Second Use

[tighe]

At the Chocolate & Port soiree the other evening, some of us started talking about different uses for pieces of stone such as tempering chocolate, rolling dough, serving cheese, etc., etc., and I mentioned that scrat and I bought two good-sized pieces of granite at Second Use in South Park, for a very reasonable price. They have a large variety of colors, sizes and shapes, so check it out if you're in the market.

[Fat Guy]

I have a really gorgeous piece of marble that used to be the countertop in my kitchen pre-renovation. I'd love to cut it up into various pastry boards and such, but have no clue about how to do that. Is it something one can do at home with normal power-tools or can only a marble-and-granite professional do it? (In which case, it's probably not worth whatever it costs to have that done in my area of the country.)

[guajolote]

At Trio they use slabs of granite as placemats.

[Varmint]

My sister-in-law gave me (and about 20 others) a beautiful piece of red granite as a cheese board. She cut them all herself, but I don't know how, as it has a rough edge all around. It weighs a ton, but it's a great surface for the cheese.

[tighe]

I have a really gorgeous piece of marble that used to be the countertop in my kitchen pre-renovation. I'd love to cut it up into various pastry boards and such, but have no clue about how to do that. Is it something one can do at home with normal power-tools or can only a marble-and-granite professional do it? (In which case, it's probably not worth whatever it costs to have that done in my area of the country.)

I believe that you can cut stone yourself if you rent a wet saw from some place like Home Depot and use a diamond tipped blade. Trying to do it using saws made for wood would be a serious mistake.

Edited May 28, 2003 by tighe (log)

[Schielke]

You would soon be the one-eyed, peg-legged, fat-guy.

[col klink]

Can't granite be scored and cut like glass? Granted it wouldn't be as pretty as if it was professionally cut, but it would still work right?

[tighe]

Can't granite be scored and cut like glass? Granted it wouldn't be as pretty as if it was professionally cut, but it would still work right?

Depends on how thick it is, but if its relatively thin and you own a sledge hammer, yes....

[col klink]

So how would you go about scoring it?

[tighe]

So how would you go about scoring it?

Exacto knife?

Again, this isn't something I've ever done, so don't quote me, but again, I think it would take a circular saw, router or some such thing with a diamond tipped blade attached and a constant flow of water....

[MsRamsey]

I asked the husband, who is handy and knows about these types of things:

The "E ticket" would be the rented wet saw with a diamond blade, but it might be expensive to rent.

A cheaper way is to use, as he puts it, a "yard sale circular saw" outfitted with a masonry blade (which is used for brick or concrete). Cut very slowly and wear excellent eye protection. Water not necessary. I assume this would work for granite as well.

Edited May 29, 2003 by MsRamsey (log)

[Nick]

I have a really gorgeous piece of marble that used to be the countertop in my kitchen pre-renovation. I'd love to cut it up into various pastry boards and such, but have no clue about how to do that. Is it something one can do at home with normal power-tools or can only a marble-and-granite professional do it? (In which case, it's probably not worth whatever it costs to have that done in my area of the country.)

If it's a really gorgeous piece that you love and value, take it to someone who has a wet saw with a diamond blade and a sliding table (or saw) and who has cut stone many times. Trust me. I know about this and if one of my customers (all stone workers) were in your area I'd give you their name. Unfortunately, the closest one is probably a hundred miles or more from you (Bovina.)

Edited May 29, 2003 by Nickn (log)

[WHT]

Cutting stone is not for the faint of heart. Having been involved with it as a hobby it can get expensive. Cutting stone under 10mm can be done with a rented wet tile saw. Anything thicker than that should be done by a professional. It is too easy to burn out a saw or shatter stone with heat. Stone fragments splatter everyplace. Breathing in the dust is also a problem not quite overcome with dousing the cut with water. Most rental wet saws are for sections les than 3 feet in any direction. You would have to build a jig for anything larger.

The saving grace is if you live in or near a metropolitan area, scraps that may work can be had for cheap. 3X5’ as scrap is not uncommon to find.