Hi all,

I have searced Google and not found a sufficient discussion. I am
building an outdoor BBQ Island. I'd like to use a pre-finished granite
slab (bullnosed on 3 sides with a backsplash). I will need to make two
rectangular cutouts for the grill and the two burner unit. All cuts
will be straight and there are trim flanges that will overlap the
edges.

The total of all cuts is less than 12 feet and I was wondering if I
could use a hand held wet tile saw for the cuts? I plan to do the
cutting after the slab has been placed on the island to eliminate
handling after the cuts.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Borax Johnson

In article . com, "Viewer" wrote:
Hi all,

I have searced Google and not found a sufficient discussion. I am
building an outdoor BBQ Island. I'd like to use a pre-finished granite
slab (bullnosed on 3 sides with a backsplash). I will need to make two
rectangular cutouts for the grill and the two burner unit. All cuts
will be straight and there are trim flanges that will overlap the
edges.

The total of all cuts is less than 12 feet and I was wondering if I
could use a hand held wet tile saw for the cuts? I plan to do the
cutting after the slab has been placed on the island to eliminate
handling after the cuts.

I have personally seen a cutout for a cooktop made in a
2cm thick grantite countertop with a hand held tool. So,
yes, it is possible.

You'll need somethone/something to catch the piece of
slab you're removing -- it will not be light!

I wouldn't want to do this myself. It took quite a while
and made a lot of noise and dust. And this job was done
by someone who spends 50 hours/week working granite. I'm
sure he knew and applied quite a few tricks.

Personally, I'd get a pro to do the job. Around here at
least, there are plently of guys who would do something
like this on the side for not very many bucks.

--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Malcolm Hoar) wrote in
:

In article . com,
"Viewer" wrote:
Hi all,

I have searced Google and not found a sufficient discussion. I am
building an outdoor BBQ Island. I'd like to use a pre-finished granite
slab (bullnosed on 3 sides with a backsplash). I will need to make two
rectangular cutouts for the grill and the two burner unit. All cuts
will be straight and there are trim flanges that will overlap the
edges.

The total of all cuts is less than 12 feet and I was wondering if I
could use a hand held wet tile saw for the cuts? I plan to do the
cutting after the slab has been placed on the island to eliminate
handling after the cuts.

I have personally seen a cutout for a cooktop made in a
2cm thick grantite countertop with a hand held tool. So,
yes, it is possible.

You'll need somethone/something to catch the piece of
slab you're removing -- it will not be light!

Or support it with a underlayment while you're cutting it.
Like a piece of rigid foam insulation backed by a sheet of plywood or
particleboard.

I wouldn't want to do this myself. It took quite a while
and made a lot of noise and dust. And this job was done
by someone who spends 50 hours/week working granite. I'm
sure he knew and applied quite a few tricks.

Personally, I'd get a pro to do the job. Around here at
least, there are plently of guys who would do something
like this on the side for not very many bucks.


yes,they have the equipment and knowhow,and can do it easier and
cheaper.(especially if you F-up the workpiece,trying it yourself!)

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

"Viewer" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi all,

I have searced Google and not found a sufficient discussion. I am
building an outdoor BBQ Island. I'd like to use a pre-finished granite
slab (bullnosed on 3 sides with a backsplash). I will need to make two
rectangular cutouts for the grill and the two burner unit. All cuts
will be straight and there are trim flanges that will overlap the
edges.

The total of all cuts is less than 12 feet and I was wondering if I
could use a hand held wet tile saw for the cuts? I plan to do the
cutting after the slab has been placed on the island to eliminate
handling after the cuts.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Borax Johnson


Just two:

It is doable.

I watched as my installers took a big Skil worm drive saw and cut out for my
sink and countertop stove. One guy cutting S-L-O-W-L-Y and the other
keeping the blade wet with a squeeze bottle of water. No big problems,
although, I think particular attention needs to be paid to the part cut out
so that it does not drop and crack the rest. Use lots of masking tape to
keep scuffing to a minimum.

Second, I think you may end up with some surface marks on the granite, but
if you have a lip on the drop in, the lip may cover it. If you mask off a
good area, you may come up with NO scuff marks.

Buy a good blade, and start with a new one. This is a spendy job, and no
need to blow an expensive piece of hardgoods for a cheap blade.

I think the most important things a slow travel, keeping the blade wet
to cut down on heat and dust, making an accurate layout, supporting the
drop, and using good masking.

Steve

Thanks for the replies so far. It does appear doable and it looks like
one option for a blade is the Felker GD-10 blade (available in 7"
size) for dry applications on granite. I agree that a squeeze bottle
of water would be a good idea for lubrication, dust control and heat
removal.

I had originally intended to do the cutting in place from the top side
(to minimize potentially cracking the slab, but now I am wondering how
to finish the cuts in the corners (so I don't "overcut" the top in
order to completely cut the bottom). I am thinking that perhaps a
diamond blade is available for a sawzall or jigsaw, as I will only be
cutting in the corners a short distance and at a reduced thickness.

Hmm.

That's why I appreciate all of the comments here.

On Mar 5, 7:02 pm, "Viewer" wrote:

snip

I had originally intended to do the cutting in place from the top side
(to minimize potentially cracking the slab, but now I am wondering how
to finish the cuts in the corners (so I don't "overcut" the top in
order to completely cut the bottom). I am thinking that perhaps a
diamond blade is available for a sawzall or jigsaw, as I will only be
cutting in the corners a short distance and at a reduced thickness.

You can find SawZall blades with tungsten carbide edges at amazon.com.
While not as hard as diamond, for the limited corner cuts they should
do just fine. HTH

Joe

"Viewer" wrote in
oups.com:

Thanks for the replies so far. It does appear doable and it looks like
one option for a blade is the Felker GD-10 blade (available in 7"
size) for dry applications on granite. I agree that a squeeze bottle
of water would be a good idea for lubrication, dust control and heat
removal.

I had originally intended to do the cutting in place from the top side
(to minimize potentially cracking the slab, but now I am wondering how
to finish the cuts in the corners (so I don't "overcut" the top in
order to completely cut the bottom).

How about drilling holes at each corner?
Then cut your straight lines to the holes.

I am thinking that perhaps a
diamond blade is available for a sawzall or jigsaw, as I will only be
cutting in the corners a short distance and at a reduced thickness.

Hmm.

That's why I appreciate all of the comments here.





--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

Thanks for the replies.

The problem that I am finding here in northern CA is that the granite
"pros" will nly do work on the materials that they sell you and not on
your own. The price differential is huge. Best quote I found for
pretty common granite was $1,500. There is a place that sells
prefinished slabs including backsplash and their price is $300.
There's no way that making a fer straight cuts is worth $1,200 to me.

In fact the total cost of the island (including granite) won't be near
$1,500.

Thanks for the input.

In article .com, "Viewer" wrote:
Thanks for the replies.

The problem that I am finding here in northern CA is that the granite
"pros" will nly do work on the materials that they sell you and not on
your own. The price differential is huge. Best quote I found for
pretty common granite was $1,500. There is a place that sells
prefinished slabs including backsplash and their price is $300.
There's no way that making a fer straight cuts is worth $1,200 to me.

In fact the total cost of the island (including granite) won't be near
$1,500.

The job is too small for most businesses. The firm that did
my countertop do not insist on supplying the granite although
I did end up buying through them -- they got a better price
than I could get.

The individual who installed my stuff does moonlight and
might well handle a job like that. He's in San Jose.
Email me (address in sig is valid) and I'll send you his
name and tel no if interested and that's local for you.

--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Were you planning on grooving out the bottom of the slab on the
corners of your cut and epoxying in the reinforcements yourself?

--
______________________________
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)




"Viewer" wrote in message
oups.com...
Thanks for the replies.

The problem that I am finding here in northern CA is that the
granite
"pros" will nly do work on the materials that they sell you and
not on
your own. The price differential is huge. Best quote I found for
pretty common granite was $1,500. There is a place that sells
prefinished slabs including backsplash and their price is $300.
There's no way that making a fer straight cuts is worth $1,200
to me.

In fact the total cost of the island (including granite) won't
be near
$1,500.

Thanks for the input.