Granite Bullnosing Tools

Granite Saw

• The first step in preparing a granite countertop's bullnose edge is cutting the stone slab into the proper size surface. A worm drive saw delivers the necessary high torque, and a mounted diamond tip blade cuts the rough slab to the right size. These saws do not produce a finished surface, but prepare the top for the final shaping and polishing.

Stone Working Router

• A router suited for milling a decorative bullnose edge on a granite countertop is much different from a typical router in a carpenter's shop. The granite router is large and delivers much more torque to the spindle shaft. The stone cutting router connects to a water supply, because the bit's cutting edge must be cooled and lubricated with water during the cutting process. The granite router has a larger base to prevent any wobble while the tool is pulled across the countertop's surface.

Diamond Router Bits

• Polishing a bullnose granite countertop edge requires a number of passes across the surface. When cutting a contour on wood, or a composite solid surface top, the operation is completed in one pass. Working with stone, however, requires much more care, and mulitple bits. Fabricators cut a bullnose shape on the stone slab with an initial pass using a diamond bit. The diamond tipped bit is the only material hard enough to cut the solid granite and create the bullnose profile. The router floods the surface with water during the cutting process to keep the bit cool and to prevent the bit from chipping the granite as it's shaped.

Polishing Router Bits

• The final step that produces a polished bullnose edge on a granite top is performed by a series of polishing router bits. Made of abrasive and composite materials, the polishing bits hone the edge of the countertop to a smooth, polished finish. Some of these bits are used wet, while the final passes are performed with a dry bit. Like polishing a gemstone, polishing the edge of the countertop to a glossy surface requires multiple steps with successively finer grit polishing bits.