What saw blade to cut laminate countertop

A table saw, circular saw, or reciprocating saw should be able to cut the counters. With regards to the different saws, you need to take some precautions. If the countertop is preformed and not just a sheet of laminate, you have the chipboard below and the laminate glued to the top.

Get as close to degrees as. Use a sharp, finish blade. To cut through laminate countertops , you can use a hand saw , but a circular saw makes the job much quicker. Because a circular saw can produce jagged edges and chip the laminate , your best bet is to lay the laminate face-side down and cut from the back to the front.

The Irwin Marathon blades work pretty well. When I cut countertops I runt he saw backwards. The perfect saw blade to cut a laminate countertop is a circular miter saw. You can also use a hand saw but a blade with a circular saw makes the job easier and quicker.

NOTE: When cutting countertop , use a fine-toothed plywood cutting blade to minimize chipping in the plastic laminate. The teeth of the saw blade enter the face of the plastic laminate , so chipping is minimal or nonexistent. Because laminate countertop is a relatively soft material, a normal circular saw blade for cutting wood is capable of cutting through it with ease. According to WoodworkingTips.

After making the first cut , you need to install the fence guide perpendicularly and clamp into place tightly. Make sure the blade of the saw will go exactly over the cut line, otherwise the countertop won’t go over the cut line. If you replace a countertop in your kitchen or bathroom, you may need to cut the new countertop to fit the desired area.

Laminate countertops usually come in one piece that combines the actual countertop and the backsplash. You can buy a circular saw and the rest of the tools required to cut a laminate countertop at a home improvement or. Cleaner cuts result if the formica is temporarily laid on waste plywood for support. Carbide router bits, jigsaw blades and circular saw blades will all work well on formica if proper guides and blade settings are used. Now I can cut the sides with a jigsaw.

I’m using a laminate cutting jigsaw blade in the saw. This specialty blade has teeth that cut on the down stroke to prevent chipping. To prevent the cutout from breaking free of the countertop prematurely, which would damage the laminate , I screw a cleat to the cutout with single screw. Installers often cut full sheets into manageable pieces with a table saw , which requires the extra step of providing support for the sheet on the out-feed side of the table as well as on the blade.

Formica is a versatile, plastic laminate that comes in a wide range of colors, textures, and finishes. Using Formica allows a homeowner to customize an area with a laminate that is durable and easy to clean. The best way to cut a laminate countertop is with a large stationary saw with 12- or 14-inch blades.

Alternate methods are to use a jigsaw with a specialized laminate cutting blade or a circular saw with a shop-built jig to guide the cuts. Align the inside edge of a circular saw blade with the cut line, with the other edge of the blade facing the piece of the counter top you are cutting off. Make a mark on the side of the saw guard.

The cut was nice and smooth. And I used a guide block to keep it straight. In cutting the laminate , a circular saw to use is another option. The blade of the saw should have at least teeth to give the edges a clean finish. The blade should be positioned at the thickest part of the countertop and slowly start sawing with a steady movement.

So we mark our cut , and then we align our cutting guide with that mark. And that’s where the saw blade is going to go. Saw the counter along the cut line with the handsaw. Hold the end of the blade that is by the handle of the saw on the edge of the countertop.

Pull the full length of the saw toward your body in one smooth motion. This will provide a clean starting cut to start sawing. As you cut along the line you drew, use smooth back and forth motions with. Remember to use a steady movement and cut slowly. If you are not able to cut right to the wall using a circular saw , you can finish the cut using an electric jig saw with a fine tooth metal blade or a special laminate blade.

In order to make accurate sizes of Formica for your countertops , you will need to follow the above steps when making the laminate cuts with a table saw. Even though it is thicker, you still need to use a protective board on the table top of the. A mitre saw is for trim and cutting dimensional lumber, not forcing a blade through melamine and aluminum oxide And I agree with Floordude as well. Countertop laminate is thicker than cabinet mica. A finish blade appropriate will be fine, BUT too if you choose to cut with a finish blade of a scroll saw for example, you might reverse the blade in a scroll saw to inflict the possibility of damage more to the underside of what is likely MDF Depending on blade Kerf and tooth size.

Cross Cutting Saw Blades are used to cut across the grain and typically feature more teeth (between – 96) to quickly and efficiently move wood fibers out of the way. This is why you would typically find blades such as these in any heavy-production cabinet shop. I am running into a problem when cutting a laminate countertop from the top side. It always chips away the laminate , so I have to turn the jigsaw around and cut from the bottom.

But I was wondering if there are any down cut jigsaw blades that would cut on the down stroke instead of on the up stroke.