Fabbing/Handling granite without breaking it

Backstory.... I'm building a new concessions bar for the theater so I've been on the List of Craigs scouring for cheap granite/quartz/corian.  Finally scored.  Bought two overstock "island slabs" of 34" x 7' x 2cm granite for $125.

When I went to get it, they had a pinch crane ready.  I had a pickup and a moving blanket thinking that the safest way to transport it would be on a solid, flat surface.  They were quick to correct me.  Upright only they said.  So I built the little cradle shown below, but now I'm concerned about moving it or setting it up on the cabinet I'm building.  How do I set it up with an overhang so I can cut it?  Sawhorses?  How much can it span during the fab process without collapsing?

Here is a quick shot of an idea I had for the bar.  The two side pieces are on hinges so they can fold down (when we're not doing a show, it goes in a closet that will only fit about 5' depth).  The idea is, wheel it out, fold up the ends, and we have 7' of counter space.  Service in the middle, coffee on one leaf, snacks on the other leaf.   How do I adhere the granite to the plywood "leaf" and the top of the cabinet??  Epoxy?  Liquid nails?  It needs to stay put when it is folded down so it should be something that won't yield to the weight of the granite.

Here is the carrier I made to transport it:

Natural granite? Or engineered stone? 

ES is pretty tolerant- 300mm overhangs unsupported for the life of the top.  I’ve never had an island top break by flat carry, but it can happen. Tops with big cutouts are another story. 

Beat practice is to bring the top next to the cabinet (vertically) then use the edge of the cabinet as a pivot at approximately the midpoint of the top, and “roll” it into place.

Natural granite? It depends. Some variants are more robust than others.

Not sure if it's engineered or natural.  The pattern is called Toscana, but I know that doesn't mean much.

Try to keep the weight as evenly distributed as possible when carrying it and rolling it on. If you need three people, get three people. Definitely roll it on as previously stated. 

I can't see the picture of the carrier but a simple wooden A frame is all you need. 

I work in a granite shop and 90% of the 2CM material I see is engineered Stone. It's very rare that we deal with natural 2CM material. Engineered Stone is vastly more tolerant of rough handing. 

Also use 100% silicone to adhere it. If you have an overhang on the leafs just go around the edges underneath. It will be more than sufficient to hold it. If no overhang just use a couple dime sized dots around the perimeter near the edge so that you could stick a putty knife in to cut it in case you ever want to remove it. It's really surprising how strongly silicone adheres to Stone it doesn't take much. 

Try this pic.  I made it from some shop scraps and made it a little taller than the width of the slab and put eyebolts inside for straps.  I'll also take some quick-grip clamps.  Should I take shims in case the 2x4s aren't perfectly even?  Or is that just overkill?

By the way, you're looking at copyrighted material from leftovers of my set of Disney's Newsies.  Now I have to kill you.  

Good to know about the Silicone.  And I'll quit panicking about breaking it now :)

Will a typical non-segmented diamond blade do the trick OK?  If so, I have a large assortment of diamond blades.  I think my only additional investment will be some diamond abrasive paper to clean up the cuts.

Another thing I thought of... once I'm done cutting and fabbing, I can go ahead and adhere it to the plywood, then screw the plywood on from inside the cabinet.  That will help support any span I have when installing it.

A cross-section of what I plan:

And the granite I scored:

Made any progress on this?

Got the granite.  Had to build a set and the show opens on Friday, so I'll have time to build the cabinet next week (he says hopefully)

Our island has a 36"x72" chunk of granite. It's 1.125" thick (3 cm) and has 10" overhangs on two sides, with no structural support underneath. The cabinetry has no top wood surface. The granite is supported only by the perimeter of each cabinet, so there's no span longer than about 30" in any direction. The installers set it in place and then ran a bead of silicone around the entire perimeter. The main kitchen counter is done exactly the same way.

For cutting - got a hookup with a waterjet?

5 axis can even bevel the corners for you.

93gsxturbo said:

For cutting - got a hookup with a waterjet?

 

5 axis can even bevel the corners for you.

I probably do somewhere... but I also have a good diamond blade and some diamond abrasive to round corners.  There are plenty of kitchen fab companies around here so I could have them cut it, but I'm saving pennies for a good digital sound console.

Curtis said:

  There are plenty of kitchen fab companies around here so I could have them cut it, but I'm saving pennies...

Never take a good stone mason for granite.

RX Reven' said:

Never take a good stone mason for granite.