Plastic laminate countertops are cost-effective, long-lasting, easy to clean, and available in a broad range of styles. Perhaps most importantly, they are reasonably simple to install yourself. Here are some suggestions about how to cut a laminate formica countertop to the exact size you want and upgrade your kitchen.
Instruments
You’ll want to acquire the following items before you start:
- The jigsaw blade (saber saw) must have at least ten teeth per inch to be considered “down-cut.”
- Saw blade with a narrow kerf on a circular saw (space left by the blade’s cut) blade with 60 teeth made of carbide.
- Belt sander/Sanding block with sandpaper of 220 grit.
- A drill.
- As is always the case, eye protection is recommended.
Creating a Custom Fit
Laminate countertops are available in stock sizes ranging from 4 to 12 feet in length, with two-foot width. There is a considerable probability that the area you have available for a counter is not entirely divided by two as you might expect. Do not be concerned; trimming the counter to look good is not a particularly difficult task. The merchant will frequently have end trim sections of matching laminate available for you to glue on after you’ve made your cut if you ask nicely. The following are the measures to take to achieve a clean cut-off of your counter.
The counter’s edge has an edge where you may mark down your estimate for the required length.
Attach a strip of masking tape to the counter where you will make your cut to prevent the laminate from peeling during the cutting process. The second piece of masking tape should be laid down such that the shoe of your saw rests between the two parts of the tape, preventing the counter from being damaged.
Make a mark on the first piece of masking tape using a carpenter’s square to indicate where you will cut.
Measure the distance between the edge of the shoe of your circular saw and the blade of the saw. You’ll need to clamp a 1×2 to use it as a rip fence. Ensure that a saw sits against the fence and also that the blade is aligned with your mark by following this measurement. As a hint, round up your size by 1/6 of an inch so that the cut is really a bit wider than the marking. The advantage of this is that if there is any minor chipping to the laminate, you can smooth it out using a belt sander so the counter will be the proper size.
Set the depth of your blade to be 1/8th inch deeper than the thickest area of the counter’s widest section.
Always ensure that the blade is spinning at maximum speed before beginning your cut. Another alternative is to make a practice cut through the extra piece of laminate to get a feel for what you’re going to be doing.
After you’ve made your cut, sand the edge until it’s consistent with your mark, and then strip away the masking tape. Be careful only to use downward strokes to avoid pulling the laminate away from the foundation when sanding.
Cutting the Laminate for the Sink
The procedure for carving out the space for your sink is identical to the stages outlined above, with a few exceptions:
Again, you should use masking tape to protect the area where you’ll be sawing to avoid chipping.
The supplier of your sink has likely provided you with a template that you may transfer to the counter to obtain a precise cutting line.
Make an initial hole within the template marks with a drill bit. The bit for your jigsaw should be slightly larger in diameter than the blade.
Screw a 1×2 to the middle of the hole you will be making in the future. When you reach the end of your cut, this will hold the cutaway so that the weight of the cutaway does not break any lamination. One screw is plenty since the board may be twisted out of the way at times when you reach the area of the cut where the screw is located.
Insert the blade into the starter hole and begin cutting, being sure to always have the blade spinning at maximum speed before starting the cut, as previously stated.
You may discover that it is a bit more challenging to control a straight line when using a jigsaw, but don’t fear, the sink’s lip will conceal any small slides over the mark you have made.
When cutting laminate countertops, what type of jigsaw blade should you use? So you might use a circular saw table saw, a reciprocating saw or a jigsaw to cut your panels (ideal for curved cuts). For the blade, you should select one with a lot of teeth and one that is long enough to cut through the countertop completely (even better if it’s carbide tipped).