Yeah, my fabricator pretty much refused to do a positive reveal and looked at me like I had three heads when I asked. I was on the fence with which reveal I wanted, so I gave up and just went with it. It doesn't bother me, but then I don't have a cutting board designed exactly for a positive reveal sink!

I just called the office and asked when they were going to come out and make the templates and he said on straight runs they just take measurements. That is NOT what I was told when I checked out this fabricator. They told me they would make physical templates on the cabinets. My walls aren't square and I told him I didn't want any gaps between the wall and granite.

*sigh*

OMG, Marti! Its not fair you've had so many boneheaded experiences getting your counters! Now they don't template?? Geez.

A slight positive reveal is standard with my fabricator. The templater began his spiel with rme about the pros and cons of the reveals and why they do positive when I stopped him. I already knew I wanted a whisper-tiny reveal. It's another huge red flag to me that they don't seem to know about reveals.

Is it too late to look again for another fabricator? Maybe pay a little more to get someone who knows what they're doing and are up to industry standards?

Probably not too late. I haven't given them anything (except my sink) and haven't signed a contract.

They said it was typical on straight run counters (mine is a galley) not to do physical templates, just to take measurements.

Has anyone else found that to be the case? Or were your straight run counters templated with paper, vinyl or something physical?

Make sure you are clear about what you want and tell them don't do anything until you are 100% sure they understand what you want. And if you are having trouble getting to that point with them, go someplace else.

I went with a negative reveal and my sink looks great. My fabricator refused to do a positive or zero reveal. I already had my slab cut at the point of the sink conversation and learned the hard way. My advice would be if you are getting the feeling you are forcing the fabricator to do something they are not comfortable with, they are not the right fabricator for you.

Both of my sinks have positive reveals, LOVE them. They're harder to get right, thus the fabricator reluctance, I suspect.

We made a cutting board for the prep sink, just as you describe:

Here's our experience. We have two straight runs: one along a wall and the adjoining peninsula. On the wall portion, the countertop flows into the bow window seat at the sink. Like you, our walls are not plumb.

Our fabricator both measured and created a template. He used a very low tech process: a glue gun and strips of a plastic-like material. I was worried a bit because I'd heard about the fancy laser templating processes being more precise. BUT, in the end, I think there's both science and art involved in creating a granite/marble countertop. Ours fit fine.

As to the sink cutout: though he said he usually did a negative reveal -- admitting that it was easier -- he willingly did a tiny positive reveal that I am very, very happy with.

I certainly agree with everyone else. If the fabricator is fighting you at every step, find another. Also, you don't want the fabricator working outside his/her comfort zone with your slab of granite being, in effect, the practice piece!

I was impressed with my fabricator last summer on my kitchen and used the same one on the kitchen on the house I am moving too. I thought I had a good fabricator and listening to your stories, I do!!

For both of mine, they came and made a high tech template using these dots and lasers and lots of photos and measurements. It took a long time, 45 minutes or so on a very small kitchen. The one I am doing is a simple galley with straight runs. The template guy pointed out to me how one of my walls takes a dive at one end and and cabinet follows it and said that is the right thing for the cabinet to do and he would compensate with the stone. He said my distance between cabinets was a little large for my range and he would make the stone so it was perfect. He had a radius template made of wood and had me choose the radius that I wanted at each corner and where the counters would end with respect to the walls since it wasn't always clear. Then he showed me a drawing of sinks and counters that was labeled positive and negative reveal and asked me which I wanted for my sink!! I didn't tell him I was a GW'er and knew what they were!

That is what I think I good fabricator should do. And my counters fit perfect with no gaps and as I mentioned in a previous thread, they take the stone in and out of the house back to the truck to do all their polishing and fine tuning outside, leaving little dust behind in the kitchen.

Ok, I'm calling them tomorrow!

I have a galley with straight runs on each side, and the fabricator did a physical template after the cabs were in. I can't remember if he had lasers; I remember it involved foam core, exacto knife, and markers. It was perfect.

He also knew about different types of reveals. While he had an opinion, he could do either.