Originally I got myself a jigsaw to cut my laminate for my house. However, I see some contractors use circular saws. The laminate guides I see recommend never mention circular saws either.
I assume with a circular saw you have better control of cutting laminate in a straight line over a jigsaw maybe? Or maybe the cutting is in one direction so you don't damage the top layer of the board?
Are there good reasons for using one?
Thanx
AMO
Both saws have their role. For fast, smooth cutting a circular saw is vastly superior to a jigsaw. But a jigsaw will do curves and odd shaped cutouts around pipes etc. A circular saw is a scarier tool to use until you build up some experience with it, whilst a jigsaw is safer and more forgiving.
A circular saw does the cutting in half the time a jig will do. Problem is you need a 60 to 80 toothed blade on circular to give a fine cut.
Both saws have their role. For fast, smooth cutting a circular saw is vastly superior to a jigsaw. But a jigsaw will do curves and odd shaped cutouts around pipes etc. A circular saw is a scarier tool to use until you build up some experience with it, whilst a jigsaw is safer and more forgiving.
I'd say a sawbench and a jigsaw would be a good combination for laminate. Hand held circ saws need both hands so you need to fix the laminate to something to stop it sliding about. A bit of a fiddle to set up unless you've got a lot of straight cutting.
You could do it with a jigsaw if youre very patient, but youre unlikely to get decent straight edges, and you may die of boredom.
A circular is vastly superior in every way. I'd suggest using a sawboard with it where you need a precise cut position. Also always put the lam upside down when cutting with a circ, as its the top surface that gets ripped up by circ saws. For perfect cuts with a cheap circ blade, just put the lam on a scrap of hardboard and cut through both as if they were one piece, and dont rush the thing. No need to buy a high price blade that way
NT
The message from "AMO" contains these words:
Yes, they're faster and cut straight lines better. Personally I'd stick it in the chop-saw.
Thanx Dom and all else who replied.
I've got a jigsaw, but a mate of mine also gave me a circular saw, so I'll probably end up trying both.
AMO
The message from "AMO" contains these words:
Practice on a bit of scrap, but you may find less chance of lifting the top decorative layer if the workpiece is face down.
The edges don't show though....
Ben
Yeah, but with laminate the cut edges aren't showing usually, so that doesn't really matter - you can cut it straight enough quite easily. When I last put some in I found I used my jigsaw in the end. I don't think the faster cutting of the circular makes any great difference, the cutting of the boards is probably the quick bit of the job. And using jigsaw you don't need to clamp the board or anything. Just hold it in place on your sawbench or whatever and run the jigsaw through it. ISTR the chap who laid some for us as well used a jigsaw too.
In fact I've done it using just a hand saw and TBH, i don't think it really made a lot of difference to the time for the whole job.
I recently laid one laminate floor using a jigsaw and another with a circular saw.
The jigsaw produced slightly smoother cuts, but most of them will be concealed anyway.
The circular saw was *much* quicker to use, and cut straighter. It made the whole job much less tedious. I'd certainly recommend it.
Of course, unless you have one of those perfectly rectangular rooms they show in the IKEA instructions - rather than, say, a victorian flat with window bays, fireplaces, recesses and no 90-degree angles at all - you're going to need something other than a circular saw for the fiddly bits.
-- Richard
Use a hand saw. If you get a good quality one you'll zip through it in no time and you wont need to worry about wires getting in the way
Chris
If you do the job properly, cut edges will be almost always hidden under the skirting so any old blade will do most of the time.
MBQ
...or you've got a smaller cordless circular saw which can easily be used one handed.
Laminate will blunt blades very quickly.
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