Are you Cutting your Granite Slabs the best way?
After working several years in the Granite Industry, Sam, a good friend of ours and an excellent customer, decided to start his own Granite Shop a couple of years ago. We have been guiding Sam through our experience in the Granite Fabrication Industry to make his business more profitable and thus expand it.
We decided to share some of the guidance we provided him through a series of articles covering the whole Fabrication process, from the Templating to Installation. In our prior installment, the Handling of Slab Stones was discussed. Sam asked us when his business was just starting the following:
I know using a Bridge Saw is imperative for the business, but as I am starting, I cannot afford one right now. Is it okay if I Cut my pieces by hand?[/box_section]
This was not the first time we had heard such a question. I don’t want to get ahead, but the short answer is that you can do it by hand, but as soon as your workload grows, it will prove difficult. You can have your Slabs Cut by another company (of course, it will cut a slice of profit), but the truth is that getting a Bridge Saw could be more affordable than Sam thought. Keep reading and discover why…
For now, let’s focus on Cutting Granite Slabs…
Before going into Cutting a Slab, it is very important to check it against small cracks, as if we proceed to Cut it when a crack is present, we are running into the risk of the whole Slabs breaking. So, it is highly recommended to inspect the Slab very carefully.
Repairing Cracks in the Slabs…
In case we find a crack, it needs to be repaired before Cutting. There is a Glue that works wonderfully for this purpose…
If there is a Crack or a missing chunk in the Slab, you can easily repair it using the Satellite City NCF Glue. If you get the Repair Kit, you will have three bottles (Green, Red, Yellow) and a Spray which functions as an Accelerator.
The Red Bottle, named Super Liquit, as it implies, is very liquid and can be used to Seal small Cracks. The Yellow bottle, or Super T, is a dense glue that might be used to Seal deeper holes. The Green bottle, or Special T, has a viscosity similar to honey and should be used to fill more significant gaps or missing chunks.
Once the Glue has been applied, the Spray (Aerosol Accelerator) must be applied. Once dry, you can remove the remaining glue by applying a Razor Blade vertically.
Using this kind of Glue is a lifesaver in many cases, where a small crack could ruin everything. If you take proper caution, you will never lose a Slab again due to a Crack. Always double-check it before Cutting Granite Slabs.
Marking your Slab for Cutting…
Once you are verified your Slab is crack-less, marking it for Cut is the next step.
In some cases, mainly when the design is complex, a Template is created. Other times, just marking the Slab is enough for Cutting out the pieces for buiding the final pieces. For Marking the Slab, there are two products we can recommend:
- Staedler non-Permanent Pencils, the most popular choice among our customers. Available in White, Yellow, Red, and Black Colors, these pencils are ideal for cutting using Bridge Saw Machines, as they are non-permanent and still will mark your Slabs. No drying up needed. Can be removed using a Razor Blade after Cutting Granite Slabs.
- Met-al Squeezing Paint Markers, used more for marking the Template borders in the Slab. It comes in White, Yellow, and Red colors. These markers are ideal for Wet or Slippery surfaces, with vibrant colors to guide the Cutter. It is recommended to test it on your Slab before using it, because in some rare occasions it might stain the Stone. Once the Cut is done, you can remove the marks using a Razor Blade.
- General Fabrication Accessories, Installation Accessories, Stone Fabrication Accessories
STAEDTLER Omnichrom Non-Permanent Pencils
General Fabrication Accessories, Installation Accessories, Stone Fabrication AccessoriesSTAEDTLER Omnichrom Non-Permanent Pencils
- No bleeding through paper
- For use on almost all surfaces, e.g. Glass, Leather, Textiles, Stone, Metal, Wood and Plastic
- Color-intensive and lightfast
- Non-corrosive color pigments Ideal tool for users in industry and trade
- For opaque marking even on dark and transparent surfaces
- No drying up
- Odorless
- General Fabrication Accessories, Installation Accessories, Stone Fabrication Accessories
Super Met-al® Squeeze Action Paint Markers
General Fabrication Accessories, Installation Accessories, Stone Fabrication AccessoriesSuper Met-al® Squeeze Action Paint Markers
- Ideal for all surfaces including Metal, Glass, Wood, Rubber, and Plastic
- Works great on wet, slippery surfaces. Paint can be removed with xylene without harming the surface.
- Excellent for color-coding parts and assembly
- Water-resistant, weather-resistant
- Permanent marks on most surfaces
- Quick-drying formula, fine lines
- Assorted vibrant colors
Once you have marked your Slab, there is time for the actual Cutting of the Slab.
Cutting Granite Slabs…
The most common method to Cut a Slab for producing the pieces needed for the Fabrication is by using a Bridge Saw. However, as we see in a moment, this is not always the case (many fabricators cut Granite Slabs without using a Bridge Saw).
For cutting granite slabs using a Bridge Saw, we have a lot of choices, for example:
- Cyclone Silent Core Blade is a Diamax product with a solid backup. The Cyclone Silent Core Blade is designed to cut Engineered Stone, Granite, or Marble with a Bridge Saw. It cuts smoothly, with minimal chipping. Having a smooth starting point after your material is taken from the Bridge Saw means fewer steps to finish your fabrication process.
However, there are plenty of options to choose from.
Sam when the other route, and he built his own Cutting Table, by using a Reinforced Concrete Top a little bigger than a regular Slab, set at the same height than a Working Table height (or can use any Fabrication Table to set it up).
If you are going this route, you will need a Saw for Cutting the Slabs. For this purpose, we have the MK Rail Saw MK-1590, whose Rails have replaceable slip-on pads to protect the material surface from scratches, are expandable and can cut 3-3/4″ thick material. This Rail Saw is able to do Bevel Cuts, 45 or 50 degrees. It has a Tilting head for precise 45º miter cuts up to 2-1/4″ deep. Even though is not the most recommended way to Cutting Granite Slabs, it might work if your workload is low.
I hope you enjoyed this article about Cutting Granite Slabs. Now, it is time to read your comments. We invite you to express your opinions and let us know what practices you use when Cutting Granite Slabs, which tools do you prefer, and if you dare, share your best secrets tips. We are sure it will help the entire community.
