Hi Hammond. The best way to learn is to start by making a counter pour into a form. I'll post a sketch when I get a chance next week, but basically your going to make a smooth-sided form ( couple of 2x4's, a piece of 3/4 plywood),line it with simple flat sheet plastic, 1/16" thick. You can glue the plastic on. The 2'bys form the walls of the form. Screw these on through the plywood. Important to remember, the only way to get the cured concrete out of the form is to unscrew the walls from the base. Here's the sneaky part-- take a little vasoline , and lightly rub it on those smooth plastic walls, then take a paint gun ( hair dryer will do, just don't tell the wife hehe) and melt the vasoline into the form. It will give you a combo release agent/ glass smooth surface. It will fill your interior corner voids also. Put the form up on saw horse legs.( You'll have to reinforce the form with a couple of flat 2'bys on the bottom if your over 30" long) Mix your countertop as per bag instructions. Dryer the better, a wet mix will surface crack. Pour the mix into the form-- remember! the finished face is facing down , so any aggregate you want to have exposed has to be put in first. Once you have filled the form ( no more than 2 1/2 " ..this stuff is strong) take a hand held vibrating sander and run it up underneath the plywood. You looking to vibrate the mix clear of voids and air entrapment, so the more vibes the better. ( A beat up old industrial hand sander works great). Go at it for a good 1/2 hour or more. then let it set up , maybe 2 days. The mix that is facing you is the underside of the counter, so a simple hand trowel finish is fine. Carefull taking the 2x4 frame apart and off the concrete, so you don't mar the edges. You'll have a glass finish on the face, that you can take a 320 grit to if you want a "honed" finish. Good Luck!