heres the tighter side

bump

Clear silicone caulk.....

Well, I have had three Shaws, and I understand your disappointment that it isn't what you expected. On my first one they didn't even try to make the hole the right size and put trim around it. I hated it. However, I think this is not really a bad problem for you: Once the counter top is on the light will not show through the little gap. (It does look very small to me.) I think that with a little caulk (very little: I am incompetent when it comes to this, and learned my lesson on my Shaws which continues to look a little sloppy in some areas despite years of cleaning it, so have someone who knows what they are doing with goo and their fingers do it) this will not be an issue. Others may have more and different experiences, but remember that perfect is often the enemy of good, and it looks to me like this is good.

Thank you both so much, glad you don't think it's too bad, nice tip about the light not shining through when i have the counter, glad that will help. CLAYBABE- do you also think use clear caulk? I was going to have him use white putty filler on the small notch, and nothing on the sides where the gap is, or do u think it should have the caulk? Thanks! Mcichelle

I'd probably use white silicone caulk if I were going to use caulk at all. Clear caulk might come out looking dark next to the white cabinets and white sink.
I found the non-silicone caulk a lot easier to work with, but i think it dries out and looks bad after a while. However, either caulk would be hard to apply in such a tiny crack.

But I don't think I'd caulk at all. It looks barely noticeable. In fact I wouldn't have perceived it as a mistake at all. We worry about every imperfection while we're in the middle of something, but never once notice it again when it's all done. That's been my experience, anyway.

By the way, you put me to shame. I made my own cabinets, and am embarrassed to say I didn't think to cut a curve into the base at all -- I have a square base and a rounded sink bottom. Making a little curved cut-out is on my list of things to do, but that list seems endless, so I doubt I'll get to it any time soon!

You Do have to caulk, or any water that runs down the front of your sink will run straight into the sink base. Use masking tape to help, and cut the angle on the caulk tube really small. Don't use 100% silicone. Use a siliconized acrylic, as you can actually remove that when it gets a bit grody in the years to come.

If the caulk color is brighter than the ceramic or the cabinet paint, it will stand out. Maybe that's why clear was recommended, so that it would physically repel the water without drawing attention. The gap is what it is.
I would carefully mask off both the wood and the sink leaving only the gap exposed, that way you can push the caulk into the gap.
Casey

Thanks guys! i will make sure the cabinet guys do it and not the countertop installers, as they might have more patience. I will ask for the kind that hollysprings mentioned, so it can be removed if it gets dirty.

Hi Michelle-

What did you end up doing with the space between your sink and the cabinet? I am in the same position right now and am very nervous about the results.

Thanks,
Sara

The gap in your pic would be considered acceptable by anyone I know. A little caulk professionally applied would be near invisible.

If you are still unhappy the only way to make a virtually perfect cutout (accurate to a few 100's of an inch) is with a CNC router which many cabinets shop have.

However, thats only possible if the sink vendor provides a drawing and the physical sink itself is accurate to the drawing.

Sometimes people need to be reminded that we're talking kitchen countertops and not space shuttle parts.