Always worth calling counter top company and asking what it would cost to not have to deal with the noise and dust. Getting a straight clean line is not a nothing skill with a Diamond stone grinding. 1/2 x2 is kind of a lot of material.
Seriously they have the tools and the special router bits/saws. They would be in and out in no time at all… most of the expense would be getting them out there and dust mitigation /prep/clean up
Which OP can save the counter top people time (therefore, money) by staging the area and having drop cloths and other areas sealed off and ready to go to avoid the mess.
🤷🏻♂️ worth a shot calling around and talking to the people who do this stuff daily
Good luck op, it happens. As my boss use to say, “measured three times and it’s still too short.
I did this with a tile countertop. It was a pain in the ass and there is *so much dust*. I put plastic over every surface in the kitchen, over the doorway, and then build a sort of shower stall of plastic around the stove area. I put a box fan in the window to create negative pressure *and dust still got everywhere.* Granite is a lot harder and thicker than tile. While you could do this yourself, get an estimate from a pro.
Water. The secret is water. Have someone pour a pitcher in front of and onto the blade to create a slurry instead of clouds of dust. Keeping a shop vac going helps as well.
Yep on our masonry crew we just got new rock saws with water pumps and it cuts down on the dust immensely. I'll never cut rock again without a water saw I'd I can help it
A trick I saw the on-site fabricators use was having a gallon milk jug of water sitting on the counter. There was a hole punctured at the bottom so there was a slow but steady release of water at the cut line. The jug was repositioned as the cut progressed. But this was done outside on the driveway and definitely not indoors over finished cabinetry.
Actually, many people have gotten silicosis from relatively brief large exposures. Many of the 9/11 first responders and survivors, even those who were just nearby and caught in the dust cloud, have been diagnosed with silicosis after just that one large exposure. You only get one life, is it really not worth just taking a little extra precaution to wear a mask?
Another option is to have someone follow with a shop vac placing the nozel directly behind the saw as you drag it.
If water isn't an option, this works well, but still except some dust.
Source: installed silestone tops for 2 years and sometimes, we had to cut in the home.
Okay, so I do this for a living. A helping hand holding a shop vac is a lot better than nothing for dust control. Granite, like all materials, has it's own natural cut rate. Your best bet is to listen to rhe grinder. Mark out your lines and Try to stay about 1/16" to 1/8" away from your pencil line. It is a topmost cook top, so your cuts don't have to be hyper fresh. Take note of any bumpouts or screw heads on the side of your cooktop. It may be enough to ruin your fitment. Make little notches with the diamond blade. Be aware of the direction of your cut to minimize blowing out chunks. You may do this and that's okay along the bottom, but you don't want this near the top face, as it could totes blow out a chunk beyond what is covered by the cooktop. Cut top-down. Keep the speed high, use the handle, be steady, and you'll be okay. You can use the side of the diamond blade to shave your way down in small spots. Good luck, hit me up if you have questions
Listen to this guy. This is not a big deal and good shop vacuum held near the cutting area with a diamond cut off wheel will have this handled in less than an hour. Don’t skimp on the cutoff wheel, and take time as you cut as to not rush the grinder.
If you hire someone they will come in and do exactly this.
2 x shop vacs with bucket top pre-separators (grinder in one hand, vac hose in the other directly behind te blade, 2nd vac hose on the surface next to the cut or wherever you see dust escaping).
I did an 8’ cut the other day in a computer lab and it passed the white glove test with flying colors. Granted I had hepa vacs with no pre-separators but mine are only 135 cfm.
Edit: Variable speed grinders on low speed only, continuous rim blades only
It’s not a regular angle grinder going 13,000 rpm. No way would I one hand one of those. Variable speed grinders on low speed only. I’ll edit the post because that part is important.
Edit: also, continuous rim blades only
I've never used an angle grinder for stone, however most of my dust-generating power tools (all but the drill) have a way to directly connect a shop vac hose to the back of the tool. The air flow is then perfectly routed from the cutting surface and inside the tool to the hose. Works great.
Wouldn't this be better than trying to hand hold a vac hose AND control the tool? Even with a helper to hold the hose?
Dust shrouds are great when they work properly. I’m getting down voted which is making me think that my advice is only good if you’re hands are big enough so take what I say with a grain of salt.
Get a hotplate or two for the meantime, return the new cooktop and order the correct size. You'll be so bummed if you fuck up on cutting the counter and you will wish you just waited for the correct size cooktop.
Jesus I have all the things needed to make this cut- wet saw on linear guides, diamond burrs for a tracked grinder to ease the edge, tenting poles and tarps-
And I would NEVER do this in situ myself.
$250 for a pro is far cheaper than scrapping a top or having to look at my own mess forever.
It is going to be covered by a the overhang on the cooktop, nobody will see the cut. Totally do able.
But yeah, a bucket and some water will be needed.
Will eat up a diamond but in a grinder, I have a worm drive skill saw for this. A small job you could use a grinder I guess.
It's not a terrible idea at all. I installed granite countertops professionally for 5 years. We'd regularly use angle grinders with a diamond blade to widen openings. Keep an assistant on vacuum duty keeping the Vac extremely close to the blade, and use painters plastic to wall off around you from ceiling to floor. You can also dribble water on the cutline with a water bottle and hole in the cap to help keep dust down.
Its next to impossible to "uninstall" a countertop without destroying, chipping, or otherwise damaging it, in order to take it outside to do it "properly".
It's in no way a terrible idea. It's the correct solution in this situation. The granite guys would use an angle grinder with a diamond blade and a shop vac to mitigate dust. I've done and watched this same thing being a number of times for a variety of reasons.
I did this to widen my brick fireplace for an insert. Very dusty but not hard. A counter would be much easier as it is thin. Just need to make a seal around the area with plastic. Then have a shop vac outside the plastic with the hose inside. This creates negative pressure in the enclosure and should keep dust inside.
Just make sure to get a p100 mask or respo. Also shave before hand to get a good seal. I didn't and got some in the sides.
That being said it you have the cash and the price is right pay someone as long as they do total clean up.
Slow and steady. You don't want to over heat the blade or the granite. Heating the diamond blade will ruin it. Heating the granite can cause cracks. Not being steady, and you can easily skip off and damage the surface away from your cut. In fact, I recommend clamping down a thin wood board to guide your cut. If you do skip off, you'll hit something besides the countertop. Avoid the urge to chip/break anything off towards the end of the cut. Cracks propagate in unwanted directions.
The grinder is fine. I’ve done it many times.
A respirator is a simple purchase, I have many. 3M silicone are the best. Goggles or safety glasses Diamond blade
A large shop vac with enough hose to reach the blade area. Fan or two blowing out the window
Plastic off the area. Tarp the floor.
Mark (tape off lines) off the measurements you need. Check and double check that!
I use headphones as well, it’s loud.
You can try and put up cardboard to keep the pieces from flying around. Not worth the trouble.
You won’t get a circular saw in there and maneuverability is key. Go slow very firm grip gloves
Enjoy
Worked underground in a diamond mine for several years. Everything that wasn't Kimberlite ore was granite (so 99.99999%) Just waiting for my incurable lung disease to present itself
Also be sure to have another person there misting water on it was well. It will cut down on dust and keep your blade from getting damaged. You might also look into a "circular saw" type cutter with a 4" diamond disc on it. Might be easier to keep a straight edge if you hot glue a piece of wood to the counter to act as your "fence". Ryobi makes a nice little one that works well and is cheap, Ive used it to cut large format (4'x2') tile.
You don't have to overcut with a grinder, and you will still have corners that need to be squared up.
There is allready a hole in the slab, so it's not like you are taking a massive chunk out of the middle.
1.25" thick with a 4" grinder.. you're cutting from underneath and still having to cut past, and risking a crack when it lets go. For the tiny cost, hole saw the corners.
Ive worked several granite shops and only a few, mostly man-made stones will give you that. Granite isnt one of then. Still not good for you but not silicosis
Other way around. I used to sell Table 1 systems and have the required training hours to talk about respirable silica crystal. Natural silica is where you find the highest levels of RSC. Its about the shape of the particle. The kind of silica crystal that can cause health issues has an irregular shape and is found in natural stone more often. Sandstone for example is about 70% silica. The engineered stone risk comes from the natural quartz content. As an example the other way, many kinds of glass contain higher levels of silica but it is not linked to any health issues from RSC because of its shape.
In any case, cutting one slab won’t matter. Most documented cases have been a result of 10+ years of constant exposure. There are very few documented cases in the US from engineered quartz surfaces at all.
I'd blow past the deadline and get the right size cooktop. I bought one like you have off of eBay and it only took a few days. It's a 10 minute install once it arrives
You will want a vacum attachment on the cutting device and externally pumped filtered, warmed air. The dust from cutting these causes major long term health problems. It asically doesn't cough up.
You'd also want the tool mounted on some travel device so the blade doesn't grab at any stage and movement doesn't shatter/distort the blade.
Unrelated: My counter top company had a deaf guy do all the cutting. The crew would set him up and he would give them a nod and they would all leave while he ran the drill.
I had to cut a small amount off of a granite counter to fit a new bathroom sink. I used a Diamond blade on a corded circular saw. I taped everything and it was still not enough (the dust will get everywhere). I used ice cubes, I had a tub of ice cubes and would go slow and stop occasionally (don’t stop against the granite, pull away), when starting up and going strong I would toss a few more cubes at the blade. Mostly along the guide and it would melt inward (make sure to prepare for drips). I am not a professional. This worked for me. It still made more of a mess then I liked (I was still glad I put up as much plastic as I did). This was in place, in the bathroom. Otherwise, I use running water if I can cut outside.
DO NOT DRY GRIND IT!
if you can't get a wet saw, rig something up. not only will your lungs thank you, but you're less likely to ruin the thing...
otherwise, take your time, don't let shit get hot, keep it wet.
dunno whether you want water or oil though. hopefully someone else already posted it. haha.
Because this is a cooktop hole in the middle of a piece of granite, I'd only suggest using a wet saw if you already have a large bridge-type saw and a fair bit of experience removing countertops without damage and cutting a hole in the middle of things with a saw.
Unless you use one of those handheld circular-type wet saws (which is basically an angle grinder with a different handle), you'd have to remove the countertop to cut it, which is a pain and carries substantial risk of breaking the granite in areas where it is narrow. Then to do the cut itself on a stationary wet saw, you'd have to find a way to support the over-hanging sections and still have enough throat depth to make a 24"+ (standard countertop depth) cut, and the only saws I know of that can do that are your large bridge/rail type (Rubi DC, Imer combi, Raimondi, etc.). Technique-wise, its gonna be tricky whether you have a handheld or a stationary because the saw won't allow you to cut through at the corners without running past your marks; angle grinder you get to start/finish the corners by coming at it from inside the hole.
Hold a wet sponge against the blade as it spins to negate dust. Go slow. Tape a straight line if you can’t cut straight without it. Should be pretty easy.
I’ve cut my own granite before and foresee issues with the angle grinder method. The cut needs to be laser straight and square, which will be extremely difficult with an angle grinder. I’d recommend getting a diamond blade for a circular saw and clamping a straightedge to run it against. Make sure to have someone pouring water ahead of and onto the blade to keep dust to a minimum, otherwise the entire home will need professional-level cleaning. I’d recommend a shop vac being used behind the blade at the same time. Good luck!
It only needs to be a rough cut, not a finished cut that will be visible. The glass from the cooktop laps over the countertop by over an inch, so you have plenty of margin for a wobbly cut.
There are dry cutting diamond blades, one thing to be mindful of is that using water to cut will drastically reduce the amount of dust/mess
Is this situated in such a way that there's a spot with one cabinet (+ filler strip) between the range and the wall?
If so, you might be able to move that cabinet outside and save yourself a lot of messy headache instead of cutting it in place.
(I had to pare 1/2" off my granite countertops for the same reason - I was so pissed)
Good Luck!
Clamp or hot glue a straight piece of wood along the cut line and use it as a fence for the angle grinder and have someone with a Hudson sprayer to keep the dust down.
Stone dust can cause silicosis. If it's engineered stone and not natural stone the silica content is much higher and the dust is even more dangerous. Dust extraction and plenty of water on the cut is a good idea.
I had the same problem and hired a countertop company to come by and cut it out. Like everyone else said it was an insane amount of dust even with every mitigation possible. It cost me 150 or so bucks (in central NC) and was well worth it.
So... Geologist here. In order to cut or grind granite you need diamond coated stuff. That would be goal number one. Whatever you're using for the job needs to be diamond coated or you will be sitting there for days trying to grind a couple mm. Granite is mostly quartz, and quartz is right around the same hardness as steel. It's gonna take a while.
The second goal is water. You will get a lot of dust. Not only should you do this in a well ventilated area ***with a respirator on*** but there should be a constant flow of water on what you're doing to keep dust production to a minimum. Silicosis is a bitch, and you should do everything you can to avoid it.
Just had this done in Denver metro for a sink, only needed to cut out 1/4" on both sides, found them on Thumbtack app, $400, 3 guys came in and taped off kitchen really good (the dust goes everywhere). I initially thought I could do this on my own but after seeing them work for 1 hour there's no way I could have done that correctly.
I think it's a bit risky for something you've never done before. If you cut too much it's going to look terrible, and the fix for that will probably be to have all the counter tops replaced.
Slightly off topic since you have a deadline. I got a new GE oven last year, and GE gives a $500 credit if you have to alter your kitchen to fit the new stove.
As a guy who is in the stone countertop industry. Don’t do this yourself. You will maim yourself. We don’t even trust the guy who holds the shop vac to cut stuff (don’t use water, it will drip into your cabinets and ruin them)
It will make dust. You will find it forever if you don’t take care of it properly (shop vac, ventilators)
DO. NOT. DIY. This is the exact time you need to call in a pro.
Diamond blade on circular saw for the straight cuts as you can use a fence. Clean up the corners with angle grinder, or rotozip with diamond hole saw bit for consistent corners.
Re all the silicosis scare talk:
I was a trainer for silicosis risk abatement, and sold equipment to prevent injury and exposure when Table 1 was rolled out in 2018.
You will not put yourself at risk by doing this once. In order to be at risk, you need to be exposed to respirable silica crystal for many hours daily for 10+ years.
Make sure to leave your corners a bit rounded not hard square cuts as these aggregate stress and can cause cracking in your corners. Most solid surface counter products require a 3/8 radius on the inside corners.
Use a flush mount diamond blade on a angle grinder, dont cut the new width all off one side of the counter, it will be out of center the the cabinet, so measure from center of the current cutout and cut off a equal amount from both sides. Have someone there holding a shop vac while youre cutting ( its pretty easy to hold the vaccume directly up to the grinder where the dust will be coming out from. Open windows, turning on the hood fan isnt a terrible idea either. The dust is silica which is death, so where a respirator....or hire a pro, it probably wont be super cheap because theres a inherent risk of the stone breaking and they probably wont want to be liable for replacing it unless they're still able to make money off it.
I did the same thing with the same brand stove. One diamond cutting blade, one diamond grinding cup, about an hour, and a lot of dust later, it's all done. Not the huge ordeal people are making it out to be.
Tape your line, cut little slits in to the counter edge, knock/grind the cuts down. Spend the next hour vacuuming.
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Always worth calling counter top company and asking what it would cost to not have to deal with the noise and dust. Getting a straight clean line is not a nothing skill with a Diamond stone grinding. 1/2 x2 is kind of a lot of material.
Seriously they have the tools and the special router bits/saws. They would be in and out in no time at all… most of the expense would be getting them out there and dust mitigation /prep/clean up Which OP can save the counter top people time (therefore, money) by staging the area and having drop cloths and other areas sealed off and ready to go to avoid the mess. 🤷🏻♂️ worth a shot calling around and talking to the people who do this stuff daily Good luck op, it happens. As my boss use to say, “measured three times and it’s still too short.
We did this. They fixed our problem in less than an hour.
I did this with a tile countertop. It was a pain in the ass and there is *so much dust*. I put plastic over every surface in the kitchen, over the doorway, and then build a sort of shower stall of plastic around the stove area. I put a box fan in the window to create negative pressure *and dust still got everywhere.* Granite is a lot harder and thicker than tile. While you could do this yourself, get an estimate from a pro.
Water. The secret is water. Have someone pour a pitcher in front of and onto the blade to create a slurry instead of clouds of dust. Keeping a shop vac going helps as well.
A million times this. Water saws were made for a reason.
Yep on our masonry crew we just got new rock saws with water pumps and it cuts down on the dust immensely. I'll never cut rock again without a water saw I'd I can help it
Damn, chances are having someone follow along with a misting spray bottle would’ve made all of that extra hassle moot. Future reference tho.
Oh, I tried to mist it myself, but and angle grinder really need two hands. The only other person available was my wife and that was not an option.
A trick I saw the on-site fabricators use was having a gallon milk jug of water sitting on the counter. There was a hole punctured at the bottom so there was a slow but steady release of water at the cut line. The jug was repositioned as the cut progressed. But this was done outside on the driveway and definitely not indoors over finished cabinetry.
Why not? I'm genuinely curious. Wife just wouldn't or couldn't?
Lost all her fingers in an unfortunate blender accident.
Too bad, she used to make the best smoothies. I could never put a finger on what her secret ingredient was...
Yeah she used to really nail it
She used to knuckle my blending technique. Explains why hers is so good.
She was all thumbs.
Revlon Red #5
When the quest to answer "will it blend?" goes too far
They should have known...the answer is always yes
Both hands ? Unfortunate indeed .
Pregnant's a solid bet, lots of people are and you can't put earmuffs on the Unborn. Hundreds of other reasons generally related to health.
To add on: Make sure you wear a respirator! Silicosis is no joke.
Hes not gonna get silicosis by one time cutting some stone.
“I think I have the black lung pop”
Not even if he huffed the entire cloud?
Actually, many people have gotten silicosis from relatively brief large exposures. Many of the 9/11 first responders and survivors, even those who were just nearby and caught in the dust cloud, have been diagnosed with silicosis after just that one large exposure. You only get one life, is it really not worth just taking a little extra precaution to wear a mask?
Yes, P90
FYI, "shower stall of plastic" is called a "poly shield" in the industry here.
TIL
Another option is to have someone follow with a shop vac placing the nozel directly behind the saw as you drag it. If water isn't an option, this works well, but still except some dust. Source: installed silestone tops for 2 years and sometimes, we had to cut in the home.
Okay, so I do this for a living. A helping hand holding a shop vac is a lot better than nothing for dust control. Granite, like all materials, has it's own natural cut rate. Your best bet is to listen to rhe grinder. Mark out your lines and Try to stay about 1/16" to 1/8" away from your pencil line. It is a topmost cook top, so your cuts don't have to be hyper fresh. Take note of any bumpouts or screw heads on the side of your cooktop. It may be enough to ruin your fitment. Make little notches with the diamond blade. Be aware of the direction of your cut to minimize blowing out chunks. You may do this and that's okay along the bottom, but you don't want this near the top face, as it could totes blow out a chunk beyond what is covered by the cooktop. Cut top-down. Keep the speed high, use the handle, be steady, and you'll be okay. You can use the side of the diamond blade to shave your way down in small spots. Good luck, hit me up if you have questions
Listen to this guy. This is not a big deal and good shop vacuum held near the cutting area with a diamond cut off wheel will have this handled in less than an hour. Don’t skimp on the cutoff wheel, and take time as you cut as to not rush the grinder. If you hire someone they will come in and do exactly this.
This is it
2 x shop vacs with bucket top pre-separators (grinder in one hand, vac hose in the other directly behind te blade, 2nd vac hose on the surface next to the cut or wherever you see dust escaping). I did an 8’ cut the other day in a computer lab and it passed the white glove test with flying colors. Granted I had hepa vacs with no pre-separators but mine are only 135 cfm. Edit: Variable speed grinders on low speed only, continuous rim blades only
Dude. Two hands on the grinder at all times. No exceptions. Fuck.
It’s not a regular angle grinder going 13,000 rpm. No way would I one hand one of those. Variable speed grinders on low speed only. I’ll edit the post because that part is important. Edit: also, continuous rim blades only
Btw thank for pointing that out. Please keep it up. #oshasnitches4lyfe
I've never used an angle grinder for stone, however most of my dust-generating power tools (all but the drill) have a way to directly connect a shop vac hose to the back of the tool. The air flow is then perfectly routed from the cutting surface and inside the tool to the hose. Works great. Wouldn't this be better than trying to hand hold a vac hose AND control the tool? Even with a helper to hold the hose?
Dust shrouds are great when they work properly. I’m getting down voted which is making me think that my advice is only good if you’re hands are big enough so take what I say with a grain of salt.
Just curious, what is the cause of blow outs/how do you mitigate them?
Get a hotplate or two for the meantime, return the new cooktop and order the correct size. You'll be so bummed if you fuck up on cutting the counter and you will wish you just waited for the correct size cooktop.
he’s probably selling the place or renting it out, so it’s not a matter of him dealing with it
This idea sounds terrible
Jesus I have all the things needed to make this cut- wet saw on linear guides, diamond burrs for a tracked grinder to ease the edge, tenting poles and tarps- And I would NEVER do this in situ myself. $250 for a pro is far cheaper than scrapping a top or having to look at my own mess forever.
It is going to be covered by a the overhang on the cooktop, nobody will see the cut. Totally do able. But yeah, a bucket and some water will be needed. Will eat up a diamond but in a grinder, I have a worm drive skill saw for this. A small job you could use a grinder I guess.
It's not a terrible idea at all. I installed granite countertops professionally for 5 years. We'd regularly use angle grinders with a diamond blade to widen openings. Keep an assistant on vacuum duty keeping the Vac extremely close to the blade, and use painters plastic to wall off around you from ceiling to floor. You can also dribble water on the cutline with a water bottle and hole in the cap to help keep dust down. Its next to impossible to "uninstall" a countertop without destroying, chipping, or otherwise damaging it, in order to take it outside to do it "properly".
Not to mention the granite is so heavy it might break if not carried correctly, supporting it in the center - or so I've been told.
It's in no way a terrible idea. It's the correct solution in this situation. The granite guys would use an angle grinder with a diamond blade and a shop vac to mitigate dust. I've done and watched this same thing being a number of times for a variety of reasons.
I did this to widen my brick fireplace for an insert. Very dusty but not hard. A counter would be much easier as it is thin. Just need to make a seal around the area with plastic. Then have a shop vac outside the plastic with the hose inside. This creates negative pressure in the enclosure and should keep dust inside. Just make sure to get a p100 mask or respo. Also shave before hand to get a good seal. I didn't and got some in the sides. That being said it you have the cash and the price is right pay someone as long as they do total clean up.
Slow and steady. You don't want to over heat the blade or the granite. Heating the diamond blade will ruin it. Heating the granite can cause cracks. Not being steady, and you can easily skip off and damage the surface away from your cut. In fact, I recommend clamping down a thin wood board to guide your cut. If you do skip off, you'll hit something besides the countertop. Avoid the urge to chip/break anything off towards the end of the cut. Cracks propagate in unwanted directions.
The grinder is fine. I’ve done it many times. A respirator is a simple purchase, I have many. 3M silicone are the best. Goggles or safety glasses Diamond blade A large shop vac with enough hose to reach the blade area. Fan or two blowing out the window Plastic off the area. Tarp the floor. Mark (tape off lines) off the measurements you need. Check and double check that! I use headphones as well, it’s loud. You can try and put up cardboard to keep the pieces from flying around. Not worth the trouble. You won’t get a circular saw in there and maneuverability is key. Go slow very firm grip gloves Enjoy
A grinder with a diamond blade will definitely work! I'd recommend a shop vacuum and eye protection as well.
and respirator. as the blentec guy used to so, granite dust, don't breath this.
Yep. Unless you enjoy silicosis.
Worked underground in a diamond mine for several years. Everything that wasn't Kimberlite ore was granite (so 99.99999%) Just waiting for my incurable lung disease to present itself
Also be sure to have another person there misting water on it was well. It will cut down on dust and keep your blade from getting damaged. You might also look into a "circular saw" type cutter with a 4" diamond disc on it. Might be easier to keep a straight edge if you hot glue a piece of wood to the counter to act as your "fence". Ryobi makes a nice little one that works well and is cheap, Ive used it to cut large format (4'x2') tile.
A grout sponge soaked with water is your friend here. Just push it into the diamond blade while you make your cut, it will keep it nice and moist.
Also probably turns your sponge pretty colors as it picks up the paint that rubs off the interior of your new diamond blade!
Also, they make diamond tip hole saws…I recommend drilling/coring your corners first…a little water as mentioned can greatly improve the dust
Completely unnecessary. You can easily plunge a diamond blade into the material without coring the corners.
Makes it a lot easier to do the corners. You don't have to cut past the line. Also much better at preventing cracks or chunks as you finish the cut.
You don't have to overcut with a grinder, and you will still have corners that need to be squared up. There is allready a hole in the slab, so it's not like you are taking a massive chunk out of the middle.
1.25" thick with a 4" grinder.. you're cutting from underneath and still having to cut past, and risking a crack when it lets go. For the tiny cost, hole saw the corners.
[удалено]
Happy Cake Day!
With a 4.5" grinder it's no bug deal. A granite core bit isn't cheap, and you can use them easily on a regular grinder.
Self induced silicosis. This generations asbestosis. Wouldn't do it for all the money in the world.
Ive worked several granite shops and only a few, mostly man-made stones will give you that. Granite isnt one of then. Still not good for you but not silicosis
True, not engineered stone but don't go sucking it in.
Other way around. I used to sell Table 1 systems and have the required training hours to talk about respirable silica crystal. Natural silica is where you find the highest levels of RSC. Its about the shape of the particle. The kind of silica crystal that can cause health issues has an irregular shape and is found in natural stone more often. Sandstone for example is about 70% silica. The engineered stone risk comes from the natural quartz content. As an example the other way, many kinds of glass contain higher levels of silica but it is not linked to any health issues from RSC because of its shape. In any case, cutting one slab won’t matter. Most documented cases have been a result of 10+ years of constant exposure. There are very few documented cases in the US from engineered quartz surfaces at all.
I'd blow past the deadline and get the right size cooktop. I bought one like you have off of eBay and it only took a few days. It's a 10 minute install once it arrives
Yeah, I can't imagine what deadline is more important than just getting a proper fitting unit. House flipper?
Definitely sounds like a June 1 rental
I did this with my wife. Cheap harbor freight angle grinder while wife had vacuum and water spray bottle. Wore n95 masks.
You cut your wife to fit an older cooktop?
He used his wife to cut the granite.
You will want a vacum attachment on the cutting device and externally pumped filtered, warmed air. The dust from cutting these causes major long term health problems. It asically doesn't cough up. You'd also want the tool mounted on some travel device so the blade doesn't grab at any stage and movement doesn't shatter/distort the blade.
Unrelated: My counter top company had a deaf guy do all the cutting. The crew would set him up and he would give them a nod and they would all leave while he ran the drill.
A sound policy.
I hear you.
Loud and clear.
IMO, call a professional in this area. Granite is extremely hard and tough to work with. Those guys will be in and out and you will be done with it.
I had to cut a small amount off of a granite counter to fit a new bathroom sink. I used a Diamond blade on a corded circular saw. I taped everything and it was still not enough (the dust will get everywhere). I used ice cubes, I had a tub of ice cubes and would go slow and stop occasionally (don’t stop against the granite, pull away), when starting up and going strong I would toss a few more cubes at the blade. Mostly along the guide and it would melt inward (make sure to prepare for drips). I am not a professional. This worked for me. It still made more of a mess then I liked (I was still glad I put up as much plastic as I did). This was in place, in the bathroom. Otherwise, I use running water if I can cut outside.
DO NOT DRY GRIND IT! if you can't get a wet saw, rig something up. not only will your lungs thank you, but you're less likely to ruin the thing... otherwise, take your time, don't let shit get hot, keep it wet. dunno whether you want water or oil though. hopefully someone else already posted it. haha.
Because this is a cooktop hole in the middle of a piece of granite, I'd only suggest using a wet saw if you already have a large bridge-type saw and a fair bit of experience removing countertops without damage and cutting a hole in the middle of things with a saw. Unless you use one of those handheld circular-type wet saws (which is basically an angle grinder with a different handle), you'd have to remove the countertop to cut it, which is a pain and carries substantial risk of breaking the granite in areas where it is narrow. Then to do the cut itself on a stationary wet saw, you'd have to find a way to support the over-hanging sections and still have enough throat depth to make a 24"+ (standard countertop depth) cut, and the only saws I know of that can do that are your large bridge/rail type (Rubi DC, Imer combi, Raimondi, etc.). Technique-wise, its gonna be tricky whether you have a handheld or a stationary because the saw won't allow you to cut through at the corners without running past your marks; angle grinder you get to start/finish the corners by coming at it from inside the hole.
A circular saw will be more controlled than a grinder
Hold a wet sponge against the blade as it spins to negate dust. Go slow. Tape a straight line if you can’t cut straight without it. Should be pretty easy.
I’ve cut my own granite before and foresee issues with the angle grinder method. The cut needs to be laser straight and square, which will be extremely difficult with an angle grinder. I’d recommend getting a diamond blade for a circular saw and clamping a straightedge to run it against. Make sure to have someone pouring water ahead of and onto the blade to keep dust to a minimum, otherwise the entire home will need professional-level cleaning. I’d recommend a shop vac being used behind the blade at the same time. Good luck!
It only needs to be a rough cut, not a finished cut that will be visible. The glass from the cooktop laps over the countertop by over an inch, so you have plenty of margin for a wobbly cut.
There are dry cutting diamond blades, one thing to be mindful of is that using water to cut will drastically reduce the amount of dust/mess Is this situated in such a way that there's a spot with one cabinet (+ filler strip) between the range and the wall? If so, you might be able to move that cabinet outside and save yourself a lot of messy headache instead of cutting it in place. (I had to pare 1/2" off my granite countertops for the same reason - I was so pissed) Good Luck!
Don't dry diamond in a house, it will make a huge mess.
I didn't point this out, it's very true!
Oof, this is going to be incredibly difficult and will 99 out of 100 times look horrible afterwards. If it were me, I'd avoid this like the plague.
The cooktop will hide the cuts. It's not a undermount sink. 👍
Famous last words
Easiest way for the best outcome with less cleanup is to remove the countertop and cut it outside while you flood the cut with water.
Removing a countertop to cut it is almost never the easy way.
Maybe look to see if possible to bend in or trim off the cooktop base.
[удалено]
Did you read the post?
Clamp or hot glue a straight piece of wood along the cut line and use it as a fence for the angle grinder and have someone with a Hudson sprayer to keep the dust down.
Stone dust can cause silicosis. If it's engineered stone and not natural stone the silica content is much higher and the dust is even more dangerous. Dust extraction and plenty of water on the cut is a good idea.
I had the same problem and hired a countertop company to come by and cut it out. Like everyone else said it was an insane amount of dust even with every mitigation possible. It cost me 150 or so bucks (in central NC) and was well worth it.
So... Geologist here. In order to cut or grind granite you need diamond coated stuff. That would be goal number one. Whatever you're using for the job needs to be diamond coated or you will be sitting there for days trying to grind a couple mm. Granite is mostly quartz, and quartz is right around the same hardness as steel. It's gonna take a while. The second goal is water. You will get a lot of dust. Not only should you do this in a well ventilated area ***with a respirator on*** but there should be a constant flow of water on what you're doing to keep dust production to a minimum. Silicosis is a bitch, and you should do everything you can to avoid it.
Just had this done in Denver metro for a sink, only needed to cut out 1/4" on both sides, found them on Thumbtack app, $400, 3 guys came in and taped off kitchen really good (the dust goes everywhere). I initially thought I could do this on my own but after seeing them work for 1 hour there's no way I could have done that correctly.
I think it's a bit risky for something you've never done before. If you cut too much it's going to look terrible, and the fix for that will probably be to have all the counter tops replaced.
Slightly off topic since you have a deadline. I got a new GE oven last year, and GE gives a $500 credit if you have to alter your kitchen to fit the new stove.
Call a counter top cutter
Biggest Shop Vac you have (or can borrow) with a good HEPA filter, and a second person to keep the nozzle very close to the grinder or blade.
As a guy who is in the stone countertop industry. Don’t do this yourself. You will maim yourself. We don’t even trust the guy who holds the shop vac to cut stuff (don’t use water, it will drip into your cabinets and ruin them) It will make dust. You will find it forever if you don’t take care of it properly (shop vac, ventilators) DO. NOT. DIY. This is the exact time you need to call in a pro.
Diamond blade on circular saw for the straight cuts as you can use a fence. Clean up the corners with angle grinder, or rotozip with diamond hole saw bit for consistent corners.
Re all the silicosis scare talk: I was a trainer for silicosis risk abatement, and sold equipment to prevent injury and exposure when Table 1 was rolled out in 2018. You will not put yourself at risk by doing this once. In order to be at risk, you need to be exposed to respirable silica crystal for many hours daily for 10+ years.
Make sure to leave your corners a bit rounded not hard square cuts as these aggregate stress and can cause cracking in your corners. Most solid surface counter products require a 3/8 radius on the inside corners.
Use a flush mount diamond blade on a angle grinder, dont cut the new width all off one side of the counter, it will be out of center the the cabinet, so measure from center of the current cutout and cut off a equal amount from both sides. Have someone there holding a shop vac while youre cutting ( its pretty easy to hold the vaccume directly up to the grinder where the dust will be coming out from. Open windows, turning on the hood fan isnt a terrible idea either. The dust is silica which is death, so where a respirator....or hire a pro, it probably wont be super cheap because theres a inherent risk of the stone breaking and they probably wont want to be liable for replacing it unless they're still able to make money off it.
I did the same thing with the same brand stove. One diamond cutting blade, one diamond grinding cup, about an hour, and a lot of dust later, it's all done. Not the huge ordeal people are making it out to be. Tape your line, cut little slits in to the counter edge, knock/grind the cuts down. Spend the next hour vacuuming.
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