Need a tool suggestion

[rudy de haas]

hi:

Yesterday my plumber/gasfitter guy installed a new gas range here. it replaced a 1992 (!) Jennair downdraft and had to go into the same slot in the countertop. As it turns out.. the granite people had cut the counter 1/7th too narrow (we sort of knew this, but the old range made it to 29 7/8th only on the part that sticks out above the counter and was 29 3/4th below that. This one is 29 7/8th all the way down. So I cut off 1/8th (crookedly) with an angle grinder and now it slides in.

However, the old range was 2" less deep (front to back) than the new one and so there is a strip of 2.5" wide granite across the back of the opening with the tile behind the counter coming down on top of it - and with that in place the new range juts out about 2" too far.

My grinder won't reach that close to the wall, but that strip needs to come out. To do it I need something that will cut 1.5 inches of granite and reach into the space..

I have a dremel multi-purpose tool (the one that shakes its head back and forth really fast) - this could work, except that dremel does not admit of a diamond blade for it - their wood/metal blades don't even scratch granite. There's a half circle tile cutting/removal blade but it won't reach.

Suggestions? (Dynamite is not an option; I tried drilling from underneath but the entire sheet vibrated and I stopped lest it crack. If I can find a long, thin, diamond drill bit I may try that again from the top so I'm pushing the sheet down o0n the plywood instead of lifting it up).)

CLARIFICATION: I added the photo after the initial replies - just to clarify: what I need to do is extend the cut near the wall made by the angle grinder in both depth and distance toward the wall. The granite extends about 1/2" under the tile and is 1.5" thick. That cut is full depth at the beginning but less than 1/4 at the end.

[Rick Potter]

I would just grind at the corners and take out the whole 2.5 inch piece. I suspect that trying to leave only one inch of granite will result in it cracking or breaking anyway. Come up with a stainless steel filler or whatever looks good.

Rick P

[Cary Falk]

I guess I am not seeing why a 4-1/2" angle grinder with a diamond blade won't reach. You can always take the guard off and put a 5" or larger blade on it. My understanding is you are trying to cut a30" section of 1.5"x2.5" granite backsplash off the wall in the stove opening, No?

[rudy de haas]

Clarification:

I am not trying to cut parallel to the tile wall, I'm trying to cut perpendicularly to it - through the 2.5" width of the strip.

The grinder won't do it, because it starts to cut into the wall when I get close to it. I will try to edit the original question above to add a photo.

[rudy de haas]

Thanks, yes, I am looking for a filler - remind me never to use an angle grinder on granite freehand again!

and.. please see the clarification I added to the question - a classic 1 pic = 10000 words.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Harbor Freight makes a half moon blade (http://www.harborfreight.com/3-12-in-diamond-grit-multi-tool-half-moon-blade-for-masonry-61829.html) for their oscillating tool.
It runs about $12
One of their single speed tools is about $15.

It's slow - but - it will work.
I used mine a couple times.

[john bateman]

Could you just remove the tile on the wall, grind away your 1/8", then replace the tile?

[rudy de haas]

Maybe, but only if I can find replacement tile - and that's unlikely because it's some weirdly named version of white my wife picked out and of which I used every last one putting that wall in.

[Lee Schierer]

The grinder won't do it, because it starts to cut into the wall when I get close to it. I will try to edit the original question above to add a photo.

If you make a cut in each corner as deep as out can and one cut near the center as deep as you can you should be able to pry out from the wall in the center of the strip and crack the last 1/2" in the center and both ends.

[rudy de haas]

Yes.

I asked a guy I know who is an expert on granite that's what he suggested - then he laughed and said "but, of course, it's not my countertop." So this is a counsel of dispair - something to try if all else fails because she who must be obeyed will not take kindly to a crack in her countertop.

[Doug Garson]

Can you cut from below so the damage to the wall won't be visible with the stove in place?

[John TenEyck]

Can't you cut from underneath, too, with the range removed? That would allow you cut through the granite all the way to the drywall. Whatever damage you do the drywall won't show. And, as mentioned, if you take the guard off you can use a larger diameter blade to gain additional depth of cut.

John

[Davis Young]

How about a die grinder with diamond tooling? An oscillating tool would be slow going.

[Matt Lau]

I may be speculating, but isn't this where a Fein multimaster will shine?

[Jim Andrew]

I did the same change from a Jenn Air to a gas range, removed the piece of countertop entirely, the range goes against the wall and fits fine. But luckily mine was formica. Used a multi tool, worked great.

[Robert Engel]

If it were me, I would simply tell SWMBO you need a flush cutting oscillating saw, specifically a Fein ;-) ;-).
Quick search I found these blades (http://www.carbideprocessors.com/oscillating-blades/diamond-blades/).

My suggestion is take it easy and approach from below. Cut the entire piece out with 2 cross cuts and simply fill the gap with a piece of wood and paint it.
Have an assistant handy with a spray bottle to keep the blade wet.

[rudy de haas]

Best ideas I've seen.. m y dremel as always been a disappointment anyway - and both the cutting approach and the filler make sense to me. Sadly..here's what amazon.ca has for the cheapest fein:

(https://www.amazon.ca/FEIN-MultiMaster-Multimaster-72295264090-Oscillating/dp/B01E73VU36/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1486658486&sr=1-1&keywords=fein+oscillating+tool)
by FEIN

CDN$ 249.00 (https://www.amazon.ca/FEIN-MultiMaster-Multimaster-72295264090-Oscillating/dp/B01E73VU36/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1486658486&sr=1-1&keywords=fein+oscillating+tool)Prime
Usually ships in 1 to 2 months

More buying choices
CDN$ 249.00new(2 offers) (https://www.amazon.ca/gp/offer-listing/B01E73VU36/ref=sr_1_1_olp?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1486658486&sr=1-1&keywords=fein+oscillating+tool&condition=new)

Eligible for FREE Shipping

1 - 2 months! ? I'll see if someone has one in Calgary (or Kalispell since II'm off to whitefish in two weeks anyway).

[John TenEyck]

The $35 HF VS multi-tool works great and will last many years. You can spend a lot on a multi-tool, but there's no reason you have to - or should, IMO. I just got done cutting some plaster with embedded wire mesh in it and then some engineered flooring with my HF one. An hour of nearly continuous work. I was beat; the tool was fine, though I did wear out one semi-circular blade along the way.

John

[joseph f merz]

my diamond blade cost 99$ . i do own the fien and an off brand .this is a case of you get what you pay for .you are on this sight so your a builder of some sort so this is a good purchase you most likely will not regret . this is going to be slow going .would appreciate hearing how it goes and what tools you used . projects like this come my way all to often .they do make sawall blades for cutting stone /tile .
report back .

[rudy de haas]

What i did

1) I used a diamond tile cutting blade on a jigsaw with the guard removed to get the cut vertical and within about 5/8th inch of the wall

2) used a 1/8th drill from the top to cut through the remainder

3) once the thing was out, i used a tile saw to slice it lengthwise - to produce a 2" and a 1.5" slice.

4) attached a wood mini-shelf to the wall below where it used to be

5) used PL glue (not epoxy) to put the 1.5" wide strip back - 1/2" under the tile, 1" out on the "shelf"

6) put the range back.

She who must be pleased <EM>is</EM> pleased.

Thanks for all the suggestions!