Hi,
Can anyone give me suggestions on the simplest and most precise way to
cut Formica plastic laminate into a round piece 42" in diameter out of
a 4x4 sheet?
Thanks...

Try scissors. They work fine for the cuts I made with them.

G.S.



On Sat, 18 Oct 2008 09:01:43 -0700,
wrote:

Hi,
Can anyone give me suggestions on the simplest and most precise way to
cut Formica plastic laminate into a round piece 42" in diameter out of
a 4x4 sheet?
Thanks...

wrote:
Hi,
Can anyone give me suggestions on the simplest and most precise way to
cut Formica plastic laminate into a round piece 42" in diameter out of
a 4x4 sheet?
Thanks...

Trim router w/ trammel point.

Although typically one would simply trim oversize and then use the edge
of the mounted piece to trim to final size in place.

--

wrote:
Hi,
Can anyone give me suggestions on the simplest and most precise way to
cut Formica plastic laminate into a round piece 42" in diameter out of
a 4x4 sheet?
Thanks...

Rough trim (saber saw works) it first then mount it - either permanently or
temporarily (FIRMLY if the latter, especially on edges) on a 42" round piece
of plywood then trim with a router using a bearing guided flush trim bit.

Don't have a 42" round piece of plywood? You can make it by attaching a
router to a piece of ply about 6-8" wide and more than 24" long...drill a
1/4" hole in the 6-8" piece near one end then attach the router to the other
end so that the inside edge of the bit is precisely 21" from the center of
the 1/4" hole. Now drill a 1/4" hole in a piece of ply greater than
42"x42", put your jig on it and insert a 1/4" bolt thru both holes. You now
have a big compass.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Gordon:
I had always assumed that the laminate's finish surface would chip at
the edges if cut with scissors, but I followed your suggestion and
used them just now to cut a scrap piece. Scissors work like a charm.
Thanks!


On Sat, 18 Oct 2008 11:08:56 -0500, Gordon Shumway
wrote:

Try scissors. They work fine for the cuts I made with them.

G.S.



On Sat, 18 Oct 2008 09:01:43 -0700,
wrote:

Hi,
Can anyone give me suggestions on the simplest and most precise way to
cut Formica plastic laminate into a round piece 42" in diameter out of
a 4x4 sheet?
Thanks...

On Sat, 18 Oct 2008 09:01:43 -0700,
wrote:

Hi,
Can anyone give me suggestions on the simplest and most precise way to
cut Formica plastic laminate into a round piece 42" in diameter out of
a 4x4 sheet?
Thanks...


A bandsaw will cut a nearly perfect circle but You will need to mount
the plastic laminate onto some hardboard first where a pivot point is
drilled. Otherwise, sissors may be enough precision fopr your
application.

Phisherman wrote:
On Sat, 18 Oct 2008 09:01:43 -0700,
wrote:

Hi,
Can anyone give me suggestions on the simplest and most precise way to
cut Formica plastic laminate into a round piece 42" in diameter out of
a 4x4 sheet?
Thanks...


A bandsaw will cut a nearly perfect circle but You will need to mount
the plastic laminate onto some hardboard first where a pivot point is
drilled. Otherwise, sissors may be enough precision fopr your
application.

If this is for a table top, you cut it oversize, glue down, and then
rout the edge to match the substrate. In a production setting they would
use a jig or die, but for a one-time job, whittle to fit is the way to
go. Even if you did have a perfect circle and the substrate was a
perfect circle, you could never get them perfectly aligned when you
dropped the laminate into place on the contact cement.

If it isn't a table top, what are you making?

--
aem sends...