How to Cut & Polish Granite Countertop DIY - Undermount Sink

[iounatta]

25-year veteran stone fabricator??? You surely haven't been doing granite counters that long or you would know a much better way. Most people can cut and polish an edge. Even profile an edge to polish but when it comes to sink cut outs it is much more difficult until you have the needed experience. Especially a 60/40 bowl or the similar. A zero tolerance wheel would be a good investment. Also why in the he*l aren't you using water???

[thankennedy]

water works wonders...

[TilemanSD]

That was a very small granite slab. Usually the sink slab is much larger. Try picking one up and installing it without breaking it. This is not for the weekend warrior type. There is much more to this than you were shown in this video.

[chesterarebest]

Thought it was excellent in that he shows what you can achieve with basic grinder but recognise that there is not enough detail given regarding type of grinder and finishing discs etc

However for me as a hands on guy this is a good start.

On filming aspect though, it leaves om for improvement. A proper microphone may be a good start...Thanks though. Excellent

[911crackdaddy]

Haters gonna hate. I thought it was an awesome job, considering the tools he was using. I was under the impression it should be done using a wet saw, but hey if it works, it works!

[trip832000]

umm how lang have u been doing this? cause u look like u dont know what ur doing ive been doing granite for 7 years and the onlything u use dry pads for is to polyse splash and u polyse a sink with water

[pokeyj37846]

no water no mask  no brains

[NuestroMexicoEnVivo]

My boss says: juts put the template, mark with pencil, cut and polish.. thats it.. easy easy... jeje... I never have cut undermounth before he is very cheap and dont want to pay professional.



[generatrix999]

Not simply, and nothing is easy.

Don't even try this if you've never worked with granite b/f

[Skrash3r]

@generatrix999 totally agree! cutting curves into granite is especially hard.

[rob99rst]

i cant hardly hear what your saying

[billygoatUK]

@rob99rst you mean can hardly.

[sheilamaclean1]

Hello, what kind of disc are you using - am looking to hollow out a birdbath in portland stone, done so much by hand but don't wanna stress the stone any more with hammering, have small angle grinder but not sure of disc - thought to 'sand' off more rather than cut ridges - would it work that way? What do you suggest, please.

[draskdraskdrask]

DON'T YOU KNOW WAT WATER IS....

[SuperMazorquero]

you need a new grainder man

[fermagal]

You are a very skilled man awesome...

[SuperMazorquero]

noisee it sound like iam right there helping

[SuperMazorquero]

noisee

[apples4meh]

He put a wamy on every corner

[azizATV]

good jobs thinks for it.

[azizATV]

good jobs

[1339LARS]

I bet your neighbours loved ya!

[SteelersCA1]

In closing if you really want to try your hand at it, I say give it a shot. Cut and polish at least 3 sink holes on practice pieces before attempting on your finish piece. Your forearms should be burning after the first one. No pain, no gain....Good luck, work slow and be patient.

[SteelersCA1]

Material example would be if you are trying to use prefab granite (Pre bullnosed 2cm with a 2cm lam) for a standard kitchen. California cost (where I am) is typically about 1000-1500. This is the main reason I have stayed in granite is that most DIY people (Handyman contractors and Home Owners) do not have the patience or research skills to do the job right and end up jacking up the job the first couple of times and give up and call a pro to tear it out and redo it.

[SteelersCA1]

I am not trying to discourage any of you weekend warriors, just be aware that there is a significant risk of doing a sloppy job with granite, especially your first time out. Typically the material cost for a granite job is about 50% of the job cost, which is a significant chunk of change if you jack up the seams or the sink holes and have to get replacement material.

[chilby00]

@SteelersCA1 yeh it would be a real shame if people got skilled at this and put you out of work eh. a bit of bias methinks... and if they buy the right tools.. my goodness they might even decide to start doing this for a job.. not that you have a vested interested. Of course it's hard to do - it's stone!.. as a quarry owner all I can say is .. go for it guys..there are a lot of rocks on the planet

[SteelersCA1]

And if you are doing the sink hole that probably means that you will trying the install yourself as well. Good luck with the seams. Depending on how much hardner you use with the polyester epoxy, it could set up in a matter of seconds. So you better have dry set everything perfect before you put the epoxy in there or you could have just wasted a ton of money in material.

[SteelersCA1]

Secondly...what the guys doesnt tell you is that you need a variable speed angle grinder that will set you back about 150 bucks, which is about what a fabricator would charge you for that sink hole. Couple that with the blade $10-25, the dry pads, need at least 5, 300wet, and 400,800,1500,3000, dry at 20 a piece, plus the 80-120 grit stone at another 10 bucks. So now you are in the hole by 120 or so.

[SteelersCA1]

This may take a few posts to get everything I want to get in for the DIY's out there. I am a pro and have been in the industry for 10 years. First I will say, if you have the time to learn how to do it and want to....go for it.... I would highly suggest getting scrap pieces from your local shop to practice on before attempting on your finished piece.

[bobtaylor1979]

i am doing that job for 3 months now and i hated it from the first day. shit

[BPBWproductions]

u guys r such nerds

[MovingUpp]

Why let the pros do it when you can do it for free and ENJOY yourself in your spare time!

Great video. thank you, sirs.

[copperloop]

I'm a new DIY, and this looks like something I can give it a try and learn something; however, the video could have shown some techniques in "zoom-in" feature and explain the type of blades/discs/heads being used. Regardless, I learned something. Thanks!

[mississauga0909]

This guy is a crazy wild man. I thought I was overly ambitious when it came to doing everything myself. How long did this polished hole take ... how much would it cost to have it fabricated in a shop? What is his time worth.? God bless him, he did do a nice job?

[thetwinkletoes3000]

I got a granite countertop for my master bathroom at Lowes from a place called Jackson Stoneworks. It only took about a week to get it, and came with all the splashes and the sink. Really good value.

[TheWareon]

Don't do it yourself. If u don't have experience doing it and the right tools, u can get serious hurt and also break the piece. let the pro do their jobs.

[Version25]

For everyone that is talking crap about how they can do so much better, links to your videos or STFU.

[misfi7o]

@Version25 I can do it better cause I'm a professional LOL

[h23sirlude]

a lot of people in here, said let the pro do it. why bother to watch this DIY! go what something else. Like it, wants more close up.

[dsk3610]

This job is better left to the pros. Don't even think about trying this! Performing an under mount sink cut by hand as he is doing literally take years to perfect.

By the time you tool up for the job and do a marginal job or destroy the granite, you can get this job done by a pro. The finished product will be much nicer and cheaper in the end.

[FurikuriYugi]

1: I get lots of work from people who tried to "DIY"

2: That was 2cm granite with a drop down bull nose edge

3: I can tell you how to fix those seams

[settingfree]

excellent job.

[cattnipp]

Just curious - does grinding granite put off silica dust? I heard to stay away from that.

[Version25]

@cattnipp

Yes, it does. I wear a particulate mask, those cheapy masks don't keep the dust out.

[SecretTrollAccount1]

Hi, I have a question - Im looking for a way to polish the inside of a pestle and mortar set. What would be the most efficient method of doing this. Im not to keen on hours of slurry hand polishing.

[biffperron]

i could teach this fools how to work granite

[gladheateher4now]

Hi, well heres an out there question. Im about to start skulpturing granite in the Okanagan in Canada, What tools would YOU recememd to grind down and shape Granite with? i want to become a pro skulpturist. Thanks Doug

[diamondblades]

Useful info, I would suggest using a concave diamond blade though. It isn't recommendable to cut curves with a regular diamond blade because it will wear down the segments unevenly and greatly reduce blade life, Not to mention it could possibly bend the blade and throw segments at potentially dangerous speeds.

[syndihongie]

Can use this with a water hose to make smoother cuts?

[PulSamsara]

Jump inside that hole when polishing - easier on the back.

[hookedupinc]

Pum-tard, you are an idiot.

[capncrunchalot]

I can't see Jack, Jack!

Cool info, but too far away.

[hookedupinc]

DIY ... hahahaha I've been working with granite for years... If you want really crappy granite couter-tops listen to this guy and do it yourself in the driveway...with crappy hand tools... and that stupid suction-cup 'template' thing. LMFAO. RU kidding me? Give that piece of crap to a granite installer and he's gonna throw it in the garbage.

[pumpin14]

@hookedupinc maybe he doesnt have the money to hire a installer, hense the term DIY you dumbfuck...you obviously have no life other than to chirp ppl on youtube and watch sailor moon episodes in your mommas basment dumbfuck

[TheFervic]

sorry 4 the guy that did this

the color match is horrible

the fab looks goob

sorry 4 the home owner she is gonna have to live whit this for the rest of her life haha

[tribejon]

quit stoked to find this video.....now thats skill and confidance

[redyj91]

I've read through most of the comments and I think it's safe to say that there are a lot of opinionated people in this industry who are either afraid of do-it-yourselfers cutting into their business and of posting their own videos because their methods might be critiqued just as harshly. If this guy's methods work for him and achieve the desired outcome and he hasn't killed himself yet, then fine. This isn't a safety training video.

[sadiebrannan]

This man is a dumb ass if u watch him cut his sink out he blows the dust to him. If u know what u are doing u hold the grinder the other way so the dust blows away from u and your hands so it does not burn u, fuck me people are dumb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sadiebrannan]

this old man may have done this along time ago but times have changed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sadiebrannan]

I have been working with granite for years this old fart is an idiot. really should not go to a hardware store for how to  do granite counter tops!!!!!

[Petis333]

"proper tool".... the cutting blade sounded a bit fine i think. I personally polish wet, even on coarse pads. depends on material i guess, DIY on the drive way, yeah, this way works. Prob saves a k or two DIY'ing his kitchen.

[xxHarveyMoonxx]

Why the Fuck is he wearing a dust mask and eye protection when the biggest danger to his life is using a angle grinder with no guard, Diamond teeth are like bullets when they come off at the speed of that grinder fucking idiot man

[paulcan38]

An experienced guy like this gets to know his tools well - I totally trust this guy knows what he is doing. In the 2o+ years I have been using cutting wheels I have never had the teeth fly off like BULLETS. NO the biggest danger to his life is having a neighbour come up to him and whack him for making so much noise and dust!

Thumbs up for the guy who posted it.

Amateurs - watch the electric cable when cutting - easy to get carried away when sawing to that carefully drawn line!

[replacementcounters]

I think this works for small applications but with larger ones you probably want to rely on the professionals

[dekonfrost7]

iput in 100,000 worth of granit in the last 5 years i made it with 2000.00 worth of tools..... i got a license and insurence,, i think i'm a pro..

i think it just drives the people with money nuts that skill is what they are paying for...next they will try to get migeul sanchez to do this..lol lmao pigs will fly first

[elchamacorico]

wouuuuuuuuuuu men how told teach you to cut granite like tha

[diran123454]

look i operate a granite fabrication shop.and i not saying the only way to do this right is a cnc because it isnt. CNCs are nice but not needed we use hydrolic rotors to do the same thing and the stone he is cutting is only 3/4 in thats why it has a glued edge

[gardogg65]

IF that disc breaks can't shards slice open his face? I would imagine it would be a good idea to wear a face shield for this...

[jamesrichardson63]

well, i think if shards could hit him he should wear bodyarmour? but thats justme. body armour, 1inch thick leather gloves, an oxygen mask and compressed clean water supply for emergency and call the fire department for emergency back up and police for back up as well justin case of a neighbor attacking you or if you happened to get robbed!

[jamesrichardson63]

did thatcover everything??

[zarits500]

pretty much thanks--

[yumyumsashimi]

Looked like he spent alot of time doing this is their a faster way? im going with a drop in sink.

[mooninquirer]

Well, usually the granite countertop supplier does this, according to the specs that YOU provide, for the sink hole.

For example, I know Home Depot and Lowe's provide this service.

[MrGraniteTops]

hi dont do it your self you might get hurt...

[SometimesSamurai]

This guy hacked the fuk outta that sink. Total Rookie!

Did he bring that home depot granite in that fuk'n Minian !? Prefabricated bullnosed bullshit

[jinglebuddy]

er, despite what people say, you can do it this way and can do it pretty well. you just have to be super duper good with a grinder, and i only know two people who'd cut with grinder better than any cutting tools.  i know i know, but it's true. question of if it's worth doing it, that's another story...

[microfly2008]

You dont know what your talking about are you saying you know masons who can cut stone better than a CNC machine .if your next reply is yes then your an idiot

[jinglebuddy]

You have no need to be rude. I was a a tool maker in my past life, worked with a lot of NCs. We had some old fashioned machinists who wouldn't go near NCs, and I saw one of them turn a set of prototype cam shafts on the manual lathe, by hand, and it was better than the production ones made on NCs. In presence of those who are super skilled, you'd be humbled, they'll shut your big mouth right up. You have no idea what skilled hands are capable of.

[microfly2008]

I am one of those super skilled people but with granite and marble and i have manufactured a polish undermount bowl apperture in granite by hand and with a CNC machine .And if you havnt done it before ie(DIY)forget it.Sorry if that is sounding rude but thats life

[jinglebuddy]

No, that isn't rude, calling me an idiot was. And thanks for asking, yeah, I've done it before when I did kitchens for people's house.

[mooninquirer]

That grinder is a very versatile tool.

[phartattack]

My suggestion is to put some cross support between the saw horses, Granit has a lot of veins and there is a chance it may snap while you're doing these thin cuts.

MZ-HANDYMAN

[brovin10]

I think that this is for the professionals. If you need granite countertops I would advise to use a professional. You must have the template and lots of other stuff done! Check out my channel for video tutorials on kitchen makeovers.

[theshreks]

sink cut outs shud be done on a CNC machine not with a grinder, joint cuts shud be done on a proper saw so they are straight an tight, all of this is done useing water also even polishing he has not done a good job. TRADITIONAL MASONRY NORTH SHIELDS.

[thebigsee]

I'm a pretty experienced do-it-yourselfer (dad is a general contracter) and this is not something I'd want to tackle. If you're just making a straight line that is going to be hidden under an overmount sink, I'd say go for it, but if it's going to be on display, have someone experienced do it. The disks and bits alone would probably cost hundreds of dollars, hardly worth it, and you'd no doubt ruin a few sheets of expensive granite in the process.

[thejonsonator]

he must of polished that back some. i do this for a living and if i cut out a bowl with chips as big as he had id be laughed at by everyone. He makes it sound easy, i remembermy 1st bowl cut out!!!! just pay someone to do it properly.

[Cabinetmaker09]

Ive worked in a Granite countertop business for a while. You should have mention A.) Where a dust mask the dust is very Bad for your health as it will just build up in your lungs. B.) Best to use water cooling for several reasons to not have the dust flying all over and in your lungs but also cooling the granite cause the heat will crystalize the granite and it will not look good. not to mention you left out what type of Blade you were using when cutting for people who never done this before.

[iglamar]

Great info!!! thanks

[cadenoh]

I have had professionals telll me its so easy to do this work they don't even deserve the money I think with a little knowledge and this guys anybody can do it. Why don't you see a how to book on granite? Cause theyare trying to keep this stuff a secret

[sevenseventysevencus]

no you yupie 80% of the price is in the tooling 10%is raw material ang the rest labor and profit if you relly want to spend 50k on a bridge saw and 300k for a CNC line polisher and 15k in hand tools poliser blades pads cemicals ect. go for it this is a skiled trade not a DIY wekend project. thers no secret abought it

[paulcan38]

I am a 'professional' and we will say it is easy - why? because it takes years of building skill levels so now I can say it's EASY!

[ARMY832]

I have worked in granite,marble and other naturla stones for jest over 2 years and it not as ease as this guy makes it sound. it can be very costly if you don't have a clue on what you are doing. let alone hazurdes to your health with the (dust,glues,cleaners,enhencers­,sealers and all the other chemacls.) so please leve it to the pros or in my case the people who work with the pros.

[betterpaths]

cool demo, thanks for the info!

[mattslammer]

bet this guy is popular with his neighbours!!!

ive been in the trade for ten years now and i agree with yip9876,this is a job for a pro!!

[yip9876]

i have been a fabricator for 4 years now... if its a small job and your a diy guy then do it.. but if its your whole kitchen use your head and get it done somewhere. i have fixed so many things that people try to do themselves and by that time they have spent twice the amount cus they didnt take it to a pro the first time. and bought all the tools for nothing

[colejoshrocks]

Water jet yeah great how many Mexican granite guys come to your house with their water jet? Most are cut at the site in similar fashion to this, maybe slightly more pro tools

[dobermook]

I just purchased granite countertops for $15/sf or $30/lf. The front edge came polished and the depth was already 25". I used a circular saw with diamond blade to cut to length. The place I purchased the granite from cut the sink hole for me and polished it for $150. My kitchen has 18/lf of tops. I was quoted $2100 for the job and I did it for $690. I got the pads on ebay and my Makita 9227C variable grinder for $130. So my entire cost is $870. Finally the granite is heavy get help moving it.

[rixx59]

How differnt is it to use theses methods with marble or onyx?

[C3DesignBuild]

As stated in at least one of the comments...this is a method meant to be used for DIY'ers....not Contractors! Ofcourse there at many methods out there for so-called Professionals...whom...by the way...I have seen first hand, crack and damage granite just like the next guy! Stuff happens! Period! But for those whom do not have the budget for such a task...this was a decent video, in my opinion. Peace

[sarahmichellestokes]

Yes you have to have plywood for support under the granite- 3cm material is the only exception to that. Not to mention, the silicon dust that this guy is raising is sooo bad for you! Just get a professional to do it for you! There is a reason they are called professionals!

[croatia28]

I work with granite and cut out all the sinks and polish the edges, and anyone without expierence cannot accomplish this without making it look unprofessional. Also if you chipo the granite or crack it there is no way you can fix it on your own. Futhermore, it looks better when it is wet polished rather than dry polish.

[littlekogis]

Guys I have a question. Just yesterday we had granite countertops installed. I looked around on some websites and they all say that the builders will put plywood or something UNDER the granite--our countertops have absolutely nothing under them. Is this bad?!

[ddanze]

Thanks, man! Great service to community!

[tony2bags]

im a mason, ill bet if you put that template back on it would fall right through.

there is no percision in this method at all

[max6674]

COWBOY. why would you want an undermounted sink cut out with a grinder and polished by hand? Thats just poor! I noticed that you didnt put in drain flutes.. cos you cant with that poor set up.

[joebag1976]

take no notice of this cowboy

for the cost of the cutter blades,time and most of all stress,get it cut out properly

ie-water jet

these people are giving out so called advice because they can,

a true tradesmen gives you advice because he should,

out of 10 times i bet you lose one piece

would love to see him tackle a piece with a bit of manliness to it

COWBOY

[thronelin]

It is not so cute , there is granite tools with water jet , that's clear and more quick and polished well .

[applieddiamondtools]

Yes, there are water jet and CNC machines. But think about their costs.

This is DIY.

[shadowblack1987]

@applieddiamondtools Agreed, but the people that can afford those large piece of granites can usually afford the cost of prep/cutting/installation.

But DIY is always good, thank!

[resfalgio]

not bad, but need more explanations...

[fury3600]

awesome!

[dianaheiqing]

Very instructive for a layman like me!

[matialex]

eso es granito y y un malisimo fabricador!!!!! no sabe ni como agarrar la maquina pinche gringo

[handpaper]

That's not granite, it's marble - and it's only 25mm thick

Try cutting a proper 35mm granite slab with that little 6-inch grinder :)

[applieddiamondtools]

This is granite. It is 20mm not 25mm or 35mm. The other video "Profile & Polish Edge" does use 30mm granite.

[thronelin]

it's granite , not marble.

[goofiva]

don't you feel like a idiot? the granite is called verde marina. do a google search. try learning about granite before you try to make fun of someone here.

[handpaper]

No, I don't feel like an idiot. I said it wasn't granite and strictly it isn't; thanks to the Google search you suggested I now know that it's a migmatite. Thank you.

Granite is igneous and uniform; Verde Marina is metamorphic (like marble) and striated.

I know a little about granite and other rocks; I studied Geology for two years and also built my own kitchen using 35mm red granite contertops. It's not much fun to cut, even with a 9" diamond disc cutter

[PulSamsara]

@handpaper

Sorry, it is granite - you're wrong. And I've cut plenty of 1 1/4 with a small grinder - albeit a wet set up.

[kk0gt]

@handpaper its granite is call jupara colombo and to cut 35 mm or 3 cm u can do it with a skillsaw

[angelahk28f]

Is that the same tool with different heads on it?

[applieddiamondtools]

Yes, he is using the same tool for cutting and polishing. This is a variable speed grinder. At high speed you can cut and grind, at lower speed you can polish.

[ponder28]

you can also hold it like he was just switch the handle and hold it in your left hand and the dust will kick away from you too and it is way more practical and comfortable

[kc7lgt]

Mannnn your holding that machine wrong that is way to uncomfortable... It should be strait up and kicking the dust away from you using the handle for your control hand.. try it sometime. But what ever works the final product is what counts..