Here’s the much requested stone counter cutting post. Let’s dive in. Well, not literally because smashing your head into the counter doesn’t sound like fun.
To cut your own stone counter top, you’ll need:
- A skill saw with diamond blade
- A right angle grinder with diamond blade and stone polishing pads
- Clamps
- A straight edge
- A hose with running water
- A GFI protected outlet
- Saw horses or another system to hold the stone up
- Protective gear for eyes, ears, mouth, and nose
Now you know the ingredients, let’s get to the instructions. If you need to cut length off your stone, first mark where you want to cut. Then, measure the guard of your skill saw. Clamp a straight edge factoring in the width of your guard.
While wearing protective gear, slowly and carefully cut along your guide.
Now you’re ready to start polishing. Ben asked the local granite companies for their used polishing pads, so ours were free. To get a new set, check the link above or search ‘granite polishing pads’ to find a better deal. Here’s what the pads look like:
For a polished finish, the pads work best wet. Ben clamps a slow running hose to the counter top to let the water trickle over the edge. Remember, electricity and water are not friends! Plug your grinder in a GFI protected outlet and keep your plugs out of the water. Use extreme caution. Then sand the edges just like you would with a normal sander on wood. Keep it moving to avoid gouges and slightly round the edge for a factory-finished look.
Polishing didn’t take nearly as long as cutting the sink hole did. Ben only uses drop in sinks so he doesn’t have to have a nice looking cut, just a place for the sink to go in. Use the sink template to mark the cut lines.
Take the polishing pad off the grinder and replace it with a diamond blade.
Plunge cut the sink hole slowly and carefully. You won’t be able to cut through with one pass. Slow and steady on this. Clean the dust and water off and you’ve made yourself a stone counter top.
The polished eased edge looks just as good as the granite company, too.
What do you think? Are you willing to try this at home? What is your favorite type of counter top? Granite? Marble? Concrete?
Disclaimer: If you are not comfortable using this equipment, don’t try this. Use caution and always wear safety gear. This is an overview tutorial and we cannot be held responsible for injuries.
