Looking For Marble Or Granite

[Thumper]

Good Morning,

I'm looking for a more affordable way to get 2 of the 1-1/2" thick slabs of marble or granite for doing my tooling. Right now, all I have is a large piece of corian and it's loud when tooling. My daughter has taken off on leather work now and I need to get her one as well, so now I'm trying to find an affordable way to get 2 piece of stone to tool leather on top of. Tandy get $40 per sq ft for the slabs and I know that St. Louis Leather gets like $20 each for marble slab...but shipping would bring it up to what Tandy is charging.

My daughter and I are getting started in this and trying to keep our costs low...so I'm trying to be frugal with what we have and trying to find resources where we can for the items we need.

Is there an alternative to the 1-1/2" slabs? What do you use if you don't use a slab to tool/carve on?

This fall, we hope to have a dedicated part of my shop for just doing leather work and upholstery. So a work area will be great, but I just gotta get the money together to buy materials to finish the room in my shop for the leather/upholstery part of the shop.

I guess I've rambled on long enough. If you can help with advice or pointers, I'd greatly appreciate it.

[JJLeatherworks]

Go to your local tombstone maker. You usually can get small pieces free, or one about the size of a pet marker for around 20-30 bucks.

[russell]

you can also look at someone that does marb le counter tops too

Good Morning,

I'm looking for a more affordable way to get 2 of the 1-1/2" thick slabs of marble or granite for doing my tooling. Right now, all I have is a large piece of corian and it's loud when tooling. My daughter has taken off on leather work now and I need to get her one as well, so now I'm trying to find an affordable way to get 2 piece of stone to tool leather on top of. Tandy get $40 per sq ft for the slabs and I know that St. Louis Leather gets like $20 each for marble slab...but shipping would bring it up to what Tandy is charging.

My daughter and I are getting started in this and trying to keep our costs low...so I'm trying to be frugal with what we have and trying to find resources where we can for the items we need.

Is there an alternative to the 1-1/2" slabs? What do you use if you don't use a slab to tool/carve on?

This fall, we hope to have a dedicated part of my shop for just doing leather work and upholstery. So a work area will be great, but I just gotta get the money together to buy materials to finish the room in my shop for the leather/upholstery part of the shop.

I guess I've rambled on long enough. If you can help with advice or pointers, I'd greatly appreciate it.

[Ferg]

you can also look at someone that does marb le counter tops too

You can get large marble tiles at Home Depot or Lowe's. I assure you, if you have a nice flat table/bench with a piece of cloth under the tile you will not be disappointed.

The price is right. LOL

ferg

[azrider]

I asked the countertop salesperson at home depot what they do with the old samples of granite once they aren't avalible anymore. She said they just throw them out, so I explained what I wanted to do with them. They hadn't carried any to the dumpster for a while, so she gave me 8 of the samples. They are around 9x18, but work pretty well for tooling. I use a rubber mat under them to keep the noise down in the house.

[dirtclod]

Thumper i got mine from Enco http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=640-0120&PMPXNO=949402&PARTPG=INLMK3 . When i got mine they had free shipping and may still have it, i didn't check. But the price is right.

[shotgunwilllie]

I got two from the local cemetary that are used under the bronze memorial plaquards . Both have minir chips in the corners and are 4 inches by 24 inches t at $5.00 a piece ya cant beat it ! and use rubber stall matting underneth for sound deadening works great for me!

Good Luck

Bill

[JJLeatherworks]

I got two from the local cemetary that are used under the bronze memorial plaquards . Both have minir chips in the corners and are 4 inches by 24 inches t at $5.00 a piece ya cant beat it ! and use rubber stall matting underneth for sound deadening works great for me!

Good Luck

Bill

Did ya wait till after dark to get em??

In reality I worked in Colma CA, home of all the dead in San Francisco. Any hoo I could have taken any of the used markers I wanted there. For If your dead and you've been dug up for what ever reason the marker

is tossed aside.

[bruce johnson]

I have done most of my lighter stuff lately on a piece of granite countertop that is 1-1/4". It is large and alright for small things, but noisy and not as good for bigger stamps. It was free. I have a broken headstone and small granite surface plate that are 3". I like them better, but the height is not as handy on top of bench. I am building a bench with an inlaid stone and need the edges square to inlay it. I am going with a 3" granite surface plate. The best deal I found with price and shipping combined in the sizes I am looking at is from Grizzly.

[bdt46]

I've had a large machinists granite block for several years, it came from Grizzley Tools in Springfield, Missouri. The price was the most reasonable of any place that I tried to find a stone at. They have several sizes available.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Watch your local Craigslist free section, or materials for sale. I see a lot of granite countertops, sink cutouts etc. I was just given some the other week, and a coworker offered me another one. If it isn't thick enough, just laminate a couple together.

My big surface plate is 36"x60"X10" thick, and NOBODY is pounding anything on that!

[Thumper]

Maaaannnnnnn!!! You folks are GREAT.!!!!!!

I'm searching around now. I am a woodworker with a fully outfitted shop (www.beautifulwood.net) but I never thought about Grizzly and granite. I'll check them out.

[Double U Leather]

As was already mentioned, I got my slab at the local cemetary. It's about 4 x 24 and I inlaid into my workbench. It was actually an old military marker so it was pretty square. I told 'em what I was doing, and they said if you can lift it into your truck, it's yours!!

[BAD HIDE]

I actually scrounged a piece of smooth faced 2" thick concrete out of an alley. Worked great till I started hitting it really hard with bigger stamps one day and it cracked into 4 pieces. Still works since each piece is about 8" or so across, but I need something else for larger work.

Edited August 13, 2010 by BAD HIDE

[TroyS]

I went to a local marble/granite countertop company and bought a "LARGE SINK CUTOUT". It's 17" x 20" x 1 1/4" thick and works fine! It's small enough to be portable if necessary but large enough for bigger projects. The BEST part is that it only cost $10!!!

[Johnny B]

Dang if you lived close by I would give you a piece for free. I do marble and granite work on occasion and have several large pieces out back. My entire leather work table top is marble. It is about 2' X 4' X 1.5".

[coiledup]

I founds a local marble shop and asked if they had any small broken scraps and if they would sell them to me. The guy took me out to where the dumpster is and said have at. He said I could dumpster dive any time I want.

[marblesturk]

we are happy to know that you are dealing in stones.

We have five big factories in Turkey.

We are basic manufacturers and suppliers of all marble,

granite,onyx,travertine and limestones tiles and blocks

with high quality and very cheap prices.

We can give you delivery till your warehouse.

Best Regards

Bahadir Eryigit

http://www.marblesturk.com

info@marblesturk.com

Tel : +90 532 672 77 99

: + 90 242 247 81 56

[Cattle Hide]

My Experience:

I managed to get two nice 1-1/4" thick pieces for free from a counter top fabricator. He was the second place I asked. Got them from the dumpster. Be sure to ask for scrap.

Production Tool Supply has the 12"x18"x3" granite surface plates at about $43 if one is near you, no shipping. Grizzly is less expensive, but shipping is high due to weight over 70 Lbs.

[woodandsteel]

I bought a nice piece for $10 from a construction surplus store. Plus they had jars of local honey.

[lachopperboy]

hi everyone

i am fairly new to the forum and i am just getting into leather carving / tooling.

i just wanted to know which is more desirable marble or granite for our work? and why? whichever your answer might be

please let me know i will look forward to hearing your opinions

[Glendon]

Marble is more traditional in leaherwork I think. Don't quote me on that, but its the feel I've gotten. But granite is the better material. Granite is harder, so will not chip near as easily if you clip a corner or something. It's also more likely to dull your blades then get scratched. Marble can be etched by mistake. Granite is also nearly impervious to spills. Marble can be stained by dyes. Granite won't in most cases.

Basically, marble is a softer more porous store. Given the choice, I'd go with granite.

Edited April 26, 2012 by Glendon

[lachopperboy]

thanks for your help Glendon i decided to go with granite and got a 3" thick one and so far i am loving it.

[Madadh]

I went to Lowe's and bought two 12x12x1 cement patio blocks for $1.50 each and then went to Home Depot and bought a single 12x12x.5 marble flooring tile for $5. A little construction grade glue ($5) and my tooling block is solid and reasonably quiet. I owe this design to someone here on another thread.

Edited May 17, 2012 by Madadh

[JugHead]

I know this is an old post but I think it needs to be revived for the new leather crafters like myself lol. I just purchased a 9"x12"x3" granite slab from grizzly.com for only $35.95 and shipping is only &9.99 anywhere in the USA I believe. I know someone mentioned it earlier but I can't see it because I'm on mobile.