SHady,
I don't think there is anything heavier than the slate they make for pool table tops.
I'm serious.
I think the severe reinforcing of the structure of the cabinets and woodwork would cost a fortune.
I wouldn't want them, no matter how much they cost.
But, to each his own.

I'll take 'em.
I don't see why not, other than the fact you'll have to reinforce your cabs. Since you're doing it yourself, I don't think that's a big deal.
I think that's a really great find!

Shadey, we have Monson Maine slate countertops that are going on 100 years old. LOVE them. I'd grab that free slate and never look back.

You can find lots of great info on the "care and feeding" of slate counters at websites like Sheldon Slate and Monson Slate. All we've ever needed to take care of them is mild dish soap and water. They have a wonderful smooth matte texture and we set down piping hot pots on them all the time with no worries.

Butterfly, they are no heavier than granite or other stones, and probably lighter weight per sft, given that they are typically sliced thinner than other stone.

My only caveat has nothing to do with the slate material itself: on a darker countertop, you can see crumbs more easily than on a lighter one. That's the sole drawback I can think of.

Go for it! If you don't use them for countertops, there are abundant other uses for quality slate slabs: as an underlayment for a toilet on wooden bathroom floors; stove hearths; windowsills, etc.

Shadey,
I'm willing to drive a long way to help you take out your soapstone counters...

With you being in MI, it would be a good excuse for me to drive up and see my sisters. I've been putting it off since my mom died in August. We've got to address her things.

Soapstone counters would greatly cheer me up...
So would slate pieces, if you decide you're not into them.

I'm just sayin'
It'd be kind to help a girl out. [evil mawahhaahahahahahaha]

I love the idea and would grab them in a heartbeat! I'd get tons of grief from my DH but I've learnt to tune it out when it comes to re-cycle/up cycle. I have a basement chocked full of up cycle projects that I have yet to do. :)

Oh, yes!

Check out the link below with some pictures. Also when you google image pool table slate counter tops, more pics show up.

Here is a link that might be useful: pool table slate as counter tops

Shadey
I don't know anything about slate but was pleased with our fabricator in Michigan.
They do most of southeast and central Michigan.
Can't wait to see pictures!

Plenty of people have used chalkboard slate for countertops, in fact I have some sitting in my garage for use on our island. It's quite a bit thinner than what you have. If you like how it looks, I'd go for it!

Assuming it looks ok for a countertop , the trick will be finding a fabricator. Since fabricators in MI probably don't work with slate very often, they might be hesitant. While I was thinking about using Sheldon for slabs, I had trouble finding someone in upstate NY willing to work with it. By the time that was solved, I had moved on to soapstone.
But I'd try in a heartbeat, and make it clear to the fabricator that you're up for the adventure.

How do you know fabricators in MI don't work with slate very often?
Any more or less than someone, say, in Virginia? Oklahoma? New Mexico?

Here in MD, until the last 3 or 4 years, every time I'd talk with a fabricator about soapstone, they insisted I was talking about silestone. So...

Shadey, just give it a try.
Or give it to me. I'll pay. :)

Take it!!!

You might have an issue finding a fabricator. I have slate counters, and out of probably 30 places in town that do stone counter tops, only 2, yes TWO, could do slate. Of those 2, one of them is a stone yard and fabricator, so I doubt they'd have taken something salvaged. So I'd have been down to one guy if I had been given the slate.

But otherwise, go for it.

I had trouble finding someone in upstate NY, where they used to extract it. Sheldon can set a buyer up with a fabricator, since they have a national network. What happened to me was that the recommended guy was more than I wanted to spend. I learned later that I could have gotten it fabricated from Sheldon, with the guy who did my soapstone installing.

It's not all that popular period - the NE stuff can be pricey and you have to like patina. So the chance of finding someone who knows it's not the flaky stuff that Lowes sells for flooring isn't huge.

I'd give it a shot - but it might take a few tries to find someone willing. You kind of make my point with siles/soap stone. And unlike soapstone I don't get the sense that it's all that DYI friendly, especially if you're looking at a sink cutout or such.

" What happened to me was that the recommended guy was more than I wanted to spend."

chesters_house:

If you keep looking, you'll find a cheap Craigslister who will do the job for your number, however, I doubt he will come with any recommendation. You'll get exactly what you're paying for.

Trebruchet,
Out where there are more cows than people, Craigslist isn't much of an option.
But I did have at least two choices of fabricators for soapstone. One was recommended by the contractor but seemed more like the sort of Craigslist guy you mention (a KD at a cabinet shop warned that she wouldn't let him in her or anyone's house.) So I went with NE Soapstone -- a bit more money but a choice of slabs and peace of mind. They did nice work.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to texturize pool table slate so I could use it as a walk way? I collected about 5 pool tables worth of slate to use as my front entrance only to realize it could be way to slippery to walk on.

Have yoy found a solution?