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Cutting Marble?

QDude
QDude Posts: 1,052
edited October 2012 in EggHead Forum
I just acquired (free!) an 80" by 40" marble table top.  It is over one inch thick and it weighs a ton!  I would like to use it as a work station for my XL with a hole cut out out for the egg.  I am trying to figure out if cutting this hole in the marble is something I can do myself or not.  Has anyone ever done this type of cut?  And do you have any suggestions for the size of hole that will need to be cut for the XL egg?  Thanks for any advice you can offer!

Northern Colorado Egghead since 2012.

XL BGE and a KBQ.

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Comments

  • tgkleman
    tgkleman Posts: 216
    I would take it to a local granite manufacturer and use their waterjet.  That way you will get a perfect holw without the risk of breaking it.
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    I second using a waterjet.
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    I love lamp..
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,733
    only way i think you could cut that at home is with a router and im thinking it may be dangerous for the router and the guy using it. have cut granite with a straight grinder and a diamond wheel and it works ok for straight cutts
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Richard Fl
    Richard Fl Posts: 8,297
    edited October 2012
    +1 one for the water jet.  I have a table top without a hole that is made up of a marble mosaic that is 30" x 60" and the pieces were from scrap and then cut into rectangular pieces to fit the table top. Does your work area allow you to make a second table the size of the marble slab and use for serving etc like I do?
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  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    Umm, what was the reason it was for free? Someone make a very bad order, needed 49 x 80, not 40 x 80?  In which case you have a huge slab of good marble. Or, is there a great big flaw. and during the course of drilling and sawing, the slab will turn to several pieces? Does the slab ring when tapped? Or thunk? A ring/chime  means that it most likely wont shatter when cut or drilled.


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  • QDude
    QDude Posts: 1,052
    Nothing wrong with it. They are moving and didn't want to move it.

    Northern Colorado Egghead since 2012.

    XL BGE and a KBQ.

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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    We have marble in a couple of bathrooms, in one the sink pattern was wrong and they cut it with an angle grinder and a diamond blade. Water jet is a better option though.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,463
    Michelangelo used a chisel...   :D
     
    Sooo jealous of your acquisition, that's gonna be one beautiful table!  
    :-bd
    _____________

    Remember when teachers used to say 'You won't have a calculator everywhere you go'?  Well, we showed them.


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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    edited October 2012
    Hey, I found a video where they cut a semi-round sink hole into granite.  There are sharper curves than what you'd have.  Marble is much softer than granite, so I think this could be doable without too much trouble. 

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW6oodFioIA
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  • mikeb9550
    mikeb9550 Posts: 95
    edited October 2012
    For me it would depend on how much it cost to have someone cut it. If its cost more than I am willing to pay, I would give it a shot with a grinder with the correct blade.

    For example, I have a Snap on Torq Wrench that I got passed on to my from my father in law. It was a top end electronic one he used on his job. I forget but new it was like $1500 - 3000. The only thing wrong with it is that it wont hold a socket  due to the spring. To fix, I would have to send it in for a high cost. Even at this tools very high cost, for my use, its not worth fixing so I just use a socket extension that I rigged up. I use to for checking lug nuts and so on. buy the way, the harbor freight wrenches are around 10 lb or so off ...  I always wondered and now I know.... My buddies laugh when I break this bad boy out. I look for reasons to use it.
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  • bud812
    bud812 Posts: 1,869
    @mikeb9550 Any Snap-On tool dealer should be able to fix that torque wrench on his truck. I delt with Snap-On for 30 years when I was wrenching for a living.

    Not to get technical, but according to chemistry alcohol is a solution...

    Large & Small BGE

    Stockton Ca.

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  • cortguitarman
    cortguitarman Posts: 2,061
    bud812 said:

    @mikeb9550 Any Snap-On tool dealer should be able to fix that torque wrench on his truck. I delt with Snap-On for 30 years when I was wrenching for a living.

    +1 on that. My dad has been a Snap-on dealer for 30 years. Snap-On tools have a lifetime warranty. The man can tear down a ratchet in less than a minute. Even if the torque wrench had to be sent off for repair, it would cost nothing to the owner.

    Mark Annville, PA
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  • QDude
    QDude Posts: 1,052
    I found a place here that will do it for $100.  Now the big questionis - What size should the hole be for an XL?

    Northern Colorado Egghead since 2012.

    XL BGE and a KBQ.

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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    26.25"

    http://www.biggreenegg.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/BGE-TP-XL.pdf
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    $100 - that's a bargain.
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    I love lamp..
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  • SamFerrise
    SamFerrise Posts: 556
    Good luck on finding a cheap water jet cutting operation.  If you get creative you won't need to cut a hole.

    Simple ingredients, amazing results!
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  • Ellis
    Ellis Posts: 195

    Have them or him come to the house and cut it, and when he is done he can help you set the egg in to make sure it fits.  That way you don't have to drag the stone around town. $100 is a good price.  

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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    Unfortunately, water jet cutters are not portable.  The hole diameter is 26.25".  That's an extra inch larger than the diameter of the egg.
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  • tgkleman
    tgkleman Posts: 216
    Transporting the marble after it is cut without breaking it will be the real challenge.  Maybe sandwiching between two sheets of plywood?
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  • burr_baby33
    burr_baby33 Posts: 503
    You got a bargain on the slab.  This is not a do at home project.  Pay to have it cut and delivered home, professionals know how to do it.
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    If you're cutting a 26" hole in a 40" wide slab, you'll have 7" on each side of the hole.  Should be pretty strong for transportation. 
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    nolaegghead said:
    Unfortunately, water jet cutters are not portable.  The hole diameter is 26.25".  That's an extra inch larger than the diameter of the egg.

    LMAO,

    We looked at water jet to replace a process in our industry. Far from portable.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • mikeb9550
    mikeb9550 Posts: 95
    cortguitarman said:
    @mikeb9550 Any Snap-On tool dealer should be able to fix that torque wrench on his truck. I delt with Snap-On for 30 years when I was wrenching for a living.
    +1 on that. My dad has been a Snap-on dealer for 30 years. Snap-On tools have a lifetime warranty. The man can tear down a ratchet in less than a minute. Even if the torque wrench had to be sent off for repair, it would cost nothing to the owner.

    Thanks, I will look into this. It doesnt come apart like a normal wrench.  Different kind of setup.

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  • Ellis
    Ellis Posts: 195

    Q if you take that slab to a fabricator, like nola said you have 7 " from the hole to the out side edge. Have them put 2 lengths of pencl rod on each side of the hole @ 3 1/2 " about 3 ft. long.Thats what they do for kitchen sink cut outs and thats only about 3 " from the edge to the sink. I have work with about 6 fabricators and they all use angle granders thats why I would think you could have someone come to the house.

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