Granite Slab

[Fredo]

I've decided to try to take two slabs of granite 3/4 thick and laminate them together. I'm thinking that "IF" i can get a good tight seal I should be able to use it as a tooling table-top without craking it. I'll build a strudy

suport table to make sure noting flexes. I'm going to frame the perimeter in so they can't slide on each other. 3/4 granite can always be found cheap on craigslist. For instance I'm heading out to pick up a piece that 42x 36 for $25. I'm going to cut that in half and glue the two halves together.

What type of adhesive would you use? I'm thinking I'll go with a construction adhesive like liquid nails.

Your input is appreciated

[katsass]

I've decided to try to take two slabs of granite 3/4 thick and laminate them together. I'm thinking that "IF" i can get a good tight seal I should be able to use it as a tooling table-top without craking it. I'll build a strudy

suport table to make sure noting flexes. I'm going to frame the perimeter in so they can't slide on each other. 3/4 granite can always be found cheap on craigslist. For instance I'm heading out to pick up a piece that 42x 36 for $25. I'm going to cut that in half and glue the two halves together.

What type of adhesive would you use? I'm thinking I'll go with a construction adhesive like liquid nails.

Your input is appreciated

FWIW: I would use a good epoxy type of adhesive. Mike

Edited October 15, 2010 by katsass

[Fredo]

FWIW: I would use a good epoxy type of adhesive. Mike

Mike, I thought about that but feel once epoxy sets it becomes brittle. Wouldnt that allow for easier cracking?

[Ferg]

FWIW: I would use a good epoxy type of adhesive. Mike

If you bond two thicknesses together and do not get your adhesive to "connect" on both pieces of stone completely, you will get the same effect as though you used one piece of 3/4".

ferg

[MADMAX22]

I would look into maybe the mortor they use for laying tiles and such. Or if anything the glue you use for tiles that are glued to walls and such. I think if the granite is layed rough to rough this may work.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Keep it simple, use contact cement. CC has some flexibility even when dry, and it can easily be spread thin , and evenly. I would think with a grout type material that it might eventually start crumbling out of the seam.

[Fredo]

Contact Cement, BRILIANT!!

[BearMan]

Hi Fredo,

There are several products designed to do just what you are needing. If used correctly, the stone will break before the adhesive will seperate. These adhesives remain slightly flexable, unlike some epoxies, which get very brittle. Here are a couple types to look for,,, they should have them at Lowes, or Home Depot. http://www.itwtacc.com/products/index.cfm?product=Mason Bond&subapp=Masonry%20Adhesives http://www.brickstopcorporation.com/brick_html/brickstik.htm

Hope this helps,,, Ed the"BearMan"

[BearMan]

Hmmm,, that first link didn't work,,, lets try it again..http://www.itwtacc.com/products/index.cfm?product=Mason Bond&subapp=Masonry%20Adhesives

It's called Mason Bond from http://www.itwtacc.com

[Ferg]

Keep it simple, use contact cement. CC has some flexibility even when dry, and it can easily be spread thin , and evenly. I would think with a grout type material that it might eventually start crumbling out of the seam.

You guys are dreaming if you think contact cement will hold the stone together on the rough side. It needs a smooth surface to make the bond.

I say this since I have bonded thousands of feet of laminate and wood plus many other substrates. I used to build Commercial Cabinetry.

ferg

[billymac814]

I glued a tile to a paver with a liquid nail type adhesive and it held just fine. After monkeying with that and a few other "cheaper" methods I finally just broke down and ordered a 12X18X3" granite slab from Enco.com. Reg price was 80.00 plus around 40 to ship it. They are on sale all the time for 24.99 and if you do a very quick internet search you can find a coupon code for free shipping with a 25.00 order. I ordered that and a file for less than a buck(to bring the total beyond the 25). It's a great slab it's heavy and would be the equivalent to 4 of the 3/4" tiles glued together. I'd imagine you'd spend close to that after buying the tiles and whatever glue you get and the time cutting and glueing it. I'm pretty sure it has to cost them money to sell you it. They ship VERY quick too.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

We never had a problem contact cementing items in my machine shop. We use it for gluing down plastic wear strips to stainless conveyors. In most cases we had to roughen up the surface some for maximum bond. The UHMW strips had a coarse fiberglass weave molded onto the back side. The freebie granite slabs I have here are actually pretty smooth on the back side. For Fredo's purpose it should work just fine. The item will be stationary, the forces are vertical, and if he frames it there is no way it will come apart. The only thing that the contact cement has to do is keep the 2 pieces aligned. I don't see any problem for this application, then again I may be dreaming

As for cost, there are pros and cons to what he wants to do. Machinist's surface plates can be purchased inexpensively, granite slabs can be cheap to free in most areas. If he has to have it cut by someone else that can run the cost past the cost of a plate. On the other hand if he has a saw , or a buddy that can cut it, he can make a slab like he wants. I say use what you got,and try it out. What do you have to lose?

[MikeCahill]

I glued a tile to a paver with a liquid nail type adhesive and it held just fine. After monkeying with that and a few other "cheaper" methods I finally just broke down and ordered a 12X18X3" granite slab from Enco.com. Reg price was 80.00 plus around 40 to ship it. They are on sale all the time for 24.99 and if you do a very quick internet search you can find a coupon code for free shipping with a 25.00 order. I ordered that and a file for less than a buck(to bring the total beyond the 25). It's a great slab it's heavy and would be the equivalent to 4 of the 3/4" tiles glued together. I'd imagine you'd spend close to that after buying the tiles and whatever glue you get and the time cutting and glueing it. I'm pretty sure it has to cost them money to sell you it. They ship VERY quick too.

don't you have monumental masons in the states? over here most large graveyards have a mason near by who makes the gravestones. They must have off cuts, or mistakes that they may sell cheap, it's better than paying for shipping

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Yep, monument shops are a good source. On another slab related thread a few folks mentioned getting complete headstones for free. Some of these were cases where the military headstone was not used in favor of a more standard one.

[billymac814]

don't you have monumental masons in the states? over here most large graveyards have a mason near by who makes the gravestones. They must have off cuts, or mistakes that they may sell cheap, it's better than paying for shipping

Getting a tombstone was my next "cheap" method after glueing the tile to the paver, It was ok but the piece they gave me was a hair on the small side, the edges were very rough, (like a lot of tombstones are) and it was so thick that unless I inlaid it into my bench it made it too high, and since it wasn't big enough anyway I wasn't modifying my bench for it. The machinist slab has been much better for me, it's 3" thick which makes it extremely heavy yet not so thick it affects me working on it and it only cost 25.00 with FREE shipping. It's hard to beat that deal for a perfectly squared off 3" thick piece of granite. I'm pretty sure it cost them money to sell it. Even if they got it for free they paid more than 25.00 to ship it, and I'm sure they didn't get it free.

If you get the right piece for you at a monument place and build it into your bench it would be fine though. I didn't feel like going back and being more specific when they give me something for free, I'd rather pay and get what I want.

[Fredo]

Thanks for everyones input on this.

On cost versus DIY. I know that if I take into account the cost +. my time and effort I would be way ahead by just forking over the cash and getting one. I also know that I can go find a monument shop, or custom kitchen shop and dig through the scraps and make that piece or pieces work.

However I suffer from an illness that will not allow me to pass up and oppertunity to learn how to make something myself. Thats why I own a Tig Welder. I could have bought a rigid frame for my bike but decided to by a welder and make the modifications to the stock harley frame myself. Now I know how to tig weld and I won a pretty nice welder. Also I could have bought a nice seat for same bike, but decided to try my hand at making my own one off seat. I needed a holster for my latest gun. I can buy one or learn to make one.... I think you see where I'm going with this.

The original intent of my post is to ask for input on the best way to laminate the two halves of granite. After all of the responses I agree with Biggun, Contact ceament will be thin enough, and remain flexible enough to give me a pretty good chance at success. I think the most important part of the project will be in making the support system. If I can get that rigid enough to suport the granite with minimal movement then I'm thinking I'll be patting myself on the back shortly.

[electrathon]

.

However I suffer from an illness that will not allow me to pass up and oppertunity to learn how to make something myself.

I have the same thing wrong with me! I will often spend more time and money doing something myself than if I paid someone else. I just can't bring myself to have someone else do something that I know I can do.

To bond the slabs togeather use structural epoxy. They sell it at most home stores. It will hold a foundation bolt into a cement slab. The trick is to make sure there are no gaps when you push it togeather. Spread the epoxy and the weight the upper spab with as much weight as you have. You want it pushed down so all the voide are purged out. If you use a flexable glue you really will not have a thick slab because the flexing of the glue will absorb the energy instead of stopping the forward movement of the energy.

Aaron

[LNLeather]

I was looking for a bigger piece of granite for my tooling table too... when some friends decided to remodel their bathroom. And you know what I have now… it is one inch thick and 3 1/2 feet long by 2 1/2 feet wide, with a 4 inch back splash piece – and the Polished Black Granite is all mounted on a solid 1 1/2 inch wood frame… and it was FREE and it fits real nice up on my table and it is beautiful, a real pleasure to work on!

It has only one small hole in it off to the side – where the sink bowl was mounted up on top on the counter - that my Makers Stamp fits in perfect. That way nothing falls in... Mounted on solid wood like that – I don't think I'm going to worry about it cracking.

So, I thought I'd mention my lucky find, thinking that another source for granite or marble would be talking to your local contractors that do remodeling.

Cheers and Have fun with your project!