Hi

I have 3 lengths of a wooden worktop that needs to be joined together
in a U shape. The worktops are squared edged, i.e they have no bevel
or profiled edges so I was considering using a circular saw to cut the
correct lengths and then use worktop bolts and biscuits to butt join
them. However placing two of the worktops together the join seems
quite visible/noticable.

Would using a WT jig and router create a less obvious join? I had
assumed they where mainly used for laminates that have profiled/
postformed edges.

Cheers for any advise
A

I've not joined laminated mdf/chipboard kitchen worktops, but I've
biscuited lots of solid timber boards together. *If everything is
perfectly square and level* then biscuits, glue and clamps should
produce a near invisible joint.

wrote in message
...
I've not joined laminated mdf/chipboard kitchen worktops, but I've
biscuited lots of solid timber boards together. *If everything is
perfectly square and level* then biscuits, glue and clamps should
produce a near invisible joint.

Although most wooden worktops that I've seen are composed of many little
pieces of wood glued (laminated) together to form a board, a correctly
assembled ninety degree join is 'near invisible' to the fingertips ... it's
very apparent visually by the orientation of the basic blocks of wood from
which each element is made.


--

Brian

On 22 Nov, 16:55, ado wrote:

I have 3 lengths of a wooden worktop that needs to be joined together
in a U shape.

What's "wood" in this context?

If you mean a man-made board, then do it with either a big router in a
jig, or do it with an edge jointer.

If they're a rounded edge (like the man-mades) then use the jig and
semi-mitre the rounded edges.

If they're square-edge and a simple butt-joint will do you, then form
the edge square with a floor-standing jointer planer, or else a hand-
held manual plane. As worktops are big and heavy, then it's easier to
take the cutter to the job. I can't imagine the as-sawn edge would be
too clean, but a cabinet saw or bandsaw ought to be OK, even though a
hand-held jigsaw would be iffy. You're only bolting it though, not
looking for glue-up grade jointing.


If it's natural wood, then you need to think again about the design.
Moisture shrinkage or expansion across the grain sounds like it's
going to scupper your plans here unless you're careful - it sounds
like you've design a long cross-grained joint.

If you read up on "breadboard ends" then you might see how to do it
properly with a sliding joint, but it's non-trivial. (BTW - a biscuit
jointer makes a great portable shaper for this job)

I was considering using a circular saw

Yes, well stop that right now. You're really asking for trouble that
way, from surface chipping if nothing else.

Brian Sharrock wrote:

wrote in message
...
I've not joined laminated mdf/chipboard kitchen worktops, but I've
biscuited lots of solid timber boards together. *If everything is
perfectly square and level* then biscuits, glue and clamps should
produce a near invisible joint.

Although most wooden worktops that I've seen are composed of many little
pieces of wood glued (laminated) together to form a board, a correctly
assembled ninety degree join is 'near invisible' to the fingertips ... it's
very apparent visually by the orientation of the basic blocks of wood from
which each element is made.

.... and who cares anyway? This obsession with hiding joints and
fixings is quite beyond me.

--
Chris Green

On 22 Nov, 18:40, Andy Dingley wrote:
On 22 Nov, 16:55, ado wrote:

I have 3 lengths of a wooden worktop that needs to be joined together
in a U shape.

What's "wood" in this context?

If you mean a man-made board, then do it with either a big router in a
jig, or do it with an edge jointer.

If they're a rounded edge (like the man-mades) then use the jig and
semi-mitre the rounded edges.

If they're square-edge and a simple butt-joint will do you, then form
the edge square with a floor-standing jointer planer, or else a hand-
held manual plane. As worktops are big and heavy, then it's easier to
take the cutter to the job. I can't imagine the as-sawn edge would be
too clean, but a cabinet saw or bandsaw ought to be OK, even though a
hand-held jigsaw would be iffy. You're only bolting it though, not
looking for glue-up grade jointing.

If it's natural wood, then you need to think again about the design.
Moisture shrinkage or expansion across the grain sounds like it's
going to scupper your plans here unless you're careful - it sounds
like you've design a long cross-grained joint.

If you read up on "breadboard ends" then you might see how to do it
properly with a sliding joint, but it's non-trivial. (BTW - a biscuit
jointer makes a great portable shaper for this job)

I was considering using a circular saw

Yes, well stop that right now. You're really asking for trouble that
way, from surface chipping if nothing else.

Hi

It is simple square end solid wood beech worktops as sold by
ikea,wickes & b&q. They look like they are comprised of loads of
strips of wood compressed together. I was going to use the circular
saw to cut most of excess wood off and then use a router to take the
last few mm of. Then butt join them together. Since they are square
edge I was thinking this would produce as smooth/seemless a join as
using a WT jig to create a male and female joins and joining them that
way. I was wondering has anyone any thoughts/experience on this.

Also the way the worktops will be layed out is the left and right
worktops will go to the back wall and a 3rd piece would join these in
the middle to form a U. Am I right in thinking that once I leave a 5mm
gap where the worktops meet the walls then It should cope with any
expansions?

Cheers
A

Hi,

I did something like this recently, except mine was a 'L' shape, not a
'U'. I used a circ then router to cut the lengths then a w/top jig
from transtools (it was pretty cheap compared with others) to cut the
bolt holes with a biscuit cutter (again from transtools) on the
router. I was surprised how a) easy it was and b) how good the result
was (can't even feel a step with a fingertip). I used a smear of
silicone in teh gap before I tightened the bolts. My worktop (which I
got online, sadly can't remember where, but it was a good price for
oak) had square edges, unlike the (eg) Ikea ones.

I should magine your biggest issue will be non-square walls: In may
case, the joint was a right angle and I lost the wander of the walls
under the decorating (used S/steel panels rather than tiles). With a
'U' shape, that might be more tricky, depending on the relative
lengths of the various runs. I would probably get the two arms sorted
and parallel before cutting the middle.

The other thing I've learned is that it doesn't seem to matter how
much you oil these worktops, they still need more....

Good luck

On Fri, 23 Nov 2007 04:10:54 -0800 (PST), ado
wrote:


snip
Also the way the worktops will be layed out is the left and right
worktops will go to the back wall and a 3rd piece would join these in
the middle to form a U. Am I right in thinking that once I leave a 5mm
gap where the worktops meet the walls then It should cope with any
expansions?

Cheers
A

i would fit the back one between the walls if possible
that way you can do the joints one at a time
just ignore if im stating the obvious,but if youre doing this on base
units dont forget to keep the front of the worktop parrallel to the
cabinets,not the walls

pol