How a Stone Bathtub Is Made
A stone bathtub is not moulded. It is cut out of a block which is why the shape can follow your drawing and why the finished tub weighs what it does.
The seven steps
Block selection
Blocks are bought first hand. The face is cut and photographed so you can see the colour and the veining before carving.
Sizing the block
The block is cut down to the outside dimensions of the tub with allowance for the finish.
Coring the bowl
Material is removed from the inside until the bowl shape appears. This is where most of the weight comes off.
Shaping
Rim base and outer profile are cut to the drawing including the drain position.
Grinding and polishing
Wet work through the grit sequence. The inside is normally polished for comfort and the outside is finished to the look you chose.
Water test
The tub is filled and checked before anything is packed.
Crating
Foam film and a fumigated crate on a forklift base with the weight and lifting points marked.
Why one block matters
A tub assembled from slabs has bonded joints. Bonded joints sit in hot water every day and eventually show. A tub cut from one block has no joint at all which is also why the veining runs continuously around the rim and down the side.
What the factory checks
- Cracks and colour in the block before cutting
- Dimensions against your approved drawing during carving
- Wall thickness for weight and strength
- Surface under wet light after polishing
- A fill test before packing
Questions about this guide
Who wrote this guide
Can you advise on my specific bathroom
Do you supply matching basins and vanity tops
Ask about your own project
Send the room the stone and the size. Written answers come back with a quotation if you want one.