Looking for suggestions as to the best way to cleanly saw (straight, square, no tear-out) about 18 inches off the length of a 10ft Lowe's laminate coutertop:
Circular saw from the underside?
Looking for suggestions as to the best way to cleanly saw (straight, square, no tear-out) about 18 inches off the length of a 10ft Lowe's laminate coutertop:
Circular saw from the underside?
Typically plastic laminate is trimmed to final size with a flush trim router bit.
I would use an "L" shaped straight edge on the back side and straight bit using about 4~5 passes.
Is it a good idea to put masking tape above the line to be cut?
?
Could you ask them to cut it to your length-- like they do with lumber?
No reason to do so with a router bit as it is cutting horizontally. A saw blade - any saw blade - is moving perpendicular to what you are cutting so the teeth will tend to lift and tear out material along the saw cut on one side or the other depending on the type of saw and which side you are cutting from; in that case, tape can help.
IOW, make your cuts upside down, backup both cuts on the bottom side (and be sure to not let that cut-off tear the laminate as it falls, so hold on to it all the way through the cut).
Sounds like someone's done this before. :-)
Once or twice ... now I just supervise. :)
Problem is, if you backcharge one of the current generation of trim carpenters (or more often, one of his helpers) for a ruined countertop, you stand a good chance of unseen consequences until it's too late (that's spelled r-e-t-r-i-b-u-t-i-o-n, unfortunate, but always something to keep in mind around a modern construction site).
Cheaper just to anticipate and make sure it gets done right.
(About the only place we do this anymore is in a remodel where the client just wants to replace/repair what is already there and new laminate is not an option).
Thanks for your input, Swing. I found a youtube vid shortly after my original post that somewhat echos your suggestion:
German ingenuity! :-)
gth.- Hide quoted text -
After I viewed your link, youtube automatically suggested a number of other videos related to cutting a counter top.
Another method was to cut the backsplash on a power miter saw and then use the saw cut to transfer the line to bottom. A circular saw and straight edge is used for the rest of the cut.
gth.- Hide quoted text -
FYI...I also found a series of 3 videos where a guy cut off the backsplash along the glue line, cut the flat surface down to a narrower depth and then reattached the back splash. Interesting idea. Unfortunately the videos leave out major parts of the cutting and don't include a close up of the new seam. I can't imagine it's even close to perfect.
That's one I've got to remember!
I cut one of those once. I didn't have a circular saw. I taped the laminate side, clamped 2x4s to it and used a sharp hand saw. It cut like butter. I measured from one side, marked several places, and connected the marks. My only problem was assuming the end from which I measured was square. It was not. Please check yours!
re, no tear-out) about 18 inches off the length of a 10ft Lowe's laminate c= outertop:
Get a Festool track saw. The bigger model would be preferable since it mig= ht be able to go through the backsplash in one pass. Not sure. But you ca= n do it with the smaller Festool track saw too. Clamp the guide to the bac= ksplash and make your cut. Then move the track so it lines up with the cut= you just made and finish cutting the counter portion of the plastic lamina= te. You are cutting from underneath so the plastic laminate is on the unde= r side.
Since the laminate is glued to termite-puke I'm thinking about maybe sealing up the underside with a few coats of some left-over dark brown latex house paint I've got in the shop. Just to keep moisture out and maybe keep the particle board from shedding little flakes over the coming years. Anything wrong with this idea?
Yes, circle saw with the top upside down. Make sure to support the fall off. Screw on an edge guide. It would probably be worth making a "scrap" cut for practice and to see all the issues before launching into the finish cut.
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