You can always buy and break your own slab. That way you can control the breakage.

I'm not an expert on this but your best bet is to check with fabricators. If a slab broke, it would likely remain with a fabricator unless the customer decided to take it anyways. They would probably put it with the other remnants. There could also be broken slabs at the distributors but my bet is this is not as likely.

Victorymomma, Find a fabricator of marble in your area. Fabricators ALWAYS have odd sized pieces around that you could buy really cheap (to get it our of their way) - and I bet they would break it for you at no cost!

Check thrift stores (and places that resell hotel furnishings) and buy a cheap marble table top, or buy a marble tile. Break it, put it together with the kintsugi method you plan to use and torture test it like a countertop.

Because what works for a cup used only in a tea ceremony is unlikely to be usable in a kitchen.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kintsugi

I found a Craigslist marble dining table ($100), which we converted to a worktable/island. It is 2cm thick, and if you are using the broken marble for countertops, I'd suggest 2cm over plywood, unless you want a thicker counter--3cm over plywood substrate, depending on the sizes of the individual pieces, of course.

Check stone yards for less than perfect pieces with cracks or unacceptable fissures.

I got tons of the stuff from a local countertop place for free. I just saw an ad on craigslist for free remnants. Apparently most of them do it, otherwise they have to pay to remove it. Some was marble some was granite. I built this walkway and still have a bunch left.

Then I got a truck load of mostly marble remnants that were bigger and more regular to make table tops with. I paid $50 for the lot. Again from craigslist.

Meghan, very nice! I love seeing scraps re-used and made into something beautiful and functional.

Thank you all for the suggestions. I did look at Craigslist saw some pretty nice pieces, but not what I am looking for, and will also check out fabricators. I was originally looking at a 3"x6" marble subway tile with the metallic grout, in a herringbone pattern, but if I want polished, which I would in that situation, it is very delicate situation, as the metallic colored grouts they contain ground glass and will scratch the marble finish, but honed will not have the same affect in that pattern, but if I go with a broken slab look, then it is not a concern as 1. The amount of grout is much less, and 2. Since the expanse of marble is so large the finish can be honed instead of polished.

Eam44, I was thinking of that, I would have to find an economical one, since some of them around here run pretty high, like $4500, I live in a high rent area.

Lazy-gardens, true not necessarily work, but placing on a substrate for counters and using an epoxy grout and adhesive should work very well. It would just need to be secured well to the wall for the backspash, which is my number #1 plan, #2 is both countertops and backsplash.

Mamma-goose, yes! that was my thoughts about it, at least for the counters if I do them as well. Plus I think I will check the local mosaic artist down the street to see if she has any thing to contribute, even though she mainly uses ceramic and glass. Again thank you, as I said I am just beginning.

Megan, that walkway is very a very beautiful use of scrap, this is the reason I am leaning this way as well, to use scrap, remnants seconds. I do it in my clothing design and Love the idea of using items that are left over.

Are you doing the work yourself? A lot of slabs are repaired before they get to the stone-yards. If you aren't doing the work I would find the person who will. Holding two pieces of pottery in place is easy, holding hundreds of pounds of slab...?

What area are you in? I might have some pieces I could let go of if you're anywhere near St. Louis.

I would be treating the pieces as large mosaics, using a strong mastic, I doubt any single piece would be hundreds of pounds, as I would not want to use any thing over an inch thick, and I have plans for marking them/ creating a pattern, before they are placed in their finally position, just like any mosaic.

I am in the Bay area California, Thanks for the suggestion of a quarry. I have no idea if we even have an appropriate kind here. I mean I know have quarries, but..

How do you plan to get it smooth? After I did my walkway and was starting on renovating my kitchen, my boss jokingly suggested doing the same thing for my kitchen counters, I thought about it for a minute and dismissed it thinking I would never be able to get it smooth enough. That was my first time working with stone though, and it was very primitive. If I couldn't find a piece to fit where I wanted I would take a bigger piece and drop it on the driveway and it would turn into 3 new pieces.

Meghan, not sure what you mean, smooth. You mean even? Well, if I choose use it for my counter tops, but most likely not, it would be the same as if I was tiling them. I plan on using a sand-less epoxy grout. Same for the backsplash.

I guess I'm envisioning lots of crud getting stuck in the grout lines. I have a tile top dining table and hate it for that reason. Although I guess if all the pieces were very flat you could get your grout pretty flush with the stone.

Ah, yes. I know what you mean. I lived with 12x12 tiles in our rental kitchen for over ten years. Epoxy grout is also a sealant, expensive, but no gunk.

Guys, if you need some free granite in USA Richmond , VA area, just hit me up, I have about 25 pallets of odd shaped scrap peaces 1.25" (3cm) thick, various colors. Will load you up with a fork lift on your truck and wish you good luck with it. Invitation only, shoot me a message . Also can sell some of the larger remnants for CHEAP ($40-$100).

There are tons of stone yards around the bay area. I would start visiting them. Many of them will have remnants for sale. That way you could buy sheets or mix-and-match should you so desire and you can also try to pick up the smaller pieces and you'll see what I mean about the weight.

Just FYI, granite slabs break more often than one might think.

Check out this new thread. And do let us know how this goes!

Thanks!

I happen to have exactly what you need for your project. Call 4238785248