mud Report post Posted February 25, 2015 Feel like I hit the lottery today. Found a company in my area who has marble slab pieces for $10. I picked out a 2' x 3.5' x 1.5" piece. Has a corner broken off and a cut into one of the sides, but not going to affect the rest. Time to clean it up and get to work. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hobbihorse Report post Posted February 25, 2015 So cool. What a great deal!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kwelna Report post Posted February 27, 2015 If you dont mind a bit of dumpter diving, drive by a granite counter top business and check out their throwaways(sp?). I usually go in and offer to buy pieces in most cases, for $10 - $20 you can take as much as you like....and for a few bucks more, they will cut off the bad parts. I then usualy return and give the owner\manager a wallet\money clip etc as a thankyou. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eglideride Report post Posted February 27, 2015 I stopped by a counter top place the other day- they gave me a "sink" cut out for free...they were busting them up with hammers to throw in a dumpster! 27 1/2" x 16 1/2" x 1 1/2" thick...yours is quite a bit bigger Mud- really good deal! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mud Report post Posted February 27, 2015 marble slab sink cut out.jpgI stopped by a counter top place the other day- they gave me a "sink" cut out for free...they were busting them up with hammers to throw in a dumpster! 27 1/2" x 16 1/2" x 1 1/2" thick...yours is quite a bit bigger Mud- really good deal! Awesome deal eglideride. I like it, your sides are polished too...mine aren't, but doesn't matter to me...I set mine up today and can't believe how much quieter it is to work on rather than banging on a wooden table that resonates. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mud Report post Posted February 27, 2015 If you dont mind a bit of dumpter diving, drive by a granite counter top business and check out their throwaways(sp?). I usually go in and offer to buy pieces in most cases, for $10 - $20 you can take as much as you like....and for a few bucks more, they will cut off the bad parts. I then usualy return and give the owner\manager a wallet\money clip etc as a thankyou. I would have done some dumpster diving but it never occurred to me...lol. I am going to do a set of coasters for him with his company logo on it as a thanks for such a great deal. So cool. What a great deal!! Thank you hobbihorse. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mud Report post Posted February 28, 2015 (edited) First project on the new slab. Mustang seat pan for my bike. I am so happy how this is turning out. Edited February 28, 2015 by mud Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ole South Report post Posted March 1, 2015 After wrestling marble slabs around various times I wanted something easier to move but still gave me a true and non-bounce surface. So I picked up a couple 12" x12" x3/8" marble floor tiles on clearance (I could have gotten larger but don't need it). I laminated two bases from 1/2" hi-density particle board (another damage/clearance find) and thin-set the tile atop it. I left an over hang on opposite sided as a grip and edge protection. They've done well over the last year. Each is about a 1/3 the weight of a full slab and is much, much easier to handle. No more smashed fingers or chips off the edges. I store them under my bench on edge. Total cost.... about $7.00 If I can figure out how to upload a pic I'll post it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mud Report post Posted March 1, 2015 After wrestling marble slabs around various times I wanted something easier to move but still gave me a true and non-bounce surface. So I picked up a couple 12" x12" x3/8" marble floor tiles on clearance (I could have gotten larger but don't need it). I laminated two bases from 1/2" hi-density particle board (another damage/clearance find) and thin-set the tile atop it. I left an over hang on opposite sided as a grip and edge protection. They've done well over the last year. Each is about a 1/3 the weight of a full slab and is much, much easier to handle. No more smashed fingers or chips off the edges. I store them under my bench on edge. Total cost.... about $7.00 If I can figure out how to upload a pic I'll post it. Very nice...I'd like to see it Ole South. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ole South Report post Posted March 1, 2015 Hmmm.... let's see if this adds a pic. Black slab Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mud Report post Posted March 1, 2015 Hmmm.... let's see if this adds a pic. Black slab I like it. Do you get any reverberation from it? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
taintedelephant Report post Posted March 1, 2015 I would also like to know how the particle board tile does, I used jb weld to put a marble tile back to back with a granite tile and then put craft foam on the marble side, it is better than nothing, but I cant help but wonder if I could do better somehow. There is a stone shop between Harbor Freight, and Tandy I'm going to check on some scrap next time I'm over there. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ole South Report post Posted March 2, 2015 Nope, no give, no bounce. I tool and skive on it and use it with wet/dry sandpaper for wide blade sharpening. Works good and the price is right. Weighs a fraction of what a 1.5-2" slab would. Initially I planned on putting a Hi-den particle board under a slab but ran across a clearance sale of marble and granite at Home Depot first. I figured I'd try it and if it didn't work out, no harm done. Use thin-set next time T-phant, it's cheap and fun to play with. If you don't have a tile trowel just cut some 1/4" v's in a piece of scrap plastic. The furrows are important. Gave the white one to a friend of mine. Haven't gotten a complaint yet! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AztecLeatherWorks Report post Posted March 2, 2015 Nice looking pieces. One caution: Don't use pieces that are too thin. I made that mistake and busted the piece. The first one I used was just under an inch. I now use one that is 2 inches thick. That thing will never fail! Happy stamping! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ole South Report post Posted March 2, 2015 You've got a point Aztec but I don't use my slab as an anvil. I have a piece of 3/8" steel, an arbor press and an ASO* for that. I use it as a leather "machined true surface" and only use mallets < 16oz with it. Once chipped, cracked or damaged I cannot resurface a stone regardless of thickness. Bear-in-mind I built it with weight and functionality in mind. Understanding the scope as well as the limitation of your tool is the beginning of craftsmanship. For anyone building one of these don't try and use too thin a base or too flexible a material for the base as it might flex, Always use it on a flat surface. I believe I sealed and lightly sanded the particle board base before applying the thin-set since it is water based. Trowel the binder (thin-set or epoxy) using a spreader with equally spaced "teeth" so as to get an even thickness of binder as well as leaving space for it to flow. This isn't any different than laying ceramic tile. You just don't have any grout lines to fill. *ASO - Anvil Shaped Object Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
