# Granite pieces



## justturnin (Jul 13, 2013)

I was not really sure where to put this. It does not really qualify for any of the sub-forums so I guess it goes here. Recently came across a beautiful slab of free granite on CL. It came out of a spa tub cut out. It is about 48 x 36 with black and white but the white when polished goes clear giving an depth to the slab. 

My goal is to get myself a wet grinder w/ a roundover and polish pads off ebay and try my hand at making some cutting boards/serving platters. I have watched some videos on youtube but they are more of a "watch what I can do" than a real explanation as to what they are doing. 

Does anyone work with Granite or stone in this way that could give some pointers on working with smaller pieces?

Any advice would be appreciated.


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## Kevin (Jul 13, 2013)

I'll watch this with interest. My son and I just picked up a load of granite slabs yesterday that I bought on special a few days ago. Watch out the stuff is brittle. One of the employees simply bumped into one of the back splashes (with his shin bone) that was laying on the cart, and it snapped that piece like a piece of peanut brittle. 

These slabs are already rounded over and polished but I think you can score the stuff with a grinder and snap it off. Diamond blades is what they use to cut and edgre treat I think - not sure though I don't know anything about granite other than it is hard, brittle, expensive, and heavy!


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## Bean_counter (Jul 13, 2013)

Chris i have a wet grinder if you are interested in it. I used it to polish concrete countertops I did in our master bathroom. Just an idea and might be chepaer on ya.


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## justturnin (Jul 13, 2013)

Bean_counter said:


> Chris i have a wet grinder if you are interested in it. I used it to polish concrete countertops I did in our master bathroom. Just an idea and might be chepaer on ya.



AWESOME!!! How much d you want for it? They seem to be all over the board in cost. The kit I found was only $99 but I saw others for several hundreds w/ no pads or anything. I am sure it is a get what you pay for deal. I can throw in #19 to sweeten the deal or some other blanks too.


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## justturnin (Jul 13, 2013)

Kevin said:


> I'll watch this with interest. My son and I just picked up a load of granite slabs yesterday that I bought on special a few days ago. Watch out the stuff is brittle. One of the employees simply bumped into one of the back splashes (with his shin bone) that was laying on the cart, and it snapped that piece like a piece of peanut brittle.
> 
> These slabs are already rounded over and polished but I think you can score the stuff with a grinder and snap it off. Diamond blades is what they use to cut and edgre treat I think - not sure though I don't know anything about granite other than it is hard, brittle, expensive, and heavy!



I have thought about this. I was thinking I could cut groves in the granite and epoxy some Stainless rod to reinforce them. I mentioned just gluing a wood backer to it but mama was not hearing that. There is a place down the road from me selling off cuts for $5sqft. I figured I could make a bunch as Christmas gifts and if I get good at it I could do our bathroom.


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## Bean_counter (Jul 13, 2013)

justturnin said:


> Bean_counter said:
> 
> 
> > Chris i have a wet grinder if you are interested in it. I used it to polish concrete countertops I did in our master bathroom. Just an idea and might be chepaer on ya.
> ...



Hey Chris, I bought this one off of amazon I think for 140 and has pads from 50-3000. All of the pads still have some pretty good meat on them. Like I said I bought it for a concrete countertop so used it once. It's a Secco (made in China special) but worked as advertised. Runs on brushes and I think I still have the extra brushes it came with. Has a built in GFCI and I wore rubber boots just to be on the safeside bc water goes everywhere and I mean everywhere, lol....

[attachment=27592]
[attachment=27593]


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## justturnin (Jul 13, 2013)

Bean_counter said:


> Hey Chris, I bought this one off of amazon I think for 140 and has pads from 50-3000. All of the pads still have some pretty good meat on them. Like I said I bought it for a concrete countertop so used it once. It's a Secco (made in China special) but worked as advertised. Runs on brushes and I think I still have the extra brushes it came with. Has a built in GFCI and I wore rubber boots just to be on the safeside bc water goes everywhere and I mean everywhere, lol....



You Inbox if full Mr. Bean.


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## Bean_counter (Jul 13, 2013)

justturnin said:


> Bean_counter said:
> 
> 
> > Hey Chris, I bought this one off of amazon I think for 140 and has pads from 50-3000. All of the pads still have some pretty good meat on them. Like I said I bought it for a concrete countertop so used it once. It's a Secco (made in China special) but worked as advertised. Runs on brushes and I think I still have the extra brushes it came with. Has a built in GFCI and I wore rubber boots just to be on the safeside bc water goes everywhere and I mean everywhere, lol....
> ...



that thing fills up fast..... Send again :)


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## Kevin (Jul 13, 2013)

Bean_counter said:


> that thing fills up fast.....



Well if you weren't such a jerk you wouldn't get so much hate mail. 

:zing:


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## Wildthings (Jul 14, 2013)

Kevin said:


> Bean_counter said:
> 
> 
> > that thing fills up fast.....
> ...



The backdrop for that grinder should be the granite you did not your pebble walkway! That's why you're getting so much hate mail!! :P


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## justturnin (Jul 14, 2013)

Yea, I would love to see the concrete you polished. Got any pics of that?


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## HomeBody (Jul 15, 2013)

Granite is an igneous rock. Which means it was liquid at one time. It is a silica based rock and will break with a conchoidal fracture like flint or glass.
Most granite is composed of quartz, feldspar, and mica, in different proportions that give you different types of granite. The size of the crystals will tell you how fast the rock cooled. Large crystals...cooled quicker. Small crystals...cooled faster. Here's a pic of an Indian pipe I made from Balmoral red granite. The pipe is sitting on a couple more slabs of the stone. Fine grained, nice stuff. Gary
[attachment=27750]


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## justturnin (Jul 15, 2013)

HomeBody said:


> Granite is an igneous rock. Which means it was liquid at one time. It is a silica based rock and will break with a conchoidal fracture like flint or glass.
> Most granite is composed of quartz, feldspar, and mica, in different proportions that give you different types of granite. The size of the crystals will tell you how fast the rock cooled. Large crystals...cooled quicker. Small crystals...cooled faster. Here's a pic of an Indian pipe I made from Balmoral red granite. The pipe is sitting on a couple more slabs of the stone. Fine grained, nice stuff. Gary



Super awesome. I would love to know how you shaped and polished it. I have thought about some bottle stoppers and stuff out of granite but not sure how to shape something so small.


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## Kevin (Jul 15, 2013)

HomeBody said:


> ...Large crystals...cooled quicker. Small crystals...cooled faster.



Large crystals can only form when the magma cools slowly. But there's more to it than just the length of cooling time. I'm sure you know that and it was just a typo. 

I only know this because I recently read a lot about granite trying to determine why it's so brittle. We're looking at more countertop options for the next add-on and it's a quagmire because there's so many choices. :wacko1:

Your pipe looks awesome. I'd love to see a tutorial on that.


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## HomeBody (Jul 16, 2013)

Oops! I guess they both can't cool faster. Yes, typo, and you are correct.

You need diamond tools to work stone efficiently. I cut the cobble with a diamond saw into slabs. I then used a diamond wheel that mounts on an angle grinder to rough out the pipe shape. Drilled the holes with carbide bits. Did the rest of the shaping with a Dremel with flex shaft and 1/8" shaft diamond bits under a water drip. A slow process, but at least when you go that slow it's harder to make a mistake. Polish with sandstone and/or various knife sharpening stones with water. Final polish with a plant called horsetails that is loaded with silica and is abrasive. Haven't tried to smoke that one yet. May have to send it to Ryan to get broke in. 

Working stone found on the beach is kind of like milling. You bring home a gnarly looking rock and slice it open and go WOW! Couldn't believe that was hidden inside. Gary


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## justturnin (Jul 16, 2013)

HomeBody said:


> Oops! I guess they both can't cool faster. Yes, typo, and you are correct.
> 
> You need diamond tools to work stone efficiently. I cut the cobble with a diamond saw into slabs. I then used a diamond wheel that mounts on an angle grinder to rough out the pipe shape. Drilled the holes with carbide bits. Did the rest of the shaping with a Dremel with flex shaft and 1/8" shaft diamond bits under a water drip. A slow process, but at least when you go that slow it's harder to make a mistake. Polish with sandstone and/or various knife sharpening stones with water. Final polish with a plant called horsetails that is loaded with silica and is abrasive. Haven't tried to smoke that one yet. May have to send it to Ryan to get broke in.
> 
> Working stone found on the beach is kind of like milling. You bring home a gnarly looking rock and slice it open and go WOW! Couldn't believe that was hidden inside. Gary




wow, awesome. thanks for the tips. I want to make cutting boards and serving dishes but I have some small strips and I want to try something cool like that with them.


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