The Bumper Cushion: New Invention from Fabricators for Fabricators
by Joel Davis
The unyielding nature of stone can be a fabricator’s worst enemy, but a new product can help shield shops from a common danger to their bottom lines — stone damaged by other stone.
Now offered by Braxton-Bragg, the Bumper Cushion for stone countertop installation is meant to protect slabs against collisions with each other. Developed by August and Matthew Iocco of Pittsburgh-based Fabricators for Fabricators, the new product saves edges, seams, and corners from cracking and chipping. It also saves money and aggravation for fabricators — preventing costly repairs and potentially dissatisfied customers.
August Iocco said that the product was designed to meet the needs of his own fabrication business and has become an integral tool in his own shop. Having a specific tool for the task means no stuffing towels in seams in a desperate attempt to cushion them.
“You are always looking for something to put between the two stone to cushion the shock. You want something that is going to take that impact, be strong enough to absorb the impact, and at the same time be soft enough. Now there is no need for makeshift tools, when you can just reach for the toolbox. It’s convenient. It saves time. Time is money and pays for itself on the first job.”
Nor is the Bumper Cushion confined for use in seams. “We ended up using this bumper for just about everything else under the sun,” Iocco said, adding that it makes a great tool for protecting slabs while moving them on a bridge saw.”
The characteristics of stone that make it a durable, attractive material for countertops also make it vulnerable to small mishaps during installation or fabrication. The Bumper Cushion is made of natural, soft, and durable rubber designed to endure high impacts.
When it comes to working with stone, prevention is better than any repair technique ever devised. That’s where the Bumper Cushion comes in. “When you break your top and have to mix your resins together, add color, and try to get that stone to look exactly like the stone you just broke, you’re never going to get it to match exactly,” Iocco said. “You are never going to match Mother Nature perfectly.”
Repairs cost time and can also cost customer satisfaction, Iocco said. “You go to make a repair, you have to mix resin together, you want to put dye into the mix so you’re trying to match the top, you’re polishing to match the profile. If that customer is in the house and happens to see you put a patch on the $10,000 kitchen you just charged him for, you are going to have problems.”
Braxton-Bragg Product Manager Steve Bussell said the product offers fabricators a cost-effective means to protect themselves from profit loss caused by everyday accidents.
Advantages of the Bumper Cushion include:
- Allows the movement of stone without the fear of cracking or chipping the edges
- Leaves a 1/8-inch gap
- Absorbs shock
- Easy to remove
- Soft, flexible and durable
- Protects edges, seams, and corners
In addition to the substantial protection provided by the Bumper Cushion, the product offers a kind of insurance that fabricators often lack: security and confidence in tricky jobs. “You go to put a piece of stone between a wall and stove, you don’t want to move the stove, and you’re terrified you’re going to smash into it,” Iocco said. “You just put the bumper cushion in there, and it gives you peace of mind. That’s one thing in short supply in this industry — peace of mind.”
The amount of force needed to overcome the natural friction and drag of slabs as they are moved across cabinet surfaces lends itself to sudden, stop and jerk motion as crews struggle to position them exactly. “If that stone would just slide right into place, it would be wonderful, but it never does,” Iocco said. “As you are pulling and pushing, all of the sudden it crashes into the other stone, and you have a chip on your hands.”
The ever-present danger presented by one of these slips at the wrong time can be alleviated by the Bumper Cushion, he said. “Before, you would be very cautious while pushing and pulling a little at a time, making sure you were right. Now you can move stone with confidence. It might seem like a simple little thing, but it does come in handy.”
The development of the Granite Bumper Cushion involved a quest to reach a Goldilocks solution for the composition of the material. “It wasn’t easy to design,” Iocco said. “It’s a blend of natural rubbers. If the rubber was too hard, it was not good. It it was too soft, it was not good. It had to be just right. We had to find the right rubber matrix, soft enough but tough enough to absorb the shock.”
The minuscule seams preferred by customers offer little-to-no room for error. One slip can send the slabs crashing against each other, marring them in small ways that can end up costing big money to shops striving to meet the exacting standards expected of them on high-end projects.
“You are seaming two slabs together, you put the Bumper Cushion into place, and you can just push right into it,” Iocco said. “You can push it with force. The rubber absorbs the shock. Then, pull it out and you have a perfect 1/8-inch gap to apply your seam adhesive.”
Even the smallest accident can hurt the bottom line if it hurts a slab’s appearance, Iocco said. “You’ve lost your shirt. Not only is the stone expensive, but re-doing the fabrication work is even more expensive.”
The insurance provided by the Bumper Cushion can help alleviate the stress of dealing with the variability of stone quality found in the modern marketplace. “Stones today, they are not all the same,” Iocco said. “They are like people. They have personalities. They are all different; they are all unique. And that’s what makes it hard to predict the strong and weak areas, especially it they’re resined stone.”
Although it is marketed for its use in preventing problems during countertop installation, Iocco has found that the Bumper Cushion can be put to use in any manner of fabrication and installation situations.
The Bumper Cushion is just one of the innovations that customers can expect from Fabricators for Fabricators, he said. “We’re out there working every day and granite is a pretty new industry. It’s not like carpentry where they’ve had thousands of tools over the years. Granite has an opportunity for new items, new ways to do things, and new discoveries.”
Braxton-Bragg offers the Granite Bumper Cushion as well as 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.