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Old 10-13-2009, 04:28 AM   #1
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polishing granite saw cuts

This is probably a really simple question, but I would like to polish my saw cuts on granite to be approximately equivalent to the polish of the finished surfaces of the granite. How is this done, preferably quickly and cheaply? I'm tempted to use a belt sander or even a buffing wheel. Please specify both the grit size sequence and the type of grit prefered.

Thanks in advance. The pieces I'll be polishing will probably be as large as 8" x 3" X 1" at the most, so easy to handle. I don't expect to do larger slabs.

I'm getting decent but not polished saw blade cuts, so hopefully I won't need to go real low.

---
Ken

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Old 10-13-2009, 01:16 PM   #2
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Quote:
preferably quickly and cheaply?


Preferably a variable speed grinder grinder with a wet hose attachment, a good set set of wet diamond pads starting with 50 up to 3000.
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Old 10-13-2009, 01:23 PM   #3
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Exactly as R&D has said... You're going to find it to be much cheaper taking your piece to a granite/marble shop + have them do your edge profiling.
$400.00 for a polisher
+ approx. 200.00+ for the pads needed.

you know what I mean?
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Old 10-13-2009, 04:05 PM   #4
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Diamond pads? Got a source - online or otherwise? I may be able to do this by hand since it's small and I already do have some diamond plates to work with from 120 up to 8K. These diamond pads might prove useful for other things too. In the long run this is something I'll need to do myself. So I take it that this is a wet technique and not something i could do on a bench grinder/buffer. So Aluminum oxide or silicon carbide won't work well as an abrasive for granite?

Is a 'variable speed grinder grinder with a wet hose attachment' a handheld tool or a larger device more the size of a saw?

Thanks for the good advice and the cautions of what my expenses might be. Hopefully it will keep me from doing something expensive and/or stupid.

---
Ken
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Old 10-13-2009, 04:22 PM   #5
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kss,
here a sight which is in Cali.... http://store.concreteexchange.com/CH...4Pa38Ta38Pbh50

here is where I order from... http://www.concretecountertopspecialties.com/


look around + check it out.
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Old 10-13-2009, 06:59 PM   #6
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http://www.alpha-tools.com/Section.aspx?ID=60
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Old 10-13-2009, 08:15 PM   #7
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U can do it

It can be done if you don't have a large surface. I found a small slab in the concrete pile at my local concrete dump. I wanted a shower sill so I cut the piece with my Stil, ran it through my wet saw. Then I used my grinder starting with diamond blade, concrete blades(abrasive grit)then metal blades less abrasive for granite. I continued with my orbital sander starting with 60 gritworking through 120. After all this I went through hand sand paper with water and finished with steel wool. All told I believe i spent approx. 2 hrs and came away with results that are more than pleasing. It is no substitue for a professionally finished edge. I can see the ghost of the saw marks, but for an edge that no one will ever see it is more that adequate. I would not do this ever on a customers house not worth the aggrevation. Good luck
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Old 10-13-2009, 09:28 PM   #8
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Yea this stuff looks like fun to work with. Thanks, guys.

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Ken
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Old 10-18-2009, 01:18 PM   #9
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I have the alfa grinder bits & makita wet grinder . I cut the pieces a little big and grind them strait with a alfa 90o bit then polish with the pads and grind the edge on 45o to match granite . Its hard to polish a tile saw cut because of saw kerf . I use a bull nose round over bit then polish . Don't polish the top of the granite tile it will hase over and be hard to bring back to a good shine . John
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