Thoughts on a granite work surface

[itllgrowback]

A couple years ago my mom redid her kitchen and put in granite countertops. When we were laying out the templates on the slab, I saw how much would be unused and asked what they intended to do with that leftover - they said they typically trash it because it's not worth keeping remnants around trying to match future jobs.

So I ended up with a free rectangle of 2cm granite a bit smaller than 4x6, if I recall correctly. I'll double-check the size this weekend. I had always intended to use it for a leatherwork table in the future but I don't have a good space for it yet. It's fine where it's resting, in the garage at mom's place - but I'll be renting a trailer soon to bring some landscaping rock from my place to hers, and can use the same trailer to bring the slab back here.

Here is where I could use some input. That slab is HEAVY. Too heavy for one person on each end to move it very far. Certainly too heavy for my wife and I to move around. The logistics of handling it are complicated. So even after getting it to my place and building a base for it, getting it in place will be a pain.

The question then is whether it's worth using for that purpose in the first place - or would I be better served just getting a slab of melamine for the leather/sewing room instead. Is it enough better than melamine would be to make the extra effort worth it? And what would make a better use of the granite's qualities (heavy, perfectly flat, easy to clean, etc...).

Put another way: If you had a 4x6' slab of granite to use in the shop, to what purpose would you put yours? How would you get the best use out of it?

 

[slowtwitch73]

Its a boat anchor. I had a similar slab for a while that I had hoped to use as a surface plate. I got lucky and found a friend who wanted to use it as yard art or some such... pita *** getting it to him, unloading etc, and I'm lucky to have found a sucker.. um friend to take it.

Next step would have been sledging it and chucking it.

Restore type places are awash in granite remnants.

 

[WisJim]

My son does granite countertops and has a constant supply of scraps up to the size the op mentioned. We have granite slabs for sidewalks between the current garage and house, and we use scrap granite for fill and for garden stepping stones, window sills, radiator tops and shelves. It is heavy and awkward, but my son has all kinds of clever devices that makes it easy for one or two guys to maneuver large chunks of fragile stone around. A 4x6 foot piece would be hard to deal with if you aren't set up for it or used to handling that kind of stuff.

 

[kaymccampbell]

I would cut it into the size that I expect to use it in the shop. Hopefully that might make it more transportable.

 

[nadogail]

I carefully saved a remnant of a quartz countertop and left it exposed to the sun. The sun light destroyed the surface. The countertops in our house from the same lot still look as nice as when they were first Installed.

 

[JoeMcGov]

If I have a 4x6 piece of granite slab at my shop maybe I used it as a shelf to placed my tools and other stuff on it.

Using A36 structural steel to support it??

 

[dcg9381]

I just did a bunch of counter tops. Our bar slab is like 10x8'. They cut it short once, and cut the next piece with a sink in the wrong location. And I've asked to keep all the other remnants from the other cuts. So I've got two pieces, probably 8'x4'... And could get a 3rd.

Like the OP says, it's heavy. Here, it takes 3-4 people to lift it, getting it on a granite dolly makes it reasonable.

For me to have it cut from the granite supplier, it's not cheap. She was charging me about $200 per cut. I've watched the teams that do it and know it can be done with 4-1/2" grinders, but I have never spend time polishing the edges out...

I dunno if those "cut costs" are typical... But eventually, I'll be looking for someone to cut it into the sizes I want (for less) and then do something with it.

 

[Wheelingit]

If you use it as a work surface just be aware that it can chip if struck and send fragments.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

If you use it as a work surface just be aware that it can chip if struck and send fragments.

It's also relatively soft, not particulary moisture or stain resistant. IMO, a PITA for a bench top.

Tommy

 

[itllgrowback]

Thanks everyone for the input.

Its a boat anchor.

Yeah, it's looking like it might be.

...my son has all kinds of clever devices that makes it easy for one or two guys to maneuver large chunks of fragile stone around. A 4x6 foot piece would be hard to deal with if you aren't set up for it or used to handling that kind of stuff.

For sure - it's so much heavier than I anticipated! I have the chassis of an old Radio flyer that I thought about adapting, but I can imagine it getting away from you really easily and causing real mayhem inside the house.

I would cut it into the size that I expect to use it in the shop. Hopefully that might make it more transportable.

Maybe if I cut a piece just big enough to top a base cabinet and make a little tooling station.

I carefully saved a remnant of a quartz countertop and left it exposed to the sun. The sun light destroyed the surface.

That's wild - I wouldn't have guessed it. I was thinking about topping the future outdoor kitchen with granite, but I'll need to research that better.

Using A36 structural steel to support it??

Right?!

For me to have it cut from the granite supplier, it's not cheap. She was charging me about $200 per cut.

Yeah, plus I don't know what it really takes in tools and time to ease the edges. Maybe you can use a 7-1/4" diamond blade on a Skil Saw and a clamped straightedge, multiple passes, and get a straight cut but then you still need to knock down those corners.

It's also relatively soft, not particulary moisture or stain resistant. IMO, a PITA for a bench top.

Yeah, never for a bench top, but I can see some utility areas it would be good for - like leather tooling or an assembly/glue-up station - but there again, there are other options without the drawbacks so maybe I'll scrap the idea entirely, especially since I don't have space or real need yet anyway.

Thanks again for the food for thought everyone!