granite slab vs. HF tile saw?

[kebwi]

Has anyone run a typical granite slab through the HF saw with a typical blade (like the DiamondLife blade HF supplies and which I used for all my firebricks)? Should this work?

I had read that one can cut granite with a diamond blade on a skil-saw, but I'm concerned about spraying water onto a working surface when using a saw that isn't specifically designed for wet-use. Is this a safe practice?!

[egalecki]

Re: granite slab vs. HF tile saw?

I used a rotozip with a big tile bit in it to trim out the edges in my granite counter when I changed out my sink- it cut ok dry, but it was quite messy. I think with a diamond blade you'd be ok with the hf saw as long as it can accommodate the thickness. I wouldn't try using the dry saw with water. There's also a little circular saw you can get at Lowe's for about $80 that might do the job- it's a wet saw. I just don't know how think your slab is. I don't think it'll go much deeper than 1".

[kebwi]

Re: granite slab vs. HF tile saw?

I don't have anything yet, but I'm considering my options for the landing in front of the oven. Granite comes in fairly standard slabs. I'm not sure what the thickness is. Just be about an inch. It's often pre-bullnosed and ready to go, by my hearth isn't the same shape as a standard kitchen counter, so I need to cut it some, in particular to get it to wrap around the entrance and extend back around the oven some...which is a concave cut so I can't easily do that with any kind of large circular saw, table or hand mounted. I could cut the granite into a few large slabs I suppose. That would be less aesthetic. Just considering my options.

Thanks.

[egalecki]

Re: granite slab vs. HF tile saw?

If you have oddball shapes to cut, see if you can rent or borrow a rotozip and get a tile bit. It worked quite well for me to trim out the granite counter where my new sink was bigger at the corners. It takes a little practice to get the cuts reasonably smooth, but it works.

[Tscarborough]

Re: granite slab vs. HF tile saw?

If your blade is segmented it will chip the edges. You can mitigate this by cutting through tape, and also by first scoring with an abrasive blade.

When using a diamond blade in a skill saw, you do not need water, those are dry cut blades. Get a fan and place it such that it blows the dust away from you as you cut.

[dmun]

Re: granite slab vs. HF tile saw?

Your stone yard will cut this quickly, cheaply, and safely. They have huge radial arm type diamond saws where the slab stays still and the saw moves.

If you buy the slab there, they will probably make simple cuts for free.

Balancing a granite slab of any size in a HF wet saw sounds like no fun.

[kebwi]

Re: granite slab vs. HF tile saw?

I'm looking at all the slabs on Craigslist, so not a stone yard with tools ready to custom cut for customers...but I'll take all of this into consideration. The near impossibility of manipulating a granite slab through the tile saw had not escaped me.

[sjmeff]

Re: granite slab vs. HF tile saw?

My local stone yard had a "remnant" area with a lot of inexpensive granite slabs leftover from other jobs. I brought in a 2'x6' cardboard cutout shaped like a "w" and they made the cuts for free.

Just taking the slab out of my pickup truck and putting it into place was challenging. I made a wood stretcher out of 2x4s to help carry it. The slabs are a lot heavier than you might think (well, more than I thought it would be), and can crack if not properly supported.

It looks fantastic, though. It was the right choice for me, but I don't think I could have cut it as well as the pros.

My 2 cents...

[JoeyVelderrain]

Re: granite slab vs. HF tile saw?

My local stone yard had a "remnant" area with a lot of inexpensive granite slabs leftover from other jobs. I brought in a 2'x6' cardboard cutout shaped like a "w" and they made the cuts for free.

Just taking the slab out of my pickup truck and putting it into place was challenging. I made a wood stretcher out of 2x4s to help carry it. The slabs are a lot heavier than you might think (well, more than I thought it would be), and can crack if not properly supported.

It looks fantastic, though. It was the right choice for me, but I don't think I could have cut it as well as the pros.

My 2 cents...

just wondering, how much did this cost you?

[sjmeff]

Re: granite slab vs. HF tile saw?

It was under $200, so it must have been about $16/sq. ft.

[tfasz]

Re: granite slab vs. HF tile saw?

Just saw this thread (I've been starting to think about counter tops too). Not sure if you have already purchased anything, but Second Use has some great deals on granite and I tend to like to support them.

They also have their inventory and pictures online:
Masonry, Tile & Stone (79) | Second Use, Seattle: Building Materials, Salvage, & Deconstruction

[kebwi]

Re: granite slab vs. HF tile saw?

I haven't purchased anything yet. One concern I have is that my concrete counter came out a little higher than I expected. I only have about 3/4" to 1" from the counter to the oven floor. Granite slabs tend to be about that thick. I would prefer that the floor be above the counter and not even with -- much less below -- the counter. I had been thinking I would go with granite tile, which is 1/2".

Not sure yet.

Thanks for the link though.