Cutting worktops

[Jim]

Anyone have good tips on cutting worktops with a circular saw. I'm not happy with the risk of chipping.

[dg]

Use a fine blade, or a specific laminate blade

Better still use a router.

dg

[Roger Mills]

Always cut from the underside - i.e. if the saw is hand-held, turn the worktop upside down. Try to start cutting from the rolled edge so that the saw doesn't exit through this edge.

Use a sharp tungsten-carbide-tipped blade with lots of teeth.

To get a nice straight cut, clamp a straight piece of material (such as a 6" wide strip of conti-board) to the underside of the worktop parallel to the cutting line - and at the right distance from it to guide the blade along the cutting line when the edge of the saw's sole-plate follows the material.

Roger

[Toby]

Use a sharp blade, preferably with a lot of teeth, a 24 tooth rough old blade is not a good start. A 40 tooth new blade won't be expensive. Set saw to worktop depth plus 2 or 3mm only, cut from the underside - this makes the blade teeth cut the surface nearly perpendicularly. A worktop sandwich using spare wood is a good alternate. Tape cutting line. Make a trial or practice cut if you have any spare. Clamp a guide to the worktop if possible, saves you wandering onto the good side, and means you don't have to concentrate on 'steering'.

[Toby]

Hmm. Well I know what I meant, but perpendicular wasn't it.

[Toby]

Jeeeesus. Need sleep. 'was not it'

[Jim]

Got it now--cut from bottom and start cut on front edge. Haven't done a kitchen for 10 years and went brain dead. Thanks for you tips.

[Paul King]

Echoing other posters here - use/buy/obtain/beg the finest toothed TCT blade you can find for your Circsaw. It may not be cheap - but its a whole lot cheaper than the worktop!

Been there, seen it, done it..... and regretted it!

[Paul King]

If you only need "straight" cuts then you'll be OK - but if you are trying to "turn the corner" then you will have to scroll the front edge!

Go to any of the diy sheds that do kitchen displays and *REALLY LOOK* at how those joints were achieved!

If you are really lucky (as I was) and find the exact worktop you intend to use, trace out that joint on paper so that you've got "something" to work to instead of using guesswork when you get home. Note... not sketch.... physically place the (greaseproof - easier to trace with) paper on the joint and draw it out! The main part is the two or so inches from the rolltop edge to the main flat worktop.

You can then Circsaw *most* of the flat worktop starting from the backedge - but you'll have to cut/scroll the front bit from the rolltop edge using (in my case) a jigsaw.

You *WILL* have to cut this from the topside (coz the jigsaw blade can wander - and you don't want it to wander on the side which will be seen! If the blade wanders and creates overcut you can remove it with a file, Surform or whatever, if it creates undercut it won't be seen). You will also need to start this cut from the rolltop edge, otherwise the edge *will* chip as the blade exits!

Use a DOWNWARD cutting jigsaw blade - specially made for cutting worktops! Most important!

You will then have to create the mirror image of this cut on the corresponding worktop - hence using greaseproof paper so that it can be turned over!

Finally, treat *all* exposed edges with a waterproof (gloss) paint, and when thoroughly dry, use a waterproof glue to glue them together.

Alternatively, for that *REALLY* professional look, you could buy a proper template - but you will need to decide how many kitchen tops you will fit in your lifetime for it to be an economical viability!

Well that's been my experience. I've done two refits (both being my own houses at different times) and they're still good.

In my experience, the best policy is to buy much more worktop than you really need and chop off a couple of pieces to practice "turning the corner" on. Its far cheaper in the long run than screwing it and needing another delivery!

After all, this is uk.d-i-y, and you DID ask! YMMV

[The Natural Philosopher]

The simple answer is cut slightly oversize, and use a router to finish to size using a fine edge cut.

[usenet]

Who says? The cheapest laminate worktops can be very cheap indeed, I bet if one tried one could find a TCT blade which cost more than a cheap worktop! :-)

[Mike Harrison]

A good way to stop chipping with any type of saw is to clamp another piece of wood against the surface and cut both together

[Andrew Gabriel]

I nail a thin strip of wood on with small pin nails (which are going into the underside of the worktop anyway) as a guide. You get a much better cut than steering a line by eye.

[Tony Collins]

Alternatively, I hired a cutting jig and router for around £30 for the weekend. Gave a perfect result.

I got it for the weekend so I could do a couple of practise joints.

[stuart noble]

Cheap worktops are more liable to chip, whatever you use. Some of the imitation formica is very brittle, and not stuck to the core very well.

[Mungo Henning]

Anyone mentioned to make sure that the blade in the hand-held circular saw (assumption) is at 90 degrees to the sole plate? Use a "square" to check this out, or better still, make a test cut on a piece of scrap and check it for being square.

Mungo