Cutting Kitchen Worktop

I have an old built-in hob which I want to replace with a freestanding cooker. Therefore the existing kitchen worktop will need cutting in order to be able to slot in the new cooker. Is it going to be possible to cut the laminated worktop using a jigsaw? I can tolerate some slight chipping since I intend to cover the end using metal edging.

Jeff.

Reply to
Jeff Allen
Loading thread data ...

Possible, yes - desirable, no!

Are you planning to remove the worktop to cut it, or to do it in situ?

By far the best solution is to remove it, turn it upside down, and cut it with a sharp circular saw starting from the rolled edge.

If you cut it with a jigsaw, it is *much* more difficult to keep it straight. Since jigsaws usually cut on the up stroke, you still need to cut from the bottom in order to minimise chipping. [I've a vague feeling I've seen some jigsaw blades which cut on the down stroke - but I've never used one. This may make it possible to cut from the top - but I would be worried about the blade buckling].

Reply to
Set Square

Cutting it in situ is not the most desirable but if you must do it in situ there are jigsaw blades that will cut on the downstroke (minimizing chipping) but a straight edge,to run the jigsaw along, is a must as getting any sort of straight cut is nigh on impossible freehand. Using a "normal" blade is not to be recommended, as you may strike lucky and any chipping will be covered my the metal edging, but it's far more likely that the chips (which can't be predicted) will be visible at the edge of the metal edging. Remember that there is a minimum gap between a freestanding cooker and any flammable surface I have no site or anything but 22mm comes to mind .

Reply to
Soup

Dunno ! I think I'd have a go with the jig saw. Switch off the pendulum action as it tends to cause more chipping. Use a new blade and take it easy. The problems can lie in rushing it and pushing the jig saw too fast. This can cause the blade to bend. To all intents and purposes you will be cutting to the marked line but actually the blade has bowed and is cutting a curved profile. This can be real bugger to correct.

If you try it out on a waste area of the worktop first you will be able to establish how much chipping is going to occur. Profile strips in aluminium are availabel to finish off these cut ends and they generally have enough of a lip to cover a rough edge. I have done this successfully in the past.

Personally I wouldn't dream of removing the worktop to do this. Get as close to the wall as possible and finish off with a hand saw.

Paul Mc Cann

Reply to
Paul Mc Cann

Just as an aside, I cut a 38mm worktop today. It was a 3m length and I needed something shorter. As the worktop was soooooo heavy (it took two to lift it) I did a rough cut with a circular saw a few inches longer than I needed, knowing that the laminate would chip.

Surprisingly the laminate did not chip - and I did cut from the laminate side.

Not something I would plan to do normally (cut from the laminate side I mean), but it just proves that cutting from the laminate side need not necessarily result in a chipped cut.

PoP

Replying to the email address given by my news reader will result in your own email address being instantly added to my anti-spam database! If you really want to contact me try changing the prefix in the given email address to my newsgroup posting name.....

Reply to
PoP

Did this the other week in the car park of Focus (the beggers seem to be removing all those nice big sheet saws from the stores...). A rough cut to get the two lengths I require and to fit it into the car.

Used an ordinary hand saw, laminate on top, minimal chipping fairly straight across but wanders a bit on the thickness. The proper cuts will use a new laminate/worktop blade in a jigsaw guided by a batten clamped (or maybe screwed to the underside if I cut from the underside) and taken slowly letting the saw do the work not pushing it at all.

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

What exactly do you mean by flammable surface? According to the installation instructions "The space either side of the cooker need only be sufficient to allow withdrawal of the cooker for servicing. It can be used with cabinets on one side or both sides ..."

Reply to
Jeff Allen

I cut through my worktop using a jigsaw in order to fit an upright freezer in.

Used a brand new, down cutting jigsaw blade - the sort used for laminate flooring. Placed duct tape along the top, and put pencil mark on top of that. Used saw at "high" speed and took it gently.

Well pleased with the result.

Noz

Reply to
Nozza

Flammable surface = Wooden (or idea M.D.F.; or compressed wood; etc.) worktop.

Installation instructions from a cooker manufacturer, perhaps an electric (induction) cooker, maybe the "22mm" just applies to cookers with a naked flame ? As I said in my post couldn't cite any legal requirements etc. but have always thought there was a min. distance requirement. As far as having cabinets either side, we do but there is still a gap between them and the cooker whether this is a legal requirement or just to facilitate servicing I have no idea. Recently had the kitchen refurbished and the chaps who were doing it said they "had" to leave a gap.Whether for servicing;legal reasons or some warped fitters bu*****t I again have no idea.

Reply to
Soup

I put the 3m length of 38mm worktop on my Freelander roofbars (with the help of a Homebase employee). I swear the car was 3 inches lower on the drive home! That was one heavy piece of worktop!

PoP

Replying to the email address given by my news reader will result in your own email address being instantly added to my anti-spam database! If you really want to contact me try changing the prefix in the given email address to my newsgroup posting name.....

Reply to
PoP

A router and a jig or straight edge clamped to the work top is another option.

A conventional wood saw cutting from the laminate side will cut the work top without chipping. The problem is making a straight edge.

Michael Chare

Reply to
Michael Chare

Check the cooker instructions. The one I've got explicity says no gap is required, providing the worktop is no higher that the surface of the hob. That that's likely to depend on the arrangement of the burners (burners are quite raised and not very near the edge of this cooker).

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

To add to that, there are jigsaw blades available that cut on the down stroke so you shouldn't get any damage to the laminate surface if you're cutting from the top.

-- Regards, Alan.

Preserve wildlife - Pickle a SQUIRREL to reply.

Reply to
Alan Gabriel

Glad you said that. IME decent quality laminate doesn't chip with a circ saw. I've known a saw cut completely wreck the face of cheap ply, but then I've had a perfectly clean cut with good quality birch ply. I think we're being encouraged to use routers for straight cuts when, in most cases, the circ saw is perfectly adequate, and a whole lot faster.

Reply to
stuart noble

You can minimise the chipping, but jigsaws just don't cut square (and yes I do have a good one). Fine for sink inserts but not much good for anything else.

Reply to
stuart noble

On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 13:20:35 -0000, "stuart noble" saw. I've known a saw cut completely wreck the face of cheap ply, but then

That's something that kitchenman said a while back - I believe that he said he uses a circ when ripping worktops.

Me, I'm not that brave......yet.

PoP

Replying to the email address given by my news reader will result in your own email address being instantly added to my anti-spam database! If you really want to contact me try changing the prefix in the given email address to my newsgroup posting name.....

Reply to
PoP

On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 13:24:20 -0000, "stuart noble" do have a good one). Fine for sink inserts but not much good for anything

Very true. Better off with a good hard point saw in a lot of cases.

Paul Mc Cann

Reply to
Paul Mc Cann

On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 13:20:35 -0000, "stuart noble" saw. People tend to forget that ther a lot of different qualities of laminate out there. Sometimes the chipboard core can cause problems also.

I have often, when using a template, marked the outline with a heavy felt tip pen. Cutting just to the outside of this line with a jig-saw, replacing the template and then using the router with a template follower bit very quickly finishes the job off. Much quicker, I find, than multiple passes with the router on its own, especially in heavy material

Paul Mc Cann

Reply to
Paul Mc Cann

Oh and score a line in the laminate with a stanley knife before you start. Helps to keep from wandering off, and increases the likelihood of any shatter being in the right line.

Reply to
Suz

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.