Free Granite for Machine Bases

[DGoncz]

When they make granite countertops they saw the roughly 6x10 foot slabs of 1-1/4 inch granite into pieces on a big saw with an overarm and a table. They get chunks they can't do anything useful with. The yard I visit is littered with them.

I bought a cheap tile saw and it churns through this granite amazingly well.

If you don't care what *color* your machine is, or that it is made from different color pieces, you could homebuild all kinds of stable structures from these chucks and a cheap saw. When it's all done, you could paint it, I suppose, but that would ruin the beauty of the stone.

Doug Goncz
Replikon Research
Seven Corners, VA 22044-0394

[walter]

Good info. Thanks.

[vger]

Good post. The saw in the granite shop they use is called a "Bridge Saw". I have seen people make these same long cuts with an angle grinder using diamond blades and doing it dry! A little tough on blades and not quite as accurate but it works (wear face sheild and dust mask). The granite you were talking about is probably the 3 cm slabs. There are also 2 cm slabs that are used. To make the edge thicker on the 2 cm material they cut a narrow strip and epoxy it to the underside of the edge and get a 4 cm thick edge. I suppose one could do long 45 deg miter cuts and build box frames with epoxy. Stiff but lighter.
Seams on counter tops are epoxied together, sometimes with epoxy fiberglass backup underneath.

[dan dimock]

I would like to see a picture of a cnc machine built from this, will you please post a picture?
Thanks
Dan

[hotgrips]

New Hampshire is known as the Granite State.

[josephmartins]

New Hampshire is known as the Granite State.

I've always wondered why since Vermont seems to be better known for its granite these days.

Regarding the use of granite as a base...it's a fantastic idea, not only for CNC, but for all sorts of other things. I think I'm going to try using a remnant as a base for my next jig.

[neilw20]

Using granite for slideways.
Look here.
http://www.newwayairbearings.com/Art...ID=52&CatgCnt=