BigBuckLeather Report post Posted June 25, 2013 hello fellow leatherworkers, I'd like to show off my find from this past weekend. I stopped by a shop that does kitchen counter tops, bathroom, and flooring remodeling; just to see what they had. the owner gave me a tour of the display room and the shop. In the shop I saw that they were cutting the pieces to size. I asked what happens to the piece that doesn't get used, and he said that they get scraped and sometimes they are sold for smaller items. well, this piece that I got measures 18 inches x 36 inches, and its 1.25 inches thick. I got it for $80 tax included! So, if you have the time and desire to get a piece of granite slab for your tooling, do some research in your city for shops like the one I described (by the way, it was a father and son shop). Not a big chain or anything of the like. Happy leathering. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
electrathon Report post Posted June 25, 2013 Wow, for that price I hope he rounded and polished the edges. He was honest when he said the scrap it. They pay to get rid of it, and have a lot of it. If he cut it to size it is a little different. I can buy a prefinished counter top 8' long polished on the front and one end for just over $100. Labor is the main cost on granite counter tops. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cardinal leather Report post Posted June 25, 2013 Very nice. I contacted a local dealer. She asked what I was using it for. When I explained. She wanted to trade me for a new holster for for her hand gun. I may be able to trade with her for more in the future when I complete my new shop. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
5avan10 Report post Posted June 25, 2013 I put a post up on Cragslist looking for remnants and got 8 pieces of it (enough to give lessons, each one between 14" to 22" dimensions) for $5.00, each a different color. Seriously do not buy granite slabs retail! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shtoink Report post Posted June 25, 2013 Local is the key word here! There's a very good reason that shipping is not cheap on these things... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tree Reaper Report post Posted June 25, 2013 The going rate is about $20/sq/ft. That's about 4.5 square feet. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
electrathon Report post Posted June 25, 2013 The going rate is about $20/sq/ft. That's about 4.5 square feet. That may be true, but remnants are a lot differant than retail price. This remnants are the scraps that are too short to use for counter tops. The shops buy a slab and have little control over the size of it. They charge the customer for the slab, the remnant is just sitting there. Then when comeone comes in and wants a bathroom sink slab they have it to use. If it is too short for that, they take them to the landfill and pay by the ton to dispose if them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dwight Report post Posted June 25, 2013 This is one of those "sore spots" for me. Couple of years ago, . . . went yard saleing with a buddy, . . . stopped at one where the guy was moving across country after just finishing their new house and selling it (one of those job transfer deals). There were two beautiful mahogany colored 30 inch by 4 feet pieces of "scrap" there on the side. I saw it, . . . recognized it, . . . put it in the back of my mind to grab on the way out, . . . just flat out forgot, . . . they were mine just for loading them up and hauling them away. Yeah, . . . UGH ! May God bless, Dwight Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BigBuckLeather Report post Posted June 27, 2013 Wow, for that price I hope he rounded and polished the edges. He was honest when he said the scrap it. They pay to get rid of it, and have a lot of it. If he cut it to size it is a little different. I can buy a prefinished counter top 8' long polished on the front and one end for just over $100. Labor is the main cost on granite counter tops. the shop owner was very helpful. he cut it to size 18x36 and polished the edges. i think i got a steal, he made some money on something that was of no use for him. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
electrathon Report post Posted June 27, 2013 the shop owner was very helpful. he cut it to size 18x36 and polished the edges. i think i got a steal, he made some money on something that was of no use for him. The cut and polish changes everything. Cut to size and polished changes it from scrap to a table top. You were treated fairly. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Antwene Report post Posted June 27, 2013 Damn, I realize now that buying the granite slab offer by Tandy was not a good idea but eah, it was a year ago and I was beginning in the hobby ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cyberthrasher Report post Posted June 27, 2013 The cut and polish changes everything. Cut to size and polished changes it from scrap to a table top. You were treated fairly. Yeah, I wish mine was polished and rounded edges. The guy at our shop took me to a pallet and said "like these?". I said "sure" and grabbed the top one and went on my way. They actually pay to have them hauled away. But, it's all rough edges. I just taped some folded up paper towels over the edge to give a nice surface in case I accidentally drag my leather that direction.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
electrathon Report post Posted June 27, 2013 Yeah, I wish mine was polished and rounded edges. The guy at our shop took me to a pallet and said "like these?". I said "sure" and grabbed the top one and went on my way. They actually pay to have them hauled away. But, it's all rough edges. I just taped some folded up paper towels over the edge to give a nice surface in case I accidentally drag my leather that direction.. Put a stone on your angle grinder and you can soften/roll the edges pretty easy. Keep moving side to side, do not stay in one spot. Pretty easy to do the basic shaping of the edge profile. If you want it polished you will need some diamond pads. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cyberthrasher Report post Posted June 27, 2013 Yeah, I figure if I'm going to go through the work to round it I'll want it polished too. Maybe if I had an angle grinder to start with, but I don't feel like buying one just for that. Once I have a project I need one for though. For now I know it's not going to scratch up my work. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DPD POPO Report post Posted June 28, 2013 I got my 20" X20" slab when my wife bought new countertops, asked for the remnant and they cut rounded and polished it. I still paid for it but to me it was free! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silverwingit Report post Posted June 28, 2013 FWIW you can get a 9"x12"x3" granite surface plate for $40 delivered from http://www.grizzly.com/search/search?q=granite%20surface%20plate&cachebuster=417378007726428.3 Larger ones are available. Surface plates are used by machinists as a reference flat surface for their near absolute flatness. I have two, one on my leather workbench and the other for my wood shop in the garage. Their thickness (and hence mass), their (relative) portability and their guaranteed flatness all work for me. Tooling occupies only part of my time. I have smallish leather workbench and like to be able to move my pounding surface out of the way. I found some cabinet liner material that is slippery on one side and kind of tacky on the other. I cut a 9"x12" piece and put it upside down on the underside of the surface plate. This allows me to easily "slide" my 40lb. slab of granite into and out of my immediate work area as needed. When the block is stowed toward the back of the bench it is still within easy reach to set a snap or cut a belt end with a quick blow or two from my maul. I also use the surface plate's guaranteed flatness when I lap my splitter/skiver blade to a high polish using 3M's abrasive polishing papers. In terms of bang for the buck, my granite surface plate is one of the most cost-effective and useful tools I have. The only thing is that it bothers me from an ecological point of view. I can't reconcile in my mind how a precision block of solid granite can be cut and highly polished in China, shipped to Grizzly stateside, and then finally delivered to my home workshop for $40. I don't even want to think about the carbon footprint involved... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jessebeckham Report post Posted June 29, 2013 ha, I just have an old headstone that the engraver messed up. Its nice because it is slightly angled so my neck isn't entirely shot after a lot of tooling. Also use a chunk about 24x12 and 4-5" think. Luckily I don't have to mover it very often. Free from the headstone guy and big one was given to me by an older leather worker not using it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DanaJost Report post Posted July 3, 2013 My dad and I got ours from a Monument cutting place near us. The tombstones that have stuff cut into the front starts with a square slab and when they start cutting out for the design they usually have to leave a lip around the edge for errosion. It is already rounded and smooth edged where they hollow it out. They also have a hole drilled in the corner where they start which makes it easier to pick up and move around. We each got a huge piece of black granite. Free. Consider this as an option. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aguilerag Report post Posted July 4, 2013 Their is a shop out here that lets me pick through the scrap bin and take what I want for free. I've made 4 stops and have taken about 5-6 each time. Rough edges and some over cuts but I put layers of tape to protect my work and they are perfect. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sdgengineer Report post Posted July 25, 2013 I need to check out a local countertop provider, maybe get a 2 x 2 piece Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Masja Report post Posted July 26, 2013 I got me a basalt gardentile. 1-1/4" thick (the gardenspecialist recommended basalt) 1 from 30 x 60 cm (12" x 24") let it cut into 1pc. of 12" x 16" and 1 pc. 12" x 8" Nice clean cut, the tile was allready polished, no rounded edges, but the cut is clean, so it's not sharp. I don't want a big slab, I want some handy slabs, 1 on my bench, I can push on the side and 1 to go (so I can work in my garden or anywhere I want to) I put some furniturefeltpads under (the big ones 6" x 8" cost me about $3 to do both whole slabs. And the slabs costed me incl. shipping (is expensive here in the Netherlands) $50 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
r lenna Report post Posted July 28, 2013 You know I hate to rain on your parade but I have a 6 inch thick, 3 X 4 feet wide block of limestone for free. It is not polished, but its very smooth. It's not the most durable stuff around, but it beats nothing. It's very nice, it looks great. Rob Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
electrathon Report post Posted July 28, 2013 I got me a basalt gardentile. 1-1/4" thick (the gardenspecialist recommended basalt) 1 from 30 x 60 cm (12" x 24") let it cut into 1pc. of 12" x 16" and 1 pc. 12" x 8" Nice clean cut, the tile was allready polished, no rounded edges, but the cut is clean, so it's not sharp. I don't want a big slab, I want some handy slabs, 1 on my bench, I can push on the side and 1 to go (so I can work in my garden or anywhere I want to) I put some furniturefeltpads under (the big ones 6" x 8" cost me about $3 to do both whole slabs. And the slabs costed me incl. shipping (is expensive here in the Netherlands) $50 You will have to be pretty careful because basalt is usually pretty soft. It is better than nothing though if granite was not available. In general, the denser the stone the better it is. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Masja Report post Posted July 28, 2013 You will have to be pretty careful because basalt is usually pretty soft. It is better than nothing though if granite was not available. In general, the denser the stone the better it is. The tile-man recommended Basalt for my work because it is the hardest stone, better than granite, (granite was available), And I have to say: it works very wel. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
