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Ok all you guys that know granite counter tops, I have a question for you...
I had granite counter tops installed a few months ago.
Today's project is replacing my old hot water dispenser. Same brand of dispenser, but the countertop hole is ever so sightly too small for the new dispenser. We are talking an extremely tiny amount of difference.
Question, what is the best way to enlarge the hole...? Will a rat tail file do anything with granite? I tried a standard file, and it seems to move a little material, but it will take forever at the rate it is cutting. I don't think I'm cutting it, I'm eroding it...!
Do I go to HD and buy a carbide file....? Must be some way to open up that hole short of calling out a granite guy and paying a bundle...?
Save my marriage, give me a good answer...!
Thanks...
Sounds like that problem has "Dremel" written all over it.
I have a Dremel and every kind of air tool devised, but the bit to cut granite is the question. Guess I'll wander down to HD and see if they have something to cut hard stone. Perhaps I can hire a diamond cutter...?..!
Location: Visitation between Wal-Mart & Home Depot
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Donn2390
I have a Dremel and every kind of air tool devised, but the bit to cut granite is the question. Guess I'll wander down to HD and see if they have something to cut hard stone. Perhaps I can hire a diamond cutter...?..!
The box-o-attachments that comes with the basic Dremel should have something that will ream out the hole, albeit gradually. The question is whether you put more value on your time or your money.
Surely the Depot would have a specialized attachment for stone work if you want to speed things up.
Can you turn down the shank of the part that goes thru ?? Access to a lathe ??
or do you need to remove more material than that ??
otherwise you need a daimond core drill bit or if you can get loose corundum you can mix up a paste and grind the hole large by using a homemade rotary lap. Do you now any kids with a rock tumbler ?? they'll have the compound yo need..
or...got an old tube of auto alve grinding compound ?? I know I'm showing my age here...
I used to do that as a kid...that loose corundum will grind thru everything except diamond.
JBrown, the shank is a threaded plastic shaft on which a large plastic nut screws on for mounting purposes..... If I turn it down, the threads are gone, which might present another problem..!
I went to HD to see if they had a carbide stone or drums. After having three guys in the tool department assure me they had nothing that would help me, I went ten feet past them, same isle, and found a Rotozip diamond cutting tool just for such uses.
They were darned proud of it... $40. bucks..! What to do with a $40 dollar, once in a lifetime use tool? I've decided to make a necklace for my wife, she's always wanted a diamond necklace..!
When I got home, I discovered it had a different sized collet than my Rotozip has. So I call Rotozip factory..... "Oh, you have the old model, we don't make that anymore..! We will send you the correct collet, should arrive in four days..!"
So I'm using my new diamond with my cordless drill. Not nearly enough RPM, but I have four days to kill until my collet arrives...!
It's working, slowly, I'm almost there. Had to stop for a battery charge.
As far as drilling out to the next size up, you can't drill without a pilot hole, so that option is out....
Thanks for the replys...
I agree with Donn again, 2nd time this decade. Im just busting on ya my friend !!! Without a pilot hole it spells trouble just as Donn said. Can you find a stone file in the tile section of HD or a tile store? They sell half round bas*ard files and full round files just for stone. It will take some elbow grease as they say but you said it was just a tiny bit.
If it is the same brand of dispenser from the first one then why does it not fit now? If it is all not threaded then can you take some emory cloth sand paper to the shaft of the dispenser? I dont understand why if it is the same dispenser it wont fit. How bout look at other brands of dispenser. I suspect they might be all standard size but maybe one would be that 32nd or 64th smaller.
I agree with Donn again, 2nd time this decade. Im just busting on ya my friend !!! Without a pilot hole it spells trouble just as Donn said. Can you find a stone file in the tile section of HD or a tile store? They sell half round bas*ard files and full round files just for stone. It will take some elbow grease as they say but you said it was just a tiny bit.
If it is the same brand of dispenser from the first one then why does it not fit now? If it is all not threaded then can you take some emory cloth sand paper to the shaft of the dispenser? I dont understand why if it is the same dispenser it wont fit. How bout look at other brands of dispenser. I suspect they might be all standard size but maybe one would be that 32nd or 64th smaller.
Let us know how you make out.
DS, as long as we stay away from politics, we're tight..!
The old hot water dispenser was an "In-sink-erator" brand, which uses a plastic tank, which tends to leak after a few years. Apparently they had so many problems with that one, they completely revised it. The one I'm replacing has a leaky tank...!
The new In-Sink-erator dispenser has a stainless steel tank, and the dispenser has a threaded shaft which goes through the counter top, with the water and vent lines exiting the bottom. The old dispenser sat on top of the counter, over the hole, with just the four lines going through the hole. and a plate on the bottom of the counter with a screw to tighter the plate to the dispenser..
I'm thrilled to report the new, improved model is more than double in price...!
I am almost done grinding. It's a long slow process, but I'm getting there. The shaft now goes in the hole, I just need to make it as touch bigger so it has some slop. The problem is, each "Touch" takes a long time. I wore out my hands and both drill batteries, so we all need a night off. Should be simple to finish tomorrow. Nothing like a project that is suppose to take an hour, and it ends up taking three days and a bunch of extra bucks.... Same brand, drop in, right...?
All the effort and money is worth it, once you've had instant hot water, you can't live without it. A measuring cup full of water in the micro wave sucks big time....
My wife likes it, nothing else matters...
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