Joining Wooden worktops

Hi

I have 3 lengths of a wooden worktop that needs to be joined together in a U shape. The worktops are squared edged, i.e they have no bevel or profiled edges so I was considering using a circular saw to cut the correct lengths and then use worktop bolts and biscuits to butt join them. However placing two of the worktops together the join seems quite visible/noticable.

Would using a WT jig and router create a less obvious join? I had assumed they where mainly used for laminates that have profiled/ postformed edges.

Cheers for any advise A

Reply to
ado
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I've not joined laminated mdf/chipboard kitchen worktops, but I've biscuited lots of solid timber boards together. *If everything is perfectly square and level* then biscuits, glue and clamps should produce a near invisible joint.

Reply to
dom

Although most wooden worktops that I've seen are composed of many little pieces of wood glued (laminated) together to form a board, a correctly assembled ninety degree join is 'near invisible' to the fingertips ... it's very apparent visually by the orientation of the basic blocks of wood from which each element is made.

Reply to
Brian Sharrock

What's "wood" in this context?

If you mean a man-made board, then do it with either a big router in a jig, or do it with an edge jointer.

If they're a rounded edge (like the man-mades) then use the jig and semi-mitre the rounded edges.

If they're square-edge and a simple butt-joint will do you, then form the edge square with a floor-standing jointer planer, or else a hand- held manual plane. As worktops are big and heavy, then it's easier to take the cutter to the job. I can't imagine the as-sawn edge would be too clean, but a cabinet saw or bandsaw ought to be OK, even though a hand-held jigsaw would be iffy. You're only bolting it though, not looking for glue-up grade jointing.

If it's natural wood, then you need to think again about the design. Moisture shrinkage or expansion across the grain sounds like it's going to scupper your plans here unless you're careful - it sounds like you've design a long cross-grained joint.

If you read up on "breadboard ends" then you might see how to do it properly with a sliding joint, but it's non-trivial. (BTW - a biscuit jointer makes a great portable shaper for this job)

Yes, well stop that right now. You're really asking for trouble that way, from surface chipping if nothing else.

Reply to
Andy Dingley

... and who cares anyway? This obsession with hiding joints and fixings is quite beyond me.

Reply to
tinnews

Hi

It is simple square end solid wood beech worktops as sold by ikea,wickes & b&q. They look like they are comprised of loads of strips of wood compressed together. I was going to use the circular saw to cut most of excess wood off and then use a router to take the last few mm of. Then butt join them together. Since they are square edge I was thinking this would produce as smooth/seemless a join as using a WT jig to create a male and female joins and joining them that way. I was wondering has anyone any thoughts/experience on this.

Also the way the worktops will be layed out is the left and right worktops will go to the back wall and a 3rd piece would join these in the middle to form a U. Am I right in thinking that once I leave a 5mm gap where the worktops meet the walls then It should cope with any expansions?

Cheers A

Reply to
ado

Hi,

I did something like this recently, except mine was a 'L' shape, not a 'U'. I used a circ then router to cut the lengths then a w/top jig from transtools (it was pretty cheap compared with others) to cut the bolt holes with a biscuit cutter (again from transtools) on the router. I was surprised how a) easy it was and b) how good the result was (can't even feel a step with a fingertip). I used a smear of silicone in teh gap before I tightened the bolts. My worktop (which I got online, sadly can't remember where, but it was a good price for oak) had square edges, unlike the (eg) Ikea ones.

I should magine your biggest issue will be non-square walls: In may case, the joint was a right angle and I lost the wander of the walls under the decorating (used S/steel panels rather than tiles). With a 'U' shape, that might be more tricky, depending on the relative lengths of the various runs. I would probably get the two arms sorted and parallel before cutting the middle.

The other thing I've learned is that it doesn't seem to matter how much you oil these worktops, they still need more....

Good luck

Reply to
GMM

snip

i would fit the back one between the walls if possible that way you can do the joints one at a time just ignore if im stating the obvious,but if youre doing this on base units dont forget to keep the front of the worktop parrallel to the cabinets,not the walls

pol

Reply to
m

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