Research and Learn about Concrete Products

Coloring Supplies

Concrete Stain Supplies

Concrete Dye Supplies

Color Hardener

Integral Color

Resurfacing & Overlays

Concrete Coatings

Concrete Overlay Supplies

Resurfacing Supplies

Concrete Countertops

Countertop Supplies

Stamps & Stencils

Stamps & Skins

Stenciling Supplies

Forms & Molds

Forming Supplies

Concrete Molds

Tools & Equipment

Polishing Equipment

Surface Preparation

Concrete Tools

Concrete Power Tools

Concrete Equipment

Saw Blade Supplies

Concrete Fasteners

Concrete Pumps

Protection & Maintenance

Concrete Sealer

Concrete Mix

Concrete Admixtures

Ready Mix Supplies

Length - 03:09

Award-winning concrete countertop designer, Fu-Tung Cheng takes us inside his shop in Berkeley, CA to show us how to use a variety of tools used in concrete countertop making. One essential tool for creating great concrete counters is a pour table, also referred to as a casting table.

Here, Cheng has made his own pour table from metal and wood. There are several key characteristics to look for when buying or making a casting table. The table should durable, rigid, and flat. If you are an entry level concrete countertop maker, then you can use sawhorses and a double layer of ¾ inch plywood. If you are a professional, then you want a more versatile table.

What Cheng has done at his shop is create a 12-foot-long and 4-foot-wide casting surface. The frame for this table is made out of tube steel. There are levelers at the bottom so that each corner of table can be raised or lowered to create a completed level surface. If the surface of the table is out of level then the concrete countertop that is being made will also be out of level.

Another nice feature to think about when selecting a casting table is mobility. The casting table Cheng uses has wheels on all sides so that after the pour has been completed the countertop can be moved somewhere else to cure.

The surface of a pour table should be thick wood. Here, two sheets of ¾ inch plywood have been screwed together to make the surface. The wood surface allows the table to be screwed into. Melamine and the table vibrators will all need to be screwed into wood. It's important that a new, clean, sheet of melamine is used for each countertop that is made. Additionally, if the original wood surface gets too worn it can be replaced.

When you are thinking about building or buying a pour table, consider mobility, strength, and keeping the surface level. These are the important features needed for creating quality concrete countertops.