On Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:48:17 GMT, "The Medway Handyman"
waxed lyrical about:

snip

OK it looks like I'll have to attempt it... gulp

I've found this set of instructions
http://www.raygirling.com/wtjig.htm
which seem clear and easy enough to follow

And a worktop jig (with a free router bit) on eBay - does this look
OK? - and the same seller does the bolts.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Worktop-Jig-70...item3350838ed3

Although, given the cost of the jig and the bolts I could probably pay
someone to do it with less chance of a cock-up... but, there again,
next time I'll have all the necessary bits...

Are joint strips soooo bad? Masons mitre joints are a 'must have' fashion
accessory IMO. A right PITA to cut, and bloody unreliable - I've seen loads
& loads that have come adrift. Once adrift they are buggered, let water in
& look horrible.

Do the maths. Get in a pro for £100-£150 to do the job, spend £300+ to buy
the DIY kit - or spend £8 on an aluminium trim. Run a bead of clear
silicone under the edges and you have a 100% reliable waterproof joint that
takes care of any variable in the corner.

No brainer IMO.

That's all very well but, on one hand SWMBO won't allow the strips
because "they look 'nasty' and trap dirt" and, on the other hand, I
don't like them because they'd be a constant reminder that I couldn't
be arsed to do the job properly. If I really don't think that I can do
something to the standard that I expect, or if I just haven't got the
time, I'll pay someone else to do it, but I prefer to do it myself if
I can - I like learning new skills, I get it done the way *I* want it,
and it's a nice contrast to being in an office all week.

That said, due to my worries about buggering up an £80 worktop with my
first attempt at a mason's mitre, I've gone for a slightly different
approach and, hopefully, managed to sidestep both the mitre and joint
strips.

I've spent a (little) bit more on the worktop and got hold of a 3m
620mm x 40mm solid oak one at a very reasonable price and, as this has
square edges instead of a post-formed curve, I should be able to
butt-join the 90 degree turn. As I understand it, I just need to route
out some butterfly bolt slots, add some biscuits for vertical
alignment and all should be OK. I should also be able to route a nice
radius curve into the 'floating' end of the L shape without faffing
about getting the finish right with stick-on edging.

And, for no reason other than because I want to learn to cut one, I
decided to buy the jig I mentioned earlier so I'll be able to have a
few leisurely practice goes at a mitre joint on the sections of
worktop that I remove. I know that I could have done this anyway
before trying it with the proper worktop but was concerned that it
might turn out to be something that I'll need a fair amount of
practice to master and time constraints mean that I need to get the
current worktop out and the new one fitted in one day.