So how does one flip a 450 lb countertop such that it doesn't crumble the stair-stepped edge under its own weight? Why, by encasing the it in foam and plywood then lifting it with a cabled winch system and 4 guys, that's how, of course.
During the week, I accomplished the first task - basically building a crate around the countertop capable of protecting it while being flipped and later moved to the Countryman's house. 8 2x4s, 3 sheets of plywood, and 3 sheets of foam later, it was done. Oh, and a 2-ton winch and 1/4" steel cabling (which I already had). The idea being that the winch would do the main lifting while I would simply maneuver it where I needed it to go. Seemed reasonable at the time.
I eventually came to my senses (after a test run that bent the 5/16" eye loops!), realized that some manpower would be useful, and asked some friends to waste some of their Saturday morning to help (thanks Jason, Mark, and Nick!).
We four men stood against the concrete bohemoth and were victorious, without the help of that silly and overengineered (albeit cool) winch system. We then attacked the case with our army of drills and soon freed the countertop. And what do you know, it wasn't complete crap. The whole thing was sturdy and well-formed, even with a "river" through the middle of it. The edges were caked in clay, but some water and a wire brush made quick work of that.
I spent a couple of hours going over it with the first sanding pad and cleaning up the edge (check out that sheen!). I'll come back tomorrow or Monday and fill in the gaps on the edges with a slurry, then it'll be onto the next challenge of staining the river.
