I need to do a few joints in work surfaces, a couple of them right angles. Any advice on the way to do these joints would be greatly appreciated. I understand the principal of the long screw bolts and assume that I router out the grooves for these. My main concern is the cutting of the work surface
a) can I use a circular saw?
b) for a 600mm surface at right angles do I cut a straight line for , say,
580mm and then a 45 degree cut for the remainder?
c) in addition to the bolts pulling the surfaces together I have also seen biscuit joins in some situations - how important is this?
You need to use a special worktop jig and a router with a minium 1300 watt motor,needs a bit of practise to do ,and setting up.Probably easier to get a kitchen fitter or joinery shop to do it for you.
The problem I found with a circular saw is it cuts upwards so is always trying to lift and chip the laminate. And if you turn the worktop over to avoid this you can't see what you're doing. There is still a part of the blade going the wrong way.
Have a go at this on a scrap piece first - carefully score the laminate with a sharp Stanley knife and then cut close to it gently, using a fine hand saw. You can use a small plane on the edge as long as it's sharp and set very finely. Somebdy once told me to stick sellotape along the score line - I never tried that.
Yep - that's what I'd do for a rounded worktop
They keep the surface flush across the joint. Good idea, especially when the worktop is not properly supported at the joint.
Its not a very good finish, even with a straight new fine tioothed blade.
These days I cut over size and finsish with a fine pass from a router set at pull depth. Packing tape over the cut surface allows lines to be easily drawn and helps prevent surface chipping.
From memory, its a bit less than 20mm. More like 10mm - just enouh to get proper mating on teh curved front edge. Its not pssible to rout the internal angle, so a very fine fretsaw and chisel is used to clean up the angle.
The only important thing is to get teh two bits immoveably clamped together and a watertight seal. I have often done no more than screw a batten underneath. I tend to use car body filler to glue them together as well -waterproof, and suits my usual dark grey finishes well. If the units are well mounted, and won't move, and teh tops are screwed down to them, the batten is enough to stop the halves wobbling apart. If you do have the routing jigs for the more complex ways - well why not sue em. I think teh biscuits are there to senure vertical alignment so there is no ridge. In my case, the join is suaually over a cupboard or void, and the batteen does the same.
Any minor imperfections can be filled, by the way, with coloured epoxy filler.
Thanks for all the contributions. I've decided to chicken out and get a joiner to do the cuts. I will then practise on the removed surfaces to install in my outhouse utility room.
The only problem now is convincing 'er indoors that I meant Christmas 2004 as the completion date.
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