SFA

How do you guys go about cutting electrical outlets out of your back splash?

I use a proliner and a cnc. . .

Depending on your equipment, i have used a waterjet to cut them or you can use a hand grinder with blade to notch out partially from the front and finish cutting out from the back. You can cut it out bigger and go past the cutout on the back never see it from the front. Mark it out with tape and pen or use a white-out pen to mark your cutout. I'm assuming you already have the location and dimensions or have made a template for the splash.

So you guys make templates, you don't just make a splash and the cut them out on the jobsite?

wiredog70 wrote:Depending on your equipment, i have used a waterjet to cut them or you can use a hand grinder with blade to notch out partially from the front and finish cutting out from the back. You can cut it out bigger and go past the cutout on the back never see it from the front. Mark it out with tape and pen or use a white-out pen to mark your cutout. I'm assuming you already have the location and dimensions or have made a template for the splash.

We do the same.

Mid Missouri Surfaces wrote:So you guys make templates, you don't just make a splash and the cut them out on the jobsite?

When we have to we make the splash and do the cutouts on the jobsite. We try to sell the customer on tile splash because I don't see money in granite back splash maybe I am not seeing correctly but it is more aggravation sp than what it is worth imho.

We make templates and cut them out at the shop. We use a grinder, start the cut from the front then flip it over and cut the rest from the back. I will cut the four lines of the outlet out a bit then cut an "X" from corner to corner and the plug falls right out. You don't have to clean the corners up because they are only getting an outlet in them and there is a lot of room and the cover hides the rest. If I wasn't clear before; we put the template on the front, cut then flip over put the template on the back and finish. A little tip I use is I mark a "B" on the bottom of the stone so when I flip I don't get confused between top and bottom. You would be surprised when you are running full speed how easy it can happen.

A makita saw and a blade.

corebid and 5" blade.

It is much faster to flip the splash than corebit it IMO

Nick wrote:It is much faster to flip the splash than corebit it IMO

Less chance of breaking it, too. (on 4 or 5 inch splashes)

Cut on site with a Makita and diamond blade.

I am so lazy that I contemplated full splashes on the CNC but even I am not that lazy. It is much faster cut to size on the saw and then hand cut/flipped and done.

Grinder from the top, and if you can't be arsed flipping the piece, get your eye in and grind upwards from underneath.

Take an outlet box and trace it onto the splash. Then from the front cut all of the sides 1/8 beyond the corner but plunging the blade into the middle of the side and running it straight down. This will remove the most meat out of the corners which is were the problems lie. Now cross cut from corner to corner doing the same thing and cut 1/8" beyond the corner. Now flip the splash over and you should see an 8 on 3cm. On 2cm, you will see the long sides too. Now, fish for the long sides by grinding a little where you think they should be and they will appear. Plunge those cuts all the way and run them about 1/2" beyond the corner in 3cm. Do this for both long sides. Now cut the diagonals again going 1/2" or so past the corner. The two triangles will fall out. Now at a very slight angle, start 1/8" behind where the short sides are and plunge them down til those triangles fall out....Done. If you do it right there is no trimming afterward.

Where most people screw up is they don't overcut the corners a little and remove the stone that is hard to get out of the corners. In addition, they cut in the wrong sequence, thus having small hard to reach areas in the corners left.

On 2cm, this is all a cakewalk as the thinness of the stone makes it easier and you overcut less on them.
On 6" or larger splashes it is easier to just mark the stone on the back and plunge the two short sides, then the two long sides and have the square fall out. You cannot do this with a 4" splash though.

If the material is real fragile, it is best to tell the customer you will need to put a seam in the center of the outlets, and simply cut them out by making a bunch of cuts parrallel. This way you won't be buying a slab of 20 dollar material because on of the outlets cracked. You can hardly notice the seam on a 4" full splash anyway.

scott m wrote:Take an outlet box and trace it onto the splash. Then from the front cut all of the sides 1/8 beyond the corner but plunging the blade into the middle of the side and running it straight down. This will remove the most meat out of the corners which is were the problems lie. Now cross cut from corner to corner doing the same thing and cut 1/8" beyond the corner. Now flip the splash over and you should see an 8 on 3cm. On 2cm, you will see the long sides too. Now, fish for the long sides by grinding a little where you think they should be and they will appear. Plunge those cuts all the way and run them about 1/2" beyond the corner in 3cm. Do this for both long sides. Now cut the diagonals again going 1/2" or so past the corner. The two triangles will fall out. Now at a very slight angle, start 1/8" behind where the short sides are and plunge them down til those triangles fall out....Done. If you do it right there is no trimming afterward.

Where most people screw up is they don't overcut the corners a little and remove the stone that is hard to get out of the corners. In addition, they cut in the wrong sequence, thus having small hard to reach areas in the corners left.

Sounds like another great candidate for a "Kasco Productions" utube video.

The only thing i could add to this is that after i have cut the hole out,{the same way as Scott ].i take a shallow plastic electrical box and fit into the hole flush on the front..i tape the frontside gaps ,flip the splash,and pour flowing epoxy between the box and granite to fill all the over cuts and gaps..a little extra trouble but makes a slick install and seems to strengten the granite backsplash..after the epoxy hardens i grind smooth and cut the back of the electrical box out so the electrician can do his thing easier...

we cut all of our cutouts in the shop from the bottom. We use a 4" makita tile saw set to the depth of 2cm - or 3cm if you do 3cm splashes - we don't do too many 3cm though. if you take a scrap piece and make a cut then stick a square in from the front you can determine your "overshoot" length. mark out using a permanent marker or tape and pen, where the box is then extend the lines out the distance of your overshoot. sink the blade and cut back and forth to the overshoot lines. the cutout will come out clean with very minimal breakage in corners. then we dry the splash and fill the overshoots with integra or KG poly. sounds like alot but it goes quick.--use water or the front of the splash will blow out.