

Design peculiarities in my kitchen have resulted in the need for an L-shaped piece of stainless steel -- or more accurately a piece of wood clad in stainless steel approx. 48" x 15" x 1" thick to match up with this Ikea countertop/sink. No backsplash or anything else fancy.

Where do I go to get this done? If not a specific location, what kind of a shop? I asked at a local machine shop, they said they don't do that; I called a bigger machining place I found online, they said its too small for it to be worthwhile for them. (I'd try it myself, but don't see how I would manage the corners and edges.) More generally, is there a good place in the DC area to buy consumer quantities of stainless steel like this?

Finally - what grade/type and finish and gauge should I get or ask for to best match the existing countertop?

posted by RandlePatrickMcMurphy to Home & Garden (2 answers total)

You want a sheet-metal shop. When I called around for the same type of thing, I found that some shops do stainless steel and some don't. Some will come to your place and measure, and then fabricate the whole thing; some want you to supply the already-cut plywood. So go ahead and ask questions -- you won't sound like a dummy. I was told that 14 and 16 gauge are typical in a kitchen. 14 is heavier than 16.
posted by wryly at 8:45 AM on January 22, 2008 [1 favorite]

To help in your stroll through the yellow pages, look under "fabrication shops." A small fab shop may be able to do what you want at a price much lower than a specialty kitchen place; not all fab shops work with large sheet metal, and their prices can really vary, so you may need to call a bunch of them to get what you want.
posted by Forktine at 10:39 AM on January 22, 2008 [1 favorite]