Hard Surface for tooling

[Chris623]

I had 1 1/4" Granite put in my kitchen for countertops.  They cut a piece about 19"x34" out to install our glass-topped stovetop.  My primary purpose for getting into leatherwork is to make sheaths for the knives I forge..............................so I don't need a piece of Granite on my table that large.  I can cut this down to most any size I want, so what is considered a good size to have for working on leather projects that small?

[fredk]

12 x 12 inch or 14 x 10 inch

[Chris623]

Okay, should I do anything to the edges.................like rounding them similar to my counter-top?

[mike02130]

you may want to ease the edges a bit.  

[Chris623]

"ease a bit" or radius like my counter tops?

[fredk]

@Chris623

Just round them a wee bit, not much, and smooth the top corner edges and the corners

1.  just a bit off the edges will help prevent the leather getting marked by any roughness there if the leather is drawn across the edge

2. if you round it as much as a counter top edge there is chance, however slim, that you may accidentally do some work close to the edge and the piece may slip round the curve and ruin what you are doing (don't ask how I know this can happen,        )

[mike02130]

11 hours ago, Chris623 said:

"ease a bit" or radius like my counter tops?

Yes, ease a bit.  Try sandpaper on a block or a sharpening stone.  Just enough to take the sharp edge off.  

[Chris623]

Thanks, fredk.

mike02130, I'm just going to take it to the people I purchased the countertops from and have them cut the slab.  While I can certainly cut it, they have the equipment and can put nice clean (polished) edges on it.

[Chris623]

Well, a little followup.

Took my "slab" back to the folks who installed my countertops and left this beautiful piece of Granite for a "future project".  They wanted a minimum of $100 to cut out a piece for me to use as a stamping surface.  Of course, that included putting a radius on the edges and polishing them like my countertops.  Didn't ask what it would cost to just cut out the block.............but I've decided I'm going to buy a blade for my Skil-saw and do it myself.  Anyone on the forum done that?  If so, what blade did you buy?  There are a lot of them out there and I don't know where to start in making a choice.

[Chris623]

Nope.............that's not me getting electrocuted !  It's my wife "thinking" I'm going to be electrocuted !

Cut my 12" x 24" piece of granite today............with water.  Came out a whole lot smoother than the installers did with my cooktop opening.  No chips to speak of.  Took a piece of 180 wet/dry carbide sandpaper and gently eased the edges and corners and I've got myself a great work surface to stamp leather for my knife sheaths.  It may be a little large, but who knows, I may have to make a pair of tooled chaps someday.

[DJole]

No pictures of this big ol' slab of rock? 

[Chris623]

Sorry 'bout dat!  I figured pictures of a granite slab would be pretty "old hat" to a bunch of leather workers.  But here goes.

Edited September 26, 2020 by Chris623

[Frodo]

4'' thick tombstone

you can see upper left corner of the picture,  it used to have a heart,  someone broke the heart, stolen  most likely.

if you stop by your local monument maker, and look around the dumpster,  you might fined a chunk like I found.

I asked them if I could have the broken piece of Granite out by the dumpster and she said yes. 17x14x4 inches

 

 

 

[Chris623]

WOW!   That's nice.