I have a 1'×3' slab of soapstone that I'm placing on top of my radiator, creating a shelf:
The radiator bears most of the weight, but the stone isn't stable on top of the radiator (the individual pieces of the radiator are rounded at the top, so the stone can wobble up and down).
My plan to solve this is to use iron shelving brackets to keep the stone stable, but I'm not sure of the best way to attach the iron brackets to the stone. My dad suggested a silicon sealant. Is that a good choice for bonding the raw iron to the soapstone? I see on Loctite's website that they don't recommend it for iron, so I wasn't sure.
Edit: Based on some more investigation, some silicon sealants release acetic acid which can corrode metals, but there are also sealants that don't release it (which I think are called "neutral cure"). I'm still investigating how bad the corrosion is/if the neutral cure version is appropriate for stone.
Edit2: Potentially I should use epoxy for this?
If someone with enough rep to create tags thinks it's appropriate, this post should probably be tagged with "iron" and "soapstone".
Best Answer
Soapstone is easily worked. I'd drill holes (not all the way through) and tap them with an ordinary tap, (or even a modified screw - soapstone is really easily worked) and use machine screws or stove bolts to fasten the shelf to the brackets.
To make a crude tap from a screw, grind the threads off the end and grind slots. Look at a regular tap for guidance. or just buy a regular tap - they are not that expensive. If using screws near the length of the hole you'll need two taps, a regular tap (to get started) and a bottoming tap to cut the threads nearest the bottom of the blind hole.