I have a square piece of granite from a counter top which i would like to reuse and have made into a table top. The table would be round. How hard would it be to cut the granite in a circle? I know anything is possible but i was wondering if there are standard tools available to do it. If it was wood you would use a router or band saw.

thanks
Fred Emmerich

__________________
MB-less

I used to work in a granite quarry where we cut granite with a giant bandsaw of sorts. It was a wire saw and a cutting slurry was injected along the wire. We didn't cut anything other than straight lines so I don't know how to cut a circle.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

You are trying to put the proverbial square peg in the round hole! I think you would be better off having your local granite counter contractor cut it for you as the tools to accomplish the task are way too expensive for onetime use.

__________________
1984 300TD 1981 240D

Most tools to cut granite, other than a water jet, are diamond tipped. There might be a local shop willing to cut it for you. I've got one right up the street from me. They cut a scrap a friend had and the charge was low enough to not bother doing it himself.

Try these guys in Southlake, take the whites chapel exit and circle back under the overpass.
http://www.centurygranitemarble.com/

A pro can cut it in short order. I have had half circles cut before and the cost was not too bad.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Waterjet will be the most precise. The cut edge will be rough as the jet chatters or pulses as it cuts. You'll probably want to profile and polish the edges afterwards. Even if wood framed you'll have to grind the edge smoother more than likely. A shop that is sophisticated enough to have a waterjet will probably have other CNC equip that will do a beautiful job on profiling the edges too.

When I have to budget a commercial reception desk or vanity top quickly i'll usually figure $25lf for waterjet cutting, and $12.50lf each for straight cuts, profiling, and polished edges. Something small like you are doing is going to cost more as the programming time is the same to 1 as it is to do 100.

__________________
Terry Allison
N. Calif. & Boca Chica, Panama

09' E320 Bluetec 77k (USA)
09' Hyundai Santa Fe Diesel 48k (S.A.)

I'd quote at least $200 to cut your scrap into a circle & put a flat polished edge on it.
If you find a local shop to do it for this price or less, go for it.

Many production shops are not interested is slowing down production on such a job.

I can't recall where this memory came from but I remember reading about using steel shot under a piece of slowly spinning pipe to cut almost anything.

__________________
1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

You could lay out the lines carefully, use a cheap harbour freight grinder and a 4.5 " cut off wheel (masonry) to scoure the lines and then switch to a electric sawsall and a masonry blade.