# How do I enlarge the vanity faucet holes



## RippySkippy (Feb 9, 2007)

Over the weekend I was going to install a wide spread faucet handle set into a new Crane Plumbing Silkstone vanity top. The holes for the faucets are 1-1/8" the main portion of the faucet is 1-1/4". Called Crane...and absolutely no help.

Before I attempt to enlarge the holes, has anyone here had experiences in working with this material? I've thought about a hole saw, carbide bit in a die grinder. The bottom of the vanity top has been milled where drain attaches...what kind of equipment is appropriate for this material?

I'm just seeking the wisdom here before attempting mass destruction. FWIW, if your wife ever wants a wide spread faucet, try the best you can to avoid it...PITA all the way around.

TIA....


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## Big Bob (Jul 27, 2007)

Know that enlarging the holes will most likely void your silkstone 10 year warranty.

If the silkstone is like other cultured marble tops minus the gloss finish.

I would mark the top hole to the new desired diameter... double check that you will have proper clearance for fixture washer/nut on the bottom and if it will look and function ok up top.

if ok.. treating it like other cultured I would start with a rasp bit in my drill...hand rasp the last little bit.. dremel sand the edge smooth... wax the new hole... install new faucet with plenty of plumbers putty.

OR what I would probably do is tell my wife... Look the sink has a ten year warranty ...you don't... I'm taking that faucet back to the store.:jester:


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## RippySkippy (Feb 9, 2007)

Ya know when I called Crane they said the same thing about the warranty, and it was insulting when the customer service person said that the 1-1/8" hole was standard and that I must of had "non-standard, imported" faucet set. You should of "heard the silence" when I told her it was a Kohler set, and I would eat it if their products were not a standard in the industry. She said she would pass the info on to their design team...yeah right.

In a round about way I did like you suggest....and it did work VERY well. Warranty be damned, I got the faucet set in with little muss no fuss and about 3 minutes of work. I bought a hand held pneumatic die grinder from BLowes so that's added to the arsenal:thumbsup:. A couple of years ago a friend was giving his "junk" away and well you know how that goes it immediately became my treasure! One of the items was a single cut 1/2" rotary burr cutter like the image below. It literally ate through the counter top like it was butter. When I ran the cutter around the hole counter-clockwise you could feel and see the cutter remove material at a very slow rate. There was no heat build up, no chatter, nothing....I was way impressed. So if anyone else ever encounters this dilemma...I highly recommend this plan of action.

Now one thing you suggest was to wax the hole when done...I did not do that mainly because the hole from the factory was not polished...it was raw. So that's how I left it. I did pack the top side with a good ring of plumbers putty...so it should be leak free.


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