rough cut in granite counter top (1 Viewer)

[stayalert]

I bought a new cook top.....Now I just need to enlarge the hole in my granite counter...I bought a 7" dewalt tile blade for my circ. saw and hope to tackle this with a spray bottle, shop vac and several shallow depth passes....The full thickness is ~1 1/8" I just need a rough hole nothing too smooth or fancy.....Anyone tried this? Will I succeed? Until I complete this its 2 burner coleman camp stove and grille for cooking.....

 

[WarDamnEagle]

Based on my observation of what they had to do to finish the cutouts onsite in my granite a few years ago, I'm guessing you will fail....but I could be wrong.

Seriously though, I would at least get a price from a professional before I tried it (and I'm normally willing to try anything).

 

[45Kevin]

You can cut stone with a good blade. That's how the pros do it.

It will be very messy to do it on site. Be sure to mask off the room well and ty to get a negative air pressure in the room. A big fan at the outside door or window could provide that. Wet cutting will put a lot of water onto your cabinetry so you will need to address that with more masking or dry cutting (very dusty).

I have never cut a granite counter top but I have cut other stone drilled new holes in vitreous china sinks with success. I would attemp this if it where me. Unless it only cost a couple hundred to have someone do it. The cost of your blade must be close to half that.

A circular saw blade may need too much overcut to make the hole. Make sure you know what tolerance your cooktop has. A hole saw at the corners may be your best bet.

Let us know it works out...with pics.

 

[stayalert]

The thing that makes we want to try it myself is that the hole is already there...I just need to make it larger....thinking maybe a smaller blade for my angle grinder might be the ticket...May also see what is available via rental...Wife loves green coleman 2 burner for camping but not real happy seeing it in the kitchen......

 

[WarDamnEagle]

The guys that installed mine used a very large side grinder with a diamond blade. FWIW, it made an absolute unbelievable mess even though they had two shop vacs held closely to where they were making the cuts. You will be cleaning granite dust off your cabinets (faces, doors, tops, etc) for a week. I would almost be tempted to tent the area (or pull the slab and cut it outside).

Be sure to use full face protection and at minimum a good dust mask.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

I "WATCH" guys do it all the time mostly with a 4 1/2 diamond blade...they back cut it (pull the blade) so you dont eat as much dust.

 

[haystax]

The stone guys cut our Silestone cooktop cutout on site but outside in the driveway. Even the sink holes made a pretty big mess with the vaccum going right next to the holesaw. They used a Makita 4 1/2" angle grinder for both the saw and the holesaw. They cut the corners at quite and angle to get the middle chunk out and then squared off the cutout but you already have a large hole to put the grinder down in so the cutting edge can get tight to 90*

I would definitely use a ton of plastic and mask off your backsplash and then make a "tent" or use a Rubbermaid tote on the topside and but it from below if you have access. If you can contain the dust to the base cabinet then it is probably a doable deal. Moving the slab outside isn't really an option so you might as well take a stab at it.

I wouldn't use a circular saw though. A small diamond bit hole at the corners might prevent a crack too.

Good luck.

 

[dr_dobro]

I bought a new cook top.....Now I just need to enlarge the hole in my granite counter...I bought a 7" dewalt tile blade for my circ. saw and hope to tackle this with a spray bottle, shop vac and several shallow depth passes....The full thickness is ~1 1/8" I just need a rough hole nothing too smooth or fancy.....Anyone tried this? Will I succeed? Until I complete this its 2 burner coleman camp stove and grille for cooking.....

If you are doing a hole, get a diamond tile hole saw. Use sufficient water to cool down the saw and to minimize air dust, also place something circular around area that you are cutting, such as a duct tape, in order to keep elements from spreading around your space.

 

[dr_dobro]

Forgot to mention that you will need to fill up the hole with a hard material. What works great is 3/4" Plywood. Sort of the cork bottle effect. That way you"ll gain back your center point !
Dan

 

[hydro joe]

1" 1/8 is 3 CM wet is the way to go and support it so it do not crack.
I like a grinder better then a skill saw, be sure to tap around the cut, do not let the saw rub on the stone it will mark it

 

[stayalert]

Holy dust cloud! I wore a respirator and tented off the area. I used a circular saw and an angle grinder. Angle grinder was superior for the corners. came out freaking great! now I just have to clean things up and rearrange the gas service and get it done.....Made breakfast on the green coleman

 

[45Kevin]

Where's the pics?

 

[tltaylor22]

I did all my own 3cm granite with a circ.saw and Bosch 7" blade. I purchased the slabs, a water fed grinder/polisher from ebay and a few other tools. You can do the main part of the cut with the circ.saw and then finish it with a 4" blade attached to an angle grinder. Keep your RPMs low on the grinder. I'd mask everything off and use plenty of water. I know you can use the blades dry, but you don't want that dust everywhere. Wear a mask.

Here's my Kitchen:
Kitchen almost done

 

[stayalert]

Trent,

Your kitchen project and mine are very similar except that yours is approx. a billion times more involved/complicated/awesome.....I just had to make an existing hole in my granite counter top larger on three sides...The result of your effort is spectacular!!! I'm ultra satisfied with the outcome on my small project but its pretty much something you could do in your sleep with your arms tied behind your back...

Cheers and Bon appetite!!

 

[stayalert]

Based on my observation of what they had to do to finish the cutouts onsite in my granite a few years ago, I'm guessing you will fail....but I could be wrong.

Seriously though, I would at least get a price from a professional before I tried it (and I'm normally willing to try anything).

you were wrong $43 dollars (1 blade for circ. saw and one blade for grinder) - phone quotes were for ~$150....I'm glad I tried it.

 

[tltaylor22]

Stayalert,
Thanks. In reality I'm just too cheap to know any better. I had quotes of 70k+ to remodel my kitchen and dining room. Almost $20k just for the radiant heat. I figured if I screwed it up I wasn't that far into each step that I couldn't call someone in. I ended up spending a little over $10k. I was going to do cement counters, but ran accross a local granite slab supply company that was going out of business and bought two full 3cm slabs for under a grand. They gave me the $500 clamp you use to move them with a fork lift. I did all the cutting in November in the parking lot at work. Every step freaked me out, but the sink cut out for the undermount scared me to death. I ended up not having any issues and purchased two more 3cm slabs and three 2cm slabs for other projects.

I'm glad your cut worked out for you. People get scared of doing things that are "professional". I figure a lot of us on this board totally change suspension, build bumpers and other safety items for our rigs so granite is alot less scary.

 

[WarDamnEagle]

you were wrong $43 dollars (1 blade for circ. saw and one blade for grinder) - phone quotes were for ~$150....I'm glad I tried it.

Hey I'm glad it worked for you. At least I suggested that you tent the area.

 

[stayalert]

Hey I'm glad it worked for you. At least I suggested that you tent the area.

Indeed this little job created clouds of dust...