What is the best method of cutting kitchen worktop to give a nice straight edge? I have a hand held circular saw and a jigsaw, the circular has a bit of an aggressive blade however. Would you cut on the top or the bottom and would you put masking tape over the line to be cut? I presume it would be best to clamp a straight edge for whatever method is chosen?
TIA
Use the circular saw. Cut with the worktop face down so that the teeth of the blade are cutting up into the laminate surface.
I did this yesterday and it worked quite well - no masking tape used.
The circular saw out of those two. It is not really possible to make a good cut with a jigsaw, although they are fine for rough work that isn't visible, such as sink cutouts.
For really decent cut, though, you should be looking at a 1/2" router, having cut it about 3mm oversize with either jigsaw or circular.
Christian.
As above, but use a fine sharp TCT blade (buy a new one if necessary) and start at the front edge. Set the depth of cut only slightly more than the worktop thickness. Clamp a strip on timber parallel with the cut line, at an appropriate distance from it, to guide the saw.
as above or use a /high quality/ jigsaw with a downcut blade. this method worked a treat for me as I was unable to trun the worktops over when I'd done the cut because the worktops are 3.6m long and therefore heavy
*and* unweildy. one has a standard sink cut out and the other a 900mm hole for the 6 burner stainless hob.if I'd have tried to turn them over after cutting them they would surely have snapped and at £150 each I wasn't about to take that risk.
HtH
I suspect we're talking about 2 different sorts of cut. I was talking about a straight full-width cut, as in cutting a worktop to the required length. The edge will show, and needs to be very straight and square - *very* difficult to achieve with a jigsaw. You are talking about cutting an aperture for an inset sink, etc. - where the edge will be covered by a flange. A jigsaw is fine for this - in fact far better than a circular saw since it will cut rounded corners.
you're probably right :-)
You have to cut the top up with masking tape to protect the surface and to show the pencil line if you use a jigsaw.
You need to do this outside on some strips of scantling packed level.
This is for a perfect finish with mitred cuts that are to be bolted together form underneath. The othe cuts can be hand sawn if you are putting plates over them.
Remember whatever you do that the worktp should be slightly oversize and fit into a hacked out recess in the plasterwork if the walls are not perfectly straight and square -which they never are.
I thought routers and jigs were the weapons of choice these days?
Regards
Mark
What I do for these cuts is to make a rough cut with a down-cut jigsaw to within about 5mm of the required length, then using a slamped-on straight-edge as a guide, use a router to finish the edge. You need a
12.7mm collet router with a proper worktop cutter ideally. This gives an edge so smooth that you can stick the edge laminate on without any further finishing.I do much the same for the apperture cuts. Make a jig out of 12mm ply or MDF. Cut the hole with the jigsaw, then finish with a router and jig - in this case I use a pattern bit with a top bearing - takes two cuts. Then you can use the thin laminate designed for postformed worktops to seal the edge.
Remember to paint a sealant onto the cut edge if it isn't going to be laminate covered. Otherwise MDF or Chipboard will wick moisture in and swell.
R.
Only when doing butt jointing.
-- Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite
Circular saw, cut from the back, use tape - and one of these
*front* rolled edge, and end at the edge which goes against the wall.
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