"Bob F" wrote in message
...
JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
My next assignment at a friend's new-used house is to cut some
ready-made Home Depot countertop to correct length, and cut the hole
for the sink. I've got some concerns, mostly due to the fact that
I've never done this before and it's her money.

The pieces will have a backsplash. Cutting a flat piece of countertop
seems easy, if all precautions & preparations are done right. But,
continuing the cut to wrap around the backsplash seems dicey. I'll be
using a sabre saw and I envision doing the cutting from the bottom,
as mentioned in the brochure. I assume it's done this way because the
sabre saw blade cuts on the upstroke, so the teeth won't be trying to
push the laminate off the underlying board.

What's the trick for the backsplash? Cut from the top edge toward the
counter, then cut from the counter's front edge toward the
backsplash, and then join the two cuts (while praying)? Maybe finish
that cut with a keyhole saw? My friend will be buying the end cap kit
mentioned in the brochure, but I don't know yet how much fractional
error these kits can cover up, if any.

You can also buy sabre saw blades that cut on the downstroke, which could
be useful for the sink opening at least. I did a counter with these,
following a line drawn on masking tape, which protects the surface. That
guide someone else pointed to looks nice though.

Chances are, you will be cutting off an end piece. You can do shorter cuts
to practice whatever you decide, before you do the final cut. You will
need a pretty clean cut if you are adding the iron-on end pieces.


Iron-on? Oh no....why does that sound like a cob job?