Adding a bullnose to a stone step

bainbridge

bainbridge

bainbridge

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Hi all

I have several 900x600 stone slabs in Kandla grey, which I'm going to use to replace the hydraulic slabs which form our garden path, and I'm then going to build a doorstep upon 1 course of bricks topped with one slab.

The slabs have hand hewn edges, and though they do look rustic, this might cause a trip hazard for the step, so I'm looking at whether it's feasible to add a bullnose edge to the outer facing 3 sides

Has anyone done this?

Here's the 2 options I'm looking at:

Use a 4 inch grinder with grinding/sanding pads (rather than a cutting wheel) and grand back the squared edge to a 45 degree bevel, then take the edges off that and gradually round it off. Then turn the thing over and do the other side.

Or, buy one of these supposed diamond bullnose grinding wheels from eBay/Amazon and use it to grind the bullnose shape.

www.ebay.co.uk

10-30mm Round Dry Vacuum Brazed-Diamond Grinding Wheel Demi Bullnose Edge New | eBay UK

Grinding on marble, granite, quartz, ceramics, artificial stone and glass. -- 1 Grinding Wheel. -- Can be used dry or wet. -- Applicable machine: Angle grinder. Sound & Vision. -- Especially for concrete outside wall in building or decoration.
www.ebay.co.uk

Or I could use a mixture of both methods. I appreciate that this might take some time to achieve a good result, but seeing as I'll pass it several times every day I want to make a good job of it otherwise I'll be annoyed!

Any advice welcome, thanks.
 
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My next door neighbour replaced his concrete window cills and hired a stone plane to grind it to get the fall on it.
It might be wothwhile looking at hire options for a stone plane, that should easily get a bullnose on the step.
 
Mason- said:
Do router bits for stone exist. Routers are great for bullnoses.
Click to expand...

Most of the bits I found online were indeed for a router, but unfortunately I don't own one. Although there are also some available for a 4 inch grinder, I read somewhere that a standard grinder is a bit too fast, so presumably a router can have different speed settings.

I might be able to borrow a router now you mention it.
 
bainbridge said:
Most of the bits I found online were indeed for a router, but unfortunately I don't own one. Although there are also some available for a 4 inch grinder, I read somewhere that a standard grinder is a bit too fast, so presumably a router can have different speed settings.

I might be able to borrow a router now you mention it.
Click to expand...

Take the grinder and slabs to the states, and it'll run at half the speed.
 
Lean said:
Use a slab with little riven on it?
Click to expand...

The face of each slab is a little riven, which I think might cause problems when trying to get a straight bullnose edge.

I have a few offcuts saved so once I've gathered my tools, I'll be able to have a practice.
 
`diamond bullnose grinding wheels`look like an ok option for what you are planning,to me anyway
ALSo `Router to grind a concrete slab???` :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: Just no ROFL:cry: :cry:
 
ANDARIAL said:
`diamond bullnose grinding wheels`look like an ok option for what you are planning,to me anyway
ALSo `Router to grind a concrete slab???` :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: Just no ROFL:cry: :cry:
Click to expand...

My idea of a router is those things people use to put detailed edges on cupboards etc, but maybe there are big beefy stone routers out there.

There's certainly plenty of stone grinding bits available for routers, though I have no idea about the machine itself.
 
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I think you will ruin a woodworking router using it on stone/concrete/brick.That dust gets into the motor.Seen it with a circular saw a m8 used to cut blockwork with a cutting blade.Knackered the saw
 
Prep update on this project:

I've decided to abandon the idea of using
one of these bullnose grinder attachments:

www.ebay.co.uk

10-30mm Round Dry Vacuum Brazed-Diamond Grinding Wheel Demi Bullnose Edge New | eBay UK

Grinding on marble, granite, quartz, ceramics, artificial stone and glass. -- 1 Grinding Wheel. -- Can be used dry or wet. -- Applicable machine: Angle grinder. Sound & Vision. -- Especially for concrete outside wall in building or decoration.
www.ebay.co.uk

Instead I'm going to get some sanding pads and do it with a grinder by hand.

Can anyone suggest the grit types I should get for sanding sandstone?
 
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