I've decided to fit my own kitchen rolled edge laminate worktops (U shape kitchen, two joins).
This will be a one off, so I want a jig which will work very well, with good instructions, but doesn't have to be durable for multi use.
There seems to be two or three companies selling them on EBay as BuyItNow which are about 35 pounds plus 10 pounds postage. Screwfix do one for 90 pounds.
Anyone with experience of any of these?
Also, any links to good webpages with advice on using these jigs,
On Thu, 29 Jun 2006 20:20:41 +0100, Darren wrote (in article ):
I've used both the Screwfix and CMT jigs and they work well.
Another approach is to rent one.
It's important to have a fairly powerful 12.7mm router and good quality sharp cutters. Any of the major brand routers are generally good (Freud is good value for money for example). DIY store own brand are often questionable in terms of mechanical power output.
For cutters, CMT and Freud are among the best. Don't be tempted to skimp on cheap cutters.
Screwfix do another for around £50, which works fine.
Other advice than what you've been given so far - clamping the jig to the worktop with the locating dowels in the correct place is ESSENTIAL - I'd be tempted next time to get some of that router matting material and cut a template that the jig would sit on before clamping (maybe the slight drift I got with mine is exacerbated by less than 90-degree corners in the kitchen, and a high-gloss [slippery] surface to the laminate).
(other advice I could offer is not to cut this off the ground - supported on one side of the cut, not supported on the other, and putting a lot of weight on the offcut whilst cutting. Entertaining as you crash to the ground with power tool spinning in hand and £100 worktop ruined. Sounds obvious, now.)
On Thu, 29 Jun 2006 22:58:50 +0100, Mike Dodd wrote (in article ):
Good point.
I discovered the potential for this issue to happen
One thing that I did is to practice on an old piece of worktop and found that a piece of newspaper (one sheet) placed between the jig and the worktop stopped any tendency for sliding. It doesn't matter that that gets hit by the router.
Even so, strong clamping is essential (with a piece of wood to avoid marring the worktop)
Definitely.
I found that a good way to do this was to lay strips of wood on the workbench running across the width of the worktop. This supports the piece properly both before and after the cut and keeps it clear of the bench.
Other tips for the OP:
- Practice on an old piece of worktop. It's even worth buying a bit that's damaged or end of line, or use the old one from the kitchen.
- Take modest depth cuts - no more than about 8-10mm at a time. The slot in the jig is normally a mm or two wider than the guide bush for the router base. Initial cutting is made with the router held away from the eventual edge side of the slot, then final trim with the router pressed against the side where the finished edge is.
- Use biscuits on the joints. The typical "dog bone" connectors work well for pulling the joints up together. They don't do a good job at aligning and maintaining vertical alignment of the two pieces of worktop. In this application, biscuits won't do much to strengthen the joint, but will make sure that vertical alignment is and remains perfect. If it's thought that a biscuit jointer would be a useful tool in general, then it is worth getting one. Otherwise, for this application, there are router cutters that will make the slots.
Type "biscuit" as a search keyword on the Screwfix or Axminster web sites for tools, cutters, materials
The largest no. 20 biscuits would be the ones to use. It's an idea to cut slots from both sides of the worktop to provide two rows of biscuits for extra strength.
I would actually second this piece of advice - despite having an initial "perfect" fit mine has now sagged ~0.5mm - enough to be noticable if you look hard enough.
Indeed. Whilst my worktops cost me £300 (well, should have been £200 but I needed a replacement piece) - I spent another £200 on a router, £50 on a jig, £20 on the screw-fix specials (kitchen fitter's cutters). All told, doubled the price of the job, but I have used the tools since. Also currently on loan to a mate at work for him to do his kitchen.
The other thing that you'll gain is experience, which is no small thing.
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.