Cutting kitchen worktop

[timegoesby]

When cutting a kitchen worktop with a 1/2" router. Is it best to cut from the finished edge or the underneath for best results?

TIA

[Mike Halmarack]

What would make the difference, is if the finished surface was sandwiched between some sacrificial material to minimise the chance of unwanted damage. Personally, I'd cut the worktop with a panel saw.

[dom]

I don't think it will make much difference with a straight-fluted cutter, as there's no support to the surface around the cutter. Maybe just do whichever is more convenient to hold or mark-out. There are spiral-fluted up-cutters and down-cutters (and ISTR combined up/down) that are designed to reduce breaking-out, but I think they're rather expensive.

[TheScullster]

wrote

Try it on some scrap (or an end that you can afford to lose a few mm from first).

Phil

[Charlie]

The guy I had in to my kitchen worktop used a jig.

The router bit was slightly smaller that the width of the guide on the jig by about a millmeter or so.

By using the outer edge of the jig guide he did the main cut through the work top (took about three passes IIRC), due to the amount worktop removed this gave a slightly uneven edge. He then used the inner edge of the jig guide, shaving of just a millimeter or so from the worktop. This gave a much cleaner edge than the first pass.

He did it from the top down, i.e. finished edge on the first pass, middle of the worktop on the next ... and finally the underside on the last pass.

Charlie

[Ed Sirett]

The side is much less important than the end. You need to move the router against the rotation of the bit. You want to avoid finishing the cut at the front edge of the job where there is a significant chance of breaking the laminate away from the job.

[Andrew Gabriel]

Personally, I use a circular saw for straight cuts. Use a good (new if possible) relatively fine TCT blade. Nail on a piece of straight timber to run the saw against. Cut in from the front edge with the worktop upside down.

[The Natural Philosopher]

I've done it two ways.

One way is to run the cutter to JUST take the laminate off to start with, always with the cutter advancing into the work, then go deeper till you get right through, in successive passes.

The other way is to rough cut 3mm or so oversze with a saw, and then use the router in full depth as an edge plane, running against a guide, an well supported.

That way is one my chippies showed me, and on balance you get a better cut more easily, and a lot less sawdust,

[Stuart Noble]

Using a router for straight cuts is like running your kids to school in a 4x4

[Mike Halmarack]

I know a childless someone who was given a 4x4 and felt obliged to borrow somebody else's kids to take to school. What's the use of a 4x4 otherwise?

[Andy Hall]

Being able to avoid having to go into multi-storey car parks and hence having to visit town centres on Saturdays.

[Mike Halmarack]

Oh, that's just weekend duties. I was on about the important stuff.