This morning a friend gave me an irregular slab of granite. It is about 2 ft long by 18″ wide, 2″ thick, flat, and polished on one side. As it is irregular, I’d like to square it up for convenience. I’ll then use it for truing planes and chisels.
Anyone have any ideas about cutting granite? Will an abrasive wheel in a circular saw do the job?
Joe
Replies
They make diamond blades and stone cutting abrasive wheels for circular saws but I wouldn't use my circular saw due to the very abrasive nature of the dust. I'd find a local company with a saw made for the job and pay them to cut it.
"There are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters."
-- Daniel Webster
I would rent a wet saw with a diamond blade from your local rental agency for about an hour and that will take care care of the slab. No sense in trying to do it any other way. It shouldn't cost too much.
Erik
I think it will chip if you use a dry blade in a circular saw. You can usually rent a wet tile saw for cheap. I've also gotten stuff cut at the tile department in Lowe's. They generally only want to cut what's been bought there, but I've had luck by making it clear that I won't hold them responsible if something goes wrong or by working it in with tile I did buy there. Most big tile stores have a wet saw too.
A couple of other options would be a cheep diamond blade on your circular saw these cut much better than the abrasive blades. I got one from Dewalt at HD about 5-10 years ago (time flies) and they cut much better than the abrasive blades and with a little bit less dust. Another way would be to go to a place that lets you cut tile and cut it on a wet tile saw.
Have fun.
Troy
Joe
Forget an abrasive blade. They wander all over the place, and leave a very rough edge.
A diamond blade in a circ. saw will work, but you risk wrecking your circ. saw, as they are not equipped to deal with the fine particulate that is flying off the diamond blade.
Where do you live? Fill out your damned profile!!!!! <G>
If you're near Crystal Lake, Illinois, bring it over, and I'll cut it for you with a concrete cutting wet saw. Otherwise, you buy a diamond blade for a 4 1/2" high speed grinder, and with proper eye and respiratory protection, easily cut it yourself to a marked line with magic marker. Don't use a snap line, as the high speed crap flying everywhere quickly removes the blue chalk.
Jeff
Thanks, everyone, for the advice. I have followed it -- remembered a friend with a big tile saw, and sure enough, he'll cut it.
Cheers!
J
Joe,
Can ya save the powder for me?
Maker of Old Man 'o the Mountain - Granite Flakes honing paste :>),Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Hey Bob, I just read your reference to the Old Man of the Mountains and wondered what ever happened to him. I read that the rock all collapsed a few years ago and that there was going to be some effort to rebuild it. Did that ever happen?
It was too bad, because it was a neat, touristy thing to look at on a drive through New Hampshire...
For those of you who haven't ever seen or heard of the "Old Man," it was a rock outcropping on a mountain that looked remarkably like a man's head in profile. There was a "scenic outlook" on the road below that you could pull into, get out of the car, and get out the Kodak to record for posterity your encounter with the gentleman.
But it all came to an end, I think as a result of a spring thaw, that broke all the granite apart and swept the rocks down the mountain...
ZoltonIf you see a possum running around in here, kill it. It's not a pet. - Jackie Moon
Hi Zolton,
There was much talk about rebuilding the Old Man but it never happened. It was, as you said, a natural outcropping on a mountain in Franconia Notch, NH and I think that had a lot to do with the decision not to rebuild it.
That granite flakes thang was something that I made up. A few months ago I was thinking about it so I made a paste out of some powder and Mystery Oil I had. Used a grinder to get the powder and I'm sure some of it ended up in the powder. Must get a better handle on quality control.
You know, it worked quite well on some old plane and chisel blades! Not sure if it's better than valve grinding compound that I normally use. If I get really Neanderthal and want a prissy edge I finish with some jewelers rouge...........
Years ago my uncle, whilst a student at UNH, used to climb the Old Man and in winter Tuckermans Ravine, backpacking supplies up to the weather station on Mt. Washington. They used to snowshoe up the mountain and ski back down!
He brought me a chunk of granite from the Old Man that was laying in the trail; I still have it.
Rambling on and on and on,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob, mebbe you should rebuild it and get a glue company to sponsor you.
"Okay boys, bring in the twelve thousand quarts of Elmers ........"
Gluing it back together might be a lot easier than finding all the pieces. You shoulda seen all the tourists scrambling around picking up pieces of granite on the downslope!
Noone found his nose! :>)
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Prolly full of crumbled boogers anyway.
Too bad about the Old Man. He was an icon, now never to be seen again. A man made of granite - well his head was anyway. Odd that such a thing could crumble in our lifetimes..
Zolton
If you see a possum running around in here, kill it. It's not a pet. - Jackie Moon
Zolton,
An interesting read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Man_of_the_Mountain
The Old Man goes back a long time. Indian legend puts him back to 1604 so he was around for many lifetimes.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
May be too late to be useful, but . . .
I often cut granite (and other stone) with a dry diamond wheel in a rt. angle grinder. If you're fussy about dust, you can get a helper to aim a light spray of water from a garden sprayer on the cut as you work.
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
Most stone, quarry and tile places can cut granite. And if you need it polished, I'd let a pro do it. A very daunting task, IMO.
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