Recently I wrote asking about the thickness of the worktop jigs that you
use with routers. Just for interest, the "budget" jig from Screwfix
(note: not the 12m of oak-effect skirting board that they tried to fob
me off with) is in-fact about 15mm thick.



Anyway, what a day - practiced with jig, no problems, so cut out the
female joint on one worktop - beautiful results, so continued with new
router to route a lip around the worktop (to fit under the tiles - the
original worktop was 30mm, this is 40mm, so there needs to be a rebate
to allow the edge of the worktop under the tile edge). Cut the piece to
size, measured for the kitchen sink, and started cutting with jigsaw.
Damned hard work - with downward cutting blades, the jigsaw bounces a
lot, so I put more and more weight onto the worktop and the jigsaw to
stop the bounce. This worked well, until I made the cut across the depth
of the worktop; all of a sudden gravity kicked in and deposited me, the
still whirring jigsaw and about 1/2 the worktop (say £50 worth) onto the
floor (raises hand for Darwin nomination).

Repeated with the second worktop, although this time routed the sink
hole with the worktop in situ (SWMBO has gone nuts over the sawdust) but
at least this one's in place (shame about the hob, on the other worktop
- that's gonna have to wait for another worktop to be deliver - bang
goes another ton), but hopefully I've learnt a few lessons.*

(* the one I didn't learn, was to remember to route the tongues for the
worktop clamps - SWMBO did query what they were for when she found them
underneath all the sawdust. "Bugger", said I, or words to that effect,
whilst glaring at the newly fitted sink; Still - plan-B - which is
achieveable - is to screw some battens on the underside of each worktop
and clamp between those - there'll be no fouls, and it'll allow me more
space to biscuit the worktops).

What a day.

(sorry for the rant, but I'm just coming off the boil)

Mike.