How to Cut a Marble Insert for a Cooktop

Mark the location of the insert onto the marble slab with an oil pencil. Place the template for the cooktop onto the slab and trace its perimeter with the pencil where you wish to insert the top.

Place the slab onto a flat cutting surface with a space cleared under the cutting area, such as a pair of sawhorses. Cover the mark with clear masking tape to protect the marble from scratches when cutting.

Place the skill saw rail onto the slab and attach the skill saw to the rail with the saw blade aligned with one of the insert lines. Clamp the rail onto the slab to keep it from moving while cutting. Attach the hose from the water feed kit to the saw, with the input hose of the kit placed into a large bucket of water to supply the water needed to cool the blade.

Turn on the water to wet down the marble and the blade. Start the saw and cut through the marble along the marked line. Turn off the saw once you reach the end of the line and wait for the blade to stop spinning. Reposition the rail so that it's lined up with another of the marked cutting lines, and clamp the rail in place. Move the saw to the new rail position with the blade aligned with the mark on the marble.

Cut through the second line of the insert using the same process as the first, and then repeat the cutting process with the final two lines to complete creating the insert cutout for the cooktop.

Pull the masking tape remains from the marble slab. Check the fit of the cooktop into the insert cutout. Level the cut edges of the marble using 80-grit sandpaper, and then smooth them out using 120-grit paper before mounting the countertop and then installing the cooktop in place.