Slippery Rock Gazette

Joel Davis

Special Correspondent

Braxton-Bragg is now the exclusive distributor for the revolutionary G-Clip system that gives fabricators a simpler and easier way to install undermount sinks.

By using the G-Clip, fabricators can eliminate the potential of sink fall-out and can dispense with the the need for temporary supports that require a return trip to remove. While some anchoring systems require expensive tools to do the job, the G-Clip system can be mounted with an everyday blade and grinder, tools familiar to most fabricators and installers. In less than 15 minutes a sink can be securely installed.

“I love G-Clips,” said Braxton-Bragg Product Manager Steve Bussell. “It is one of the easiest ways to fasten a sink. It works on stainless steel or ceramic. It can even work on cast iron sinks.”

The process couldn’t be easier, Bussell said. “All you do is cut a simple slot … in the back of the stone. The G-Clip is under tension, so you tap it in with a hammer or screwdriver. There is no glue. No waiting. There are no special tools required.”

According to Richard Mann of Granite Clip Ltd., the manufacturer of the system, the G-Clip was invented by Glenn Davey, a granite installer based in Yorkshire in Great Britain. 

“The majority of Glenn’s business consists of fitting granite work surfaces in kitchens,” Mann said. “He used to build a timber frame within the cabinet to support the sink bowl then sit the work surface on top of the bowl.

“Having a naturally inquisitive disposition, he began thinking there must be a quicker, better method to secure an undermounted sink. Almost on a sub-conscious level Glenn began to mull over the various options available.” 

Prior to the G-Clip, the installation process could be much more expensive and work-intensive, Mann said. “The sink manufacturers used to supply grommets, which you insert into a hole drilled in the underside of the work surface. The grommets were secured by epoxy resin. Granite is a very hard material, drilling holes is a slow and expensive process, and, at the end of the day, the sink was only glued in place. The idea started to formulate in Glenn’s mind to cut a slot with an angle grinder and to insert a piece of metal bent to an acute angle into that slot.”

Putting the idea into execution proved to be an exercise in trial and error, but Davey quickly realized how useful the device could be.

“The first G-Clip was hammered out on the tow bar on the back of his van,” Mann said. “It proved very tricky trying to hold it in place to bend it to the required angle. When Glenn eventually got the clip to the right angle, he excitedly tapped it into a slot cut into a scrap piece of granite. He immediately realized the potential of what he had invented.”

First, though, the design of the clip needed to be refined. The end of the G-Clip that clamps the flange of the sink to the granite needed tweaking. Initially, the end of the clip dug into and scratched the stainless steel flange and positioning the G-Clips required a degree of precision. 

Davey soon found a solution: A curl on the end of the clip is designed to circumvent the scratching and yielded the added bonus of acting as a release mechanism for it. “The Flat Plate came about as a way to spread the weight and meant that the positioning of the G-Clip required less precision,” Mann said. “The Z Plate was designed specifically to hold undermounted ceramic sinks in position. The Z Plate provides an offset of 10 mm, and serves the same purpose as the Flat Plate and just serves to clamp a thicker material to the underside of the granite work surface.”

In the end, Davey found that the best material for the construction of G-Clips was spring steel, which is hardened and annealed. Spring steel retains its shape under pressure and is perfect for the application, Mann said.

There are many benefits to using the G-Clip:

• Using the G-Clip increases productivity. An undermount sink can be installed securely in under 15 minutes.
• The G-Clip is easy to install, no specialist tooling is required, you can use the tools you will no doubt have already
• The G-Clip will help you reduce expensive remedial work. Do the job right the first time, every time, and increase your customer satisfaction levels.

Most current undermount systems require silicone to hold the weight of the sink. With the revolutionary G-Clip, though, silicone is only needed to seal against water. There is no need to build a support system or use temporary supports until the silicone cures. “The more the sink weighs, the G-Clip responds with greater strength,” Bussell said.

The G-Clip products are now available in handy packs. Each pack has a different application. You can securely install an undermounted single bowl stainless steel sink for less than $12.

For additional information on these products, contact the sales reps at Braxton-Bragg. Call toll-free, 1-800-575-4401.

Braxton-Bragg offers a full range of fabrication tooling and installation accessories including sinks, installation hardware, and every tool and piece of equipment needed to run a professional stone, tile, and polished concrete shop. 

For more information about Braxton-Bragg and its publications and products, contact them toll-free at 800-575-4401 or visit the website www.braxton-bragg.com for current sales and new products.