Sanding Cultered Marble??

[Crockett]

Hello folks, thought I ask for the great advise of the forum once again. I have to replace a vanity and sink in the bathroom. The space I have to work with is 48", exactly. It seems that the standard sized vanity top/sinks measure in at 49" to give a 1/2" overhang on the cabs. I don't have the inch to spare. Someone at the HD said that the cultured marble top I am looking at can be hard to cut and I risk cracking it. He suggested I use a belt sander and sand away a 1/2" from each side. Has anyone every done this before? Is it possible? any insight is appreciated.

thanks!
Al

[crokett]

Sanding down 1/2 is gonna go through a lot of belts. A lot quicker to cut it. I did a quick google search and came up with several resources. Also There is probably a local shop near you who could cut it if you bring it in.

[Pappy]

I am going to be cutting one down in the near future and had one that was headed for the dump to play with. I used a circ saw to rough cut it and sanded the edges 'smooth' with a course belt. Messy but not hard to do.

[Stytooner]

A diamond blade will make short work of that stuff. Thats what I use to cut real marble tiles that I am using to remodel a guest bath.

[Tequila]

Why not just go with a custom top? HD and Lowes have them available for special order.

[thiggy]

I don't know if the material is the same, but I once sawed 4 " off the back edge of a Corian countertop to narrow it and give me a bacsplash. I just used a carbide tooth blade and ripped it slowly on my radial arm saw. I rather assume that this is similar to cultured marble.

[Esteban]

I cut mine using a 4 ½” grinder with a 3/32” masonry cutting wheel adding some water. Expect lots and lots of dust. You can also use masking or duct tape to reduce chipping. Sand like regular wood, use car polish to restore the shine.

[offthemark]

Had the same exact issue when I replace one of these before. I easily found a local manufacturer by looking in the yellow pages. They made me one to spec, got to pick the color I (actually my wife) wanted, and it was actually cheaper than the HD version. I would highly recommend you at least try this option.

[Crockett]

Thansk guys, I will think about the ideas you gave and make a decision shortly. It sounds like cutting it is not as difficult as it was made out to be.
Al