Shannon Carey

Photos Courtesy Fabricators for Fabricators

The Ioccos have designed an adjustable-depth model to cut 3/16, 1/4, and 3/8-inch deep slots for I-Braces.

Above: The Ioccos have designed an adjustable-depth model to cut 3/16, 1/4, and 3/8-inch deep slots for I-Braces.
Matthew Iocco came up with the Brace Setter idea while looking for a better, faster way to install I-Brace countertop supports.

Above: Matthew Iocco came up with the Brace Setter idea while looking for a better,  faster way to install I-Brace countertop supports.

August and Matthew Iocco of Pittsburgh-based Fabricators for Fabricators, LLC have solved a time-consuming and potentially costly problem with a tool developed specifically for stone countertop installation.

The Brace Setter works seamlessly with the I-Brace floating countertop support system to set a perfect groove every time, eliminating the need for hammers, chisels and power saws with multiple cuts.

The Ioccos are a father-and-son team with a construction background. The pair got into granite fabrication when the industry was still fairly new.

“The granite countertop industry is still a fairly new industry, whereas woodworking has been around since the beginning of time. We saw the need for new concepts, new tooling, new ways of doing things that weren’t there,” said August. 

They started developing specialized tools just for stone fabricators, but they keep their own fabrication business going, too. This helps the Ioccos stay in touch with the industry.

A Good Idea

Matthew said that bracing floating countertops with the I-Brace system is important for safety and peace of mind.

“In our occupation, customers want cantilevered overhangs with seating underneath,” he said. “They don’t want to have their knees hitting corbels for supporting the stone. Corbels can be very decorative but very impractical for knee clearance, and this is where the I-Brace system excels. 

“We see different types of situations out there like pony walls or half walls and breakfast bars. If a customer wants to place a 20-inch stone on that kind of wall, a six-inch shelf just doesn’t work. That’s when this kind of bracing works well.

“There are organizations and quarries out there that say it is OK to overhang the stone up to so many inches without support, and for some stone this may be acceptable, but for some of the stone that I have had the first-hand opportunity of cutting – stone that has fissures and cracks filled with resin and held together with fiberglass mesh – these kinds of stone create a very dangerous situation, especially when I think of a homeowner standing on the edge of the cantilevered countertop to change a light bulb. Granite countertop owners might say they would never do such a thing, but they do.”

August continued, “The Brace Setter is measurement friendly. There is no thinking involved. Everything is pre-set within the unit itself. Say you have a crew that’s not as skilled as you would like them to be. You hand them the Brace Setter, and it does the job for them.

“In our industry, a mistake is a very costly because a slab of granite can be quite expensive. I’ve felt the pain of breakage, like many a fabricator. That kind of mistake is devastating because you put a lot of work into it. After you go through all of this, all of a sudden you break a top and you have to do it all over again. Not only have you lost the top, you’ve lost all the fabrication and installation time.”

Above Left: Operation is simple, as shown below: adjusting the depth of the Brace Setter to the thickness of the I-Brace for setting up a perfect cut. Above, Center and Right: The Brace Setter cuts effortlessly through knot holes and even nails, which are commonly encountered when renovating kitchens where framing is already in place.

Above Left: Operation is simple, as shown below: adjusting the depth of the Brace Setter to the thickness of the I-Brace for setting up a perfect cut. 

Above, Center and Right: The Brace Setter cuts effortlessly through knot holes and even nails, which are commonly encountered when renovating  kitchens where framing is already in place.

Two Systems That Work Great Together

August Iocco testing the Brace Setter with multiple cuts at the test center.

August Iocco testing the Brace Setter with multiple cuts at the test center.

According to August, he and Matthew knew they would “have a winner” on their hands if they designed the Brace Setter to be compatible with the I-Brace system available at Braxton-Bragg.

“Braxton-Bragg was the first supplier to have a commercially-made brace system (the I-Brace) readily available for the fabricator,” said August. “Before, we had seen a similar concept, but you would have to go to the steel fabrication shop, tell them the size needed, and wait forever to get it. Braxton-Bragg has various I-Brace sizes in stock, making it very convenient for us. 

“It’s just a phone call, and one day later we have the braces without having to tell the customer to wait.”

The Brace Setter attaches easily to a 5/8 x 11 angle grinder with a recommended power rating of eight amps or greater. It has two cutting blades, each one with 18 teeth, totaling 36 long-lasting tungsten carbide teeth.  Fabricators for Fabricators has a three-blade adjustable model coming soon that will cut from zero to 3/8 of an inch deep.

“You can cut a groove through a 2 x 4 in seconds,” Matthew said. “Before, it would take a long time cutting the slots, especially if you ran into a knot hole or two. With 36 tungsten carbide teeth, you can cut through hardwood, softwood, laminates and composites with ease – and even the occasional nail or staple.”

August added, “We don’t recommend you cut nails with the tool, but if there’s one hiding inside the wood, it will handle it; just use common sense and steer clear of these hazards. 

“Before, when we would use power saws with multiple cuts or hammer and chisels, there was always a high or low spot. With the brace setter it cuts a perfect, precision groove every time, allowing the brace to lay perfectly flat in the pocket.”

“The time that it saves is incredible,” Matthew said.

The installer simply temporarily attaches a brace to use as a guide, then cuts along the right side of the brace for best accuracy. Since the I-Brace is 2.5 inches wide and comes in thicknesses of 3/16 and 1/4 inches, the Ioccos designed the Brace Setter to cut a groove 2-9/16 inches wide, by the appropriate depth.

“We tested many concepts, from power planers to enlarged router bits, and then had a blade designed to cut the right groove,” said August. “It took two years. The blade design was tricky because you could use an aggressive blade that would cut faster, but it would splinter the material, so we used a combination of tungsten carbide teeth that would last long, but cut smooth.”

Professional Results Leave Lasting Impressions

With the Brace Setter, a countertop fabricator can be in and out of a customer’s kitchen in a fraction of the time it took before. And August said that’s important. With a kitchen remodel, so many professionals are involved, from plumbers to electricians to plasterers, that the countertop installer is often the last one in.

“The customer doesn’t want their kitchen torn up for any length of time,” said August. “At first, they’re enjoying going out to eat, but after the first week it gets old. They want their kitchen back, and speed is of the essence. Getting in and out quickly and without incident leaves a good impression. That’s where a tool like the Brace Setter comes in handy.”

The Brace Setter is only available through Braxton-Bragg. To see the Brace Setter in action, visit www.braxton-bragg.com/bracesetter, or search YouTube.com for “Brace Setter.”