sanding / grinding silgranit (blanco)? anyone?

15 years ago

Hello, I just bought the Blanco 511-602 Double Basin Granite Kitchen Sink from the Silgranit Series (Anthracite). It can be mounted over and undermount. I am using undermount of course! PROBLEM: It is about 1/2" too wide for the width of my cabinet. I'm a creative person, so considering sanding the left and right margins by a 1/4" **gently** with my Makita Polisher which runs at very low rpm 1,000 - 2,000. I plan to use Diamond Pads used to polish granite @ various grits. The question here is: is Silgranit workable or hard as rock or harder than rock and this is an impossible task? If possible what grit should i use (50 vs. 100 vs. 1000)? Other ideas to make it fit? Only brave, creative creatures respond please. I have read the stories of contractors cracking these while drilling the granite faucet hole, etc. so would appreciate not hearing those stories but addressing the main question: can it be done? Has anyone tried sanding and is the material workable? There's ample material on the edges for this to work so 1/4" will not disrupt the structural integrity of this item (I think)! I'm not too worried about damaging it as I only paid $150 for it NEW IN BOX (thank god for eBay)! Not worried about warranty either. Please respond to the question directly. I searched Google and there is nothing about this online and your responses could help future creative types who can work miracles and find themselves in a similar jam. I am a hobbyist and doing all this myself. Granite counter tops too! Thanks for your opinions. Submitted respectfully to this great forum!

Here is a link that might be useful: Picture of Sink I am about to Modify!

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Comments (3)

rajivsab
Original Author
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Did I mention the Makita tool I have is a wet polisher, model no. PW5001C. Awesome machine.
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tuba_paul
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I'd be concerned about maintaining the integrity of the sink--the thickness of the rim adds structural rigidity.

No way to modify the cabinet instead?

The granite is a composite of granite powder and epoxy, not unlike fiberglass--just using granite powder instead of glass fibers, thought the epoxy may be a different polymer, so the actual grinding shouldn't be a problem, I'd just be concerned about the sink integrity afterwards.

I suppose it's less of an issue as you're undermounting it, but still...
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you can tell your contractor that no manufacturer contacted over the phone is going to say that whatever any old contractor thinks is OK will be OK for the manufacturer to maintain his guarantees and warranty. Since these sinks do occasionally crack, the manufacturer has to set a norm, a standard, a limit. So the clips have to go on although they are unnecessary once a competent installer has provided sufficient support.. I say "unnecessary" as that is what you might want to say to your contractor who seems able to decide for himself what is sufficient and appropriate. He may be right, he may be wrong, he may be good or not. We'll never know. Odds are he is good at making mechanical support to hold the sink in place. Your contractor may be perfectly correct that the way he made mechanical support is sufficient and probably even better than clips. ((Any other pair of eyeballs can come over and say "I can tell he was right based on what I saw when I went over and looked. Besides, my estimation is all the reassurance anyone needs.") Nonetheless, add the clips so that the manufacturer is not obliged to decline later if you need a replacement. If you really don't care what story you will give to the manufacturer if you have to replace the sink at some future date, then don't bother adding the clips. In any case, the manufacturer cannot say anything else other than what they have said. Even if you showed them a complete video of how the mechanical support was built. They cannot allow themselves to get drawn into a discussion of what else might work. It is a guaranteed loss if they spend time analyzing exceptions from the rule and allowing homeowners to make their own decisions about installation support. The clips are designed (calibrated) to be just enough support to warrant guaranteeing the sink's physical integrity. HTH -david
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davidro1
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
It is possible that someone knows a lot about cutting with a wet saw (stone porcelain etc) and then doesn't know anything about cutting a wood product.

It is possible.

rajivsab, in your previous thread,
-- Working with Silgranit (Sanding/Grinding) Blanco Anthracite --
over on the kitchens forum, you asked once about how to cut wood.

Nobody answered.

Here is what you wrote, quoting someone else in your answer:
"....
"Many people just notch out the sides of their sink cab." How does that work...? Do you simply place force and it chips off? Please provide advise on tools and procedure. Seems like a delicate operation. Thanks.
...."

I think your providing that hypothesis (about squashing wood into shape) is what caused people to decline all response.

In general, when working with wood, you cut with a wood-cutting saw blade.

In general, when you know nothing or little about a subject, you search for information first before formulating new questions in a forum: then your next batch of questions are a higher level of interaction than just "tell me more about this." So, in your case, you go get basic information about cutting wood.

In general, do not provide a possible answer if you really are unsure. Formulate the question more neutrally.

I think that in construction in general, one never places forces to change the space of anything. Quite the contrary, one ensures that the pieces parts and components are all sized right, or smaller so that glues adhesives pads membranes buffers gaskets washers spacers lubricants and other thin things can occupy the remaining space and help ensure a tight seal.

Sure, you can cut granite or silgranit. But why not Cut the wood if it can give you a mechanical support, a cradle to hold the sink? Making the sink into a different shape means you now have to concern yourself with adequate support to compensate for the sink's new weakness. Over the phone it would be hard to advise specifically on this support. Over the internet also. Keeping the sink the same shape is always preferable when you can instead change the shape of the sink's support structure: that is what a cabinet is. When the sink rim rests on a mechanical support, you discard the "clips" over that portion; by placing the sink weight directly on mechanical support you do not need clips there. Clips are just mechanical support.

You place the sink rim on top of the support of the CUT cabinet wall with a pad (neoprene, for example) spreading the weight over surface irregularities. The cut is one you will have made to match the need: the shape of the rim. Cutting wood is done with a cutting tool. A saw is one good cutting tool. Recruit a friend who has cut wood before.

Another alternative is to place the sink on the cabinet wall Without Cutting it, and place spacers on the other cabinet walls so that your kitchen counter now will have a level support across its entire area. This results in a counter 1/4" higher.

In both alternatives you need clips to support the sink rim on the two sides that do not sit on the cabinet walls.

HTH
-david

Here is a link that might be useful: Working with Silgranit (Sanding / Grinding) ...
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sanding / grinding silgranit (blanco)? anyone?

Comments (3)

rajivsab
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tuba_paul

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sanding / grinding silgranit (blanco)? anyone?

Comments (3)

rajivsabOriginal Author

tuba_paul

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rajivsab
Original Author