what is the best way to cut marble

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Marble is a type of natural stone ofttimes used for countertops and tiling. To cut a slab of marble, you demand a moisture saw with a diamond bract and proper prophylactic equipment. Marker the marble with a pencil where you want to make the cut and move the slab slowly into the auto. To prevent chipping or breaking the slab, make a small slice on the behind, and then cease making the cut on the front end of the marble. With the right tools and preparations, you tin can easily cut marble at home rather than hiring a professional.

1. i

   Hire or buy a wet saw with a diamond blade. ^[1] A wet saw is the best option for cutting stone slabs, and the diamond blade ensures a smooth, clean cut. If you only need to cut marble for a few jobs, renting may be more cost-effective than buying a saw. If you are planning multiple dwelling improvement jobs, buying your own saw may exist more economic and user-friendly.^[two]

   • Brand sure you lot get the right kind of wet saw. If you're cutting pieces of marble that are more than 15 inches (38 cm) in diameter, a tabletop wet saw (the kind most commonly available for rent) will not be effective. Ask an employee at the store to recommend the all-time saw for the task you desire to exercise.
   • If you're cutting a thin slab (like the kind you'd employ for a shower wall or counter top), you lot tin can apply a round saw with a diamond blade.
   • A new wet saw ordinarily costs about $100-300 (£77.25-231.76).
   • Renting wet saws cost virtually $35 (£27.04) a day or $100 (£77.25) a week.
   • The blade of the saw has diamond crystals, which assistance cut dense and strong items.

2. 2

   Read the instruction manual before you operate the saw. If y'all do not know how to safely use the saw, yous may injure yourself when cutting the marble. Review the prepare-up instructions and prophylactic warnings on your particular model, every bit they are all slightly different.^[3]

   • This way, you lot know the ins and outs of your model and can easily and safely cut the marble slab.

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3. three

   Connect the saw to a water supply. ^[iv] When using a wet saw, the blade must remain consistently wet in order to keep it cool. If the bract gets besides hot, information technology can cut the marble incorrectly or inconsistently. Yous may accept to fill upwards the separate h2o tank or connect the saw to a hose, depending on your particular model.^[five]

   • Read over your instructions to find exact instructions on how to connect the water supply to your saw.

4. 4

   Put the marble on a piece of thick, sturdy foam to prevent scratches. Purchase a large piece of foam from a craft supply store. Use this to keep your marble flat and protected as you cut it. When you move the marble across the platform of the saw, the foam gets scratched up, rather than your marble.^[vi]

   • You can brand the cutting job easier past attaching the foam to a piece of ^three⁄_four inch (1.9 cm) plywood. Use clear silicone to adhere the foam to the wood, and look for the silicone to dry earlier cutting. You tin can then lay the board on a saw horse and so yous can cut at a comfortable level.
   • The foam should be the size of your marble or larger.
   • Employ whatever non-abrasive surface if you don't accept foam, such equally cardboard.

5. 5

   Make a marker on the marble to deed equally a guideline. Utilise a pencil to mark the marble exactly where you wish to cut information technology. If y'all'd similar, use a ruler or tape measure out to ensure your line is fatigued straight and accurately. Ensure the mark is easily visible, and so you lot can use it every bit a guideline while cutting it with the saw.^[7]

   • Alternatively, use a piece of tape to mark the marble instead of a pencil. This is a good idea if you desire to easily see the line on a nighttime piece of marble.

6. six

   Pour water on the front portion of the blade to lubricate it. ^[8] Before you plow on the saw, make full a loving cup with h2o and pour it over top of the blade and then it gets completely covered.^[9]

   • You don't accept to use a sure amount of water, as the saw gets wet once you turn it on.

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1. 1

   Put on protective gloves to avoid cutting or slicing your hands. Prophylactic gloves go on your fingers covered, minimizing the risk of cutting them when slicing the marble. Select a pair of gloves fabricated from thick, durable canvas material, for example.^[10]

2. 2

   Cover your ears with safety earmuffs to protect from the racket. Put on a pair of protective earmuffs before yous utilise the saw to avoid any hearing strain or damage. Yous'll detect a loud, piercing noise when the blade pierces through the marble. Since you are continuing very close to the saw, this noise may damage your hearing.^[xi]

   • These earmuffs are also worn when using a jackhammer or lawn mower, for case.

3. 3

   Clothing condom goggles so flyaway pieces do not injure y'all. Pocket-sized fragments of marble may fly up while using the wet saw, and one of the flyaways could wind upward in your eye.^[12]

   • When you put on the goggles, make sure your unabridged heart is protected.

4. 4

   Avoid wearing loose-fitting article of clothing or open-toed shoes. If you vesture baggy shirts or pants, the extra fabric could get defenseless in the saw and cause serious injury. To prevent this, article of clothing clothing that fits well. Additionally, go on your toes covered to prevent cuts from flyaway pieces of marble.^[13]

   • Wear boots or sneakers, for instance.

5. five

   Tie upwards long hair to foreclose any injuries. Similarly to loose vesture, long hair can easily get caught in the bract. Utilize an elastic hair tie or scrunchy to necktie upwards long pilus, or use a headband to secure medium-length hair.^[14]

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1. 1

   Align the piece of marble with the correct side of the blade. The correct side depends on your particular saw. Typically, you lot want to line up the marble with the right side of the blade. If y'all use the incorrect side, you may cut the slab besides curt by error. The bract cuts off nearly ¹⁄₈  in (0.32 cm), so ensure the ¹⁄₈  in (0.32 cm) comes from your scrap side and not the slice yous're using.^[fifteen]

   • To tell which side of the blade is correct, make a practise cutting on a fleck slice of marble.
   • Brand sure to keep the marble clamped down so that it can't move while y'all make the cut. A hand clench with soft pads is a good choice for safely keeping your marble in place.

2. two

   Aim to cut the marble slowly and carefully to avoid cracks or breakage. The faster you movement the marble through the bract, the more likely the slab will scrap, splinter, or intermission. To prevent this, always make your cuts slowly, and let the motorcar do the piece of work for you.^[16]

   • If you lot starting time to encounter smoke as you cutting, ho-hum downwards. Try sawing a small section, and then pulling the saw back a little before you begin the adjacent small section.
   • If you lot desire to test out how cut at different speeds affects the marble, brand a few slices on a practice slab earlier you cut the final piece.

3. 3

   Brand a i–iii in (two.5–7.6 cm) cutting with the dorsum of the marble facing up. Cut the marble with the finished side facing downwards onto your piece of foam. Turn on the saw when y'all are ready to utilise it, feed the marble slowly into the saw until you reach about ane–3 in (2.five–seven.6 cm), and then stop. Making a small cutting on the back of the marble ensures the slab does not scrap or interruption.^[17]

   • If you don't do this, the stop of your tile may break off while y'all stop the slice.

4. iv

   Flip over the marble slab and continue cutting the rest of the style. In one case you've made a small slice to the back, turn the slab over so the finished side faces upwards. Then, start making your cut on the opposite cease of the slab. Proceed cut the rest of the way through the slab to ensure your cut is clean and fifty-fifty.^[18]

   • If you're cutting a very sparse slab of marble, similar the kind you'd utilize to embrace a shower wall, there'due south no need to flip the marble and make 2 cuts. Simply make a single cut straight through with a diamond circular saw blade.

5. 5

   Plough off your machine after y'all make your cut. To forbid any accidents, keep your saw turned off when not in use. Do this whether you are finished working on your project or cutting multiple pieces of marble.^[19]

   • If you are cutting multiple slabs, turn it off until you are prepare to make the next cutting.

6. vi

   Clean upwards any jagged edges with dry or wet fine-grit sandpaper. Since the diamond bract cuts the marble so smoothly, there may be jagged or precipitous pieces on the edges. Use wet or dry sandpaper to manually shine the edges if you'd like. Start with 120-grit sandpaper to soften the edges at first, and then use 2500-grit sandpaper for an extra-smooth finish.^[20]

   • If you employ a coarse sandpaper, you'll scratch the marble.
   • To wet your sandpaper, hold it under your faucet for three-5 seconds. Using wet sandpaper may make information technology easier to sand the stone surface.
   • For an automatic option, try using an bending grinder to speedily smoothen the marble. Nevertheless, you may have less command over the sanding process if you use a machine.
   • Another option is to use an orbital sander.

7. seven

   Clean up your workspace and your wet saw. One time you're finished, wipe down your surfaces with a clean rag and all-purpose cleaner, sweep your floor of any grit, shards, or remnants, and wipe downwards your saw after information technology'due south cool. Keeping your workstation clean in between uses helps you lot prevent injury and proceed your items in expert shape.^[21]

   • Additionally, bleed your water tank following your detail instructions.

8. 8

   Use a grinder with a dry cut diamond wheel to add finishing touches. Once you lot've cutting the marble into the basic shape that you want, you may wish to make further adjustments. With a grinder, you can:

   • Cut holes.
   • Make sink cutouts.
   • Create beveled edges.

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Add New Question

• Question

  Can you cut marble with a grinder?

  

  Ryaan Tuttle is a Home Improvement Specialist and the CEO of Best Handyman Boston. With over 15 years of experience, Ryaan specializes in home improvement and property maintenance past leveraging technology and craftsmanship. Ryaan holds his Construction Supervisor and Home Improvement Contractor Licenses. Unlike most handyman contractors, Best Handyman Boston is licensed and insured. Boston Magazine and LocalBest.com have named All-time Handyman Boston the Best Handyman in Boston.

  

  Home Improvement Specialist

  Adept Answer

  Yes, definitely. Depending on the size of the marble piece, for granite countertops, for instance, yous might demand a special grinder car.

• Question

  How practice you cut marble by paw?

  

  Ryaan Tuttle is a Home Improvement Specialist and the CEO of Best Handyman Boston. With over 15 years of experience, Ryaan specializes in home improvement and belongings maintenance by leveraging technology and craftsmanship. Ryaan holds his Construction Supervisor and Home Comeback Contractor Licenses. Unlike most handyman contractors, Best Handyman Boston is licensed and insured. Boston Magazine and LocalBest.com have named Best Handyman Boston the Best Handyman in Boston.

  

  Domicile Improvement Specialist

  Expert Answer

  Yes, if you're cutting something small, similar a petty piece of marble threshold. In this case, don't forget to soak a grouting sponge and pinch it slowly side by side to the blade as you're cut it as you become, as the process needs abiding h2o pouring.

• Question

  How do I cut a round pigsty in marble?

  

  If you lot're referring to the sinkhole you can use an angle grinder with diamond blade. If you need a smaller circle for water hook upwardly you lot can use a diamond hole saw fleck. Habitation Depot carries these in the tiling supplies surface area. It'south blue and made by DEP.

• Question

  How tin can I break large pieces of marble into not-uniform pieces without using expensive tools?

  

  If the only thing you care about is having irregular-shaped pieces, a sledge hammer should exercise the trick.

• Question

  Tin marble be glued back together?

  

  Paula Kesler

  Customs Answer

  No.

• Question

  When cut marble tiles, what side of the tile faces up, the front or back of the tile?

  

  Depending on the type of marble tile, it will have i side that is more smooth and slick-feeling than the other. This is the front and faces up when you install information technology and down when you cut information technology.

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Things Yous'll Need

• Marble slab
• Moisture saw with a diamond blade
• Water
• Pencil
• Cream
• Prophylactic glasses
• Safety gloves
• Safety earmuffs
• Grade-fitting clothing
• Closed-toed shoes
• 120-grit and 2500-dust sandpaper
• Rag
• Broom and dustpan

Video

• Existence able to cut marble yourself means y'all can control the cut size and manner of the marble, and it saves yous money in the long run.

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• If you lot exercise not employ proper safety equipment, yous may hurt yourself or others while cutting the marble. The blade is very sharp, as are the flyaway pieces of marble.

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About This Commodity

Article Summary X

To cutting marble, start by connecting a wet saw to a h2o supply, putting the marble on thick foam, and marker the marble where you want to cut information technology. Then, put on protective gear, including goggles, earmuffs, and thick, durable gloves earlier turning on the saw. Next, align the marble with the saw blade with the finished side down and make an initial cut of 1-3 inches. Afterwards that, flip the marble over and cutting through the remainder of the slab from the opposite side to forestall the slab from breaking off when you get towards the finish. For more tips, similar how to cull the right blazon of moisture saw for your project, read on!

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