Best method to cut chipboard plinths
 

I am in the process of finishing my kitchen installation and need to
cut the chipboard plinths to size.

I tried using a fine jigsaw blade but it still chips the plinth
somewhat.

I also tried scoring along the line with a stanley knife and again it
still chips slightly.

Can anyone advise me how I can cut these with clean cuts and no
chipping?



Steve.........

Best method to cut chipboard plinths
 

On Mon, 21 Mar 2011 05:15:07 -0700 (PDT), dog-man wrote:

I tried using a fine jigsaw blade but it still chips the plinth
somewhat.

Try a "worktop" blade.

--
Cheers
Dave.

Best method to cut chipboard plinths
 

On Mar 21, 12:15*pm, dog-man wrote:

I tried using a fine jigsaw blade but it still chips the plinth
somewhat.

Blades help a lot. Not just small teeth, but anti-chip shaped teeth
(Bosch 101B) and a new, sharp blade. Even better is a "reverse" tooth
blade (Bosch 101BR) that cuts on the downstroke. Make sure any
pendulum action is switched off. If your jigsaw has an anti-plinter
plate (tiny gap round the blade), then use that, although they're not
a great help on chipboard.

Scoring doesn't work too well on chipboard, because it's too hard on
the surface to score easily, and the chips are so fragile they''re
especially prone to chipping. Scoring might help if you can score to
the depth of at least half a chip thickness.

Another trick is to trim with a router, not a jigsaw.

Best method to cut chipboard plinths
 

On 21 Mar, 13:35, Andy Dingley wrote:
On Mar 21, 12:15*pm, dog-man wrote:

I tried using a fine jigsaw blade but it still chips the plinth
somewhat.

Blades help a lot. Not just small teeth, but anti-chip shaped teeth
(Bosch 101B) and a new, sharp blade. Even better is a "reverse" tooth
blade (Bosch 101BR) that cuts on the downstroke. Make sure any
pendulum action is switched off. If your jigsaw has an anti-plinter
plate (tiny gap round the blade), then use that, although they're not
a great help on chipboard.

Scoring doesn't work too well on chipboard, because it's too hard on
the surface to score easily, and the chips are so fragile they''re
especially prone to chipping. Scoring might help if you can score to
the depth of at least half a chip thickness.

Another trick is to trim with a router, not a jigsaw.

Cramp a piece of ply or perhaps chip to the face side. Good and tight.
Then cut through the lot. No pendulum action. Sharp blade, Slowly.
Sometimes masking tape along the cut line is effective but a lot
depends on the quality of the core and the melamine face.

Paul Mc Cann

Best method to cut chipboard plinths
 

On Mar 21, 2:26*pm, fred wrote:
On 21 Mar, 13:35, Andy Dingley wrote:



On Mar 21, 12:15*pm, dog-man wrote:

I tried using a fine jigsaw blade but it still chips the plinth
somewhat.

Blades help a lot. Not just small teeth, but anti-chip shaped teeth
(Bosch 101B) and a new, sharp blade. Even better is a "reverse" tooth
blade (Bosch 101BR) that cuts on the downstroke. Make sure any
pendulum action is switched off. If your jigsaw has an anti-plinter
plate (tiny gap round the blade), then use that, although they're not
a great help on chipboard.

Scoring doesn't work too well on chipboard, because it's too hard on
the surface to score easily, and the chips are so fragile they''re
especially prone to chipping. Scoring might help if you can score to
the depth of at least half a chip thickness.

Another trick is to trim with a router, not a jigsaw.

Cramp a piece of ply or perhaps chip to the face side. Good and tight.
Then cut through the lot.

Thats the most effective method IME, if you're not using a circular
saw with a decent blade that cuts clean.


No pendulum action. Sharp blade, Slowly.
Sometimes masking tape along the cut line is effective but a lot
depends on the quality of the core and the melamine face.

Paul Mc Cann

NT

Best method to cut chipboard plinths
 

fred wrote:
On 21 Mar, 13:35, Andy Dingley wrote:
On Mar 21, 12:15 pm, dog-man wrote:

I tried using a fine jigsaw blade but it still chips the plinth
somewhat.
Blades help a lot. Not just small teeth, but anti-chip shaped teeth
(Bosch 101B) and a new, sharp blade. Even better is a "reverse" tooth
blade (Bosch 101BR) that cuts on the downstroke. Make sure any
pendulum action is switched off. If your jigsaw has an anti-plinter
plate (tiny gap round the blade), then use that, although they're not
a great help on chipboard.

Scoring doesn't work too well on chipboard, because it's too hard on
the surface to score easily, and the chips are so fragile they''re
especially prone to chipping. Scoring might help if you can score to
the depth of at least half a chip thickness.

Another trick is to trim with a router, not a jigsaw.

Cramp a piece of ply or perhaps chip to the face side. Good and tight.
Then cut through the lot. No pendulum action. Sharp blade, Slowly.
Sometimes masking tape along the cut line is effective but a lot
depends on the quality of the core and the melamine face.

Paul Mc Cann

cut 3mm outside final, finish with high speed router pass.

Or sand to final.

Best method to cut chipboard plinths
 

On 21/03/2011 14:58, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
fred wrote:
On 21 Mar, 13:35, Andy Dingley wrote:
On Mar 21, 12:15 pm, dog-man wrote:

I tried using a fine jigsaw blade but it still chips the plinth
somewhat.
Blades help a lot. Not just small teeth, but anti-chip shaped teeth
(Bosch 101B) and a new, sharp blade. Even better is a "reverse" tooth
blade (Bosch 101BR) that cuts on the downstroke. Make sure any
pendulum action is switched off. If your jigsaw has an anti-plinter
plate (tiny gap round the blade), then use that, although they're not
a great help on chipboard.

Scoring doesn't work too well on chipboard, because it's too hard on
the surface to score easily, and the chips are so fragile they''re
especially prone to chipping. Scoring might help if you can score to
the depth of at least half a chip thickness.

Another trick is to trim with a router, not a jigsaw.

Cramp a piece of ply or perhaps chip to the face side. Good and tight.
Then cut through the lot. No pendulum action. Sharp blade, Slowly.
Sometimes masking tape along the cut line is effective but a lot
depends on the quality of the core and the melamine face.

Paul Mc Cann

cut 3mm outside final, finish with high speed router pass.

Or sand to final.

The top edge of the plinth doesn't normally show, but that doesn't help
with a sloping floor where you have to cut the bottom edge.

Best method to cut chipboard plinths
 

stuart noble wrote:
On 21/03/2011 14:58, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
fred wrote:
On 21 Mar, 13:35, Andy Dingley wrote:
On Mar 21, 12:15 pm, dog-man wrote:

I tried using a fine jigsaw blade but it still chips the plinth
somewhat.
Blades help a lot. Not just small teeth, but anti-chip shaped teeth
(Bosch 101B) and a new, sharp blade. Even better is a "reverse" tooth
blade (Bosch 101BR) that cuts on the downstroke. Make sure any
pendulum action is switched off. If your jigsaw has an anti-plinter
plate (tiny gap round the blade), then use that, although they're not
a great help on chipboard.

Scoring doesn't work too well on chipboard, because it's too hard on
the surface to score easily, and the chips are so fragile they''re
especially prone to chipping. Scoring might help if you can score to
the depth of at least half a chip thickness.

Another trick is to trim with a router, not a jigsaw.

Cramp a piece of ply or perhaps chip to the face side. Good and tight.
Then cut through the lot. No pendulum action. Sharp blade, Slowly.
Sometimes masking tape along the cut line is effective but a lot
depends on the quality of the core and the melamine face.

Paul Mc Cann

cut 3mm outside final, finish with high speed router pass.

Or sand to final.

The top edge of the plinth doesn't normally show, but that doesn't help
with a sloping floor where you have to cut the bottom edge.

Thats where you put the plastic sealing strip innit?

Best method to cut chipboard plinths
 

Andy Dingley wrote:
On Mar 21, 12:15 pm, dog-man wrote:

I tried using a fine jigsaw blade but it still chips the plinth
somewhat.

Blades help a lot. Not just small teeth, but anti-chip shaped teeth
(Bosch 101B) and a new, sharp blade. Even better is a "reverse" tooth
blade (Bosch 101BR) that cuts on the downstroke. Make sure any
pendulum action is switched off. If your jigsaw has an anti-plinter
plate (tiny gap round the blade), then use that, although they're not
a great help on chipboard.

[snip]

I prefer to use the blade design that is similar to a pruning saw or one of
the Japanese saws designed for cabinet work. These have no set on the teeth
and produce a clean cut on both sides of the cut. They cut on both the up
and down stroke and create the least splintering that I have seen even in
difficult materials such as chipboard.

http://www.starrett.co.uk/shop/jigsaws/dualcut/

Or similar.

Best method to cut chipboard plinths
 

On Mar 21, 3:12*pm, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:
stuart noble wrote:
On 21/03/2011 14:58, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
fred wrote:
On 21 Mar, 13:35, Andy Dingley wrote:
On Mar 21, 12:15 pm, dog-man wrote:

I tried using a fine jigsaw blade but it still chips the plinth
somewhat.
Blades help a lot. Not just small teeth, but anti-chip shaped teeth
(Bosch 101B) and a new, sharp blade. Even better is a "reverse" tooth
blade (Bosch 101BR) that cuts on the downstroke. Make sure any
pendulum action is switched off. If your jigsaw has an anti-plinter
plate (tiny gap round the blade), then use that, although they're not
a great help on chipboard.

Scoring doesn't work too well on chipboard, because it's too hard on
the surface to score easily, and the chips are so fragile they''re
especially prone to chipping. Scoring might help if you can score to
the depth of at least half a chip thickness.

Another trick is to trim with a router, not a jigsaw.

Cramp a piece of ply or perhaps chip to the face side. Good and tight..
Then cut through the lot. No pendulum action. Sharp blade, Slowly.
Sometimes masking tape along the cut line is effective but a lot
depends on the quality of the core and the melamine face.

Paul Mc Cann

cut 3mm outside final, finish with high speed router pass.

Or sand to final.

The top edge of the plinth doesn't normally show, but that doesn't help
with a sloping floor where you have to cut the bottom edge.

Thats where you put the plastic sealing strip innit?

Horrible bodge.

MBQ

Best method to cut chipboard plinths
 

On Mar 21, 3:10*pm, stuart noble wrote:
On 21/03/2011 14:58, The Natural Philosopher wrote:



fred wrote:
On 21 Mar, 13:35, Andy Dingley wrote:
On Mar 21, 12:15 pm, dog-man wrote:

I tried using a fine jigsaw blade but it still chips the plinth
somewhat.
Blades help a lot. Not just small teeth, but anti-chip shaped teeth
(Bosch 101B) and a new, sharp blade. Even better is a "reverse" tooth
blade (Bosch 101BR) that cuts on the downstroke. Make sure any
pendulum action is switched off. If your jigsaw has an anti-plinter
plate (tiny gap round the blade), then use that, although they're not
a great help on chipboard.

Scoring doesn't work too well on chipboard, because it's too hard on
the surface to score easily, and the chips are so fragile they''re
especially prone to chipping. Scoring might help if you can score to
the depth of at least half a chip thickness.

Another trick is to trim with a router, not a jigsaw.

Cramp a piece of ply or perhaps chip to the face side. Good and tight.
Then cut through the lot. No pendulum action. Sharp blade, Slowly.
Sometimes masking tape along the cut line is effective but a lot
depends on the quality of the core and the melamine face.

Paul Mc Cann

cut 3mm outside final, finish with high speed router pass.

Or sand to final.

The top edge of the plinth doesn't normally show, but that doesn't help
with a sloping floor where you have to cut the bottom edge.

You only need to cut the bottom edge if the floor is uneven, rather
than merely sloping.

MBQ

Best method to cut chipboard plinths
 

I just took it slowly and it's not too bad. It can't be seen anyway
unless you lay down on the kitchen floor.

The cats will see it but I don't think they will complain! :)


Steve.........

Best method to cut chipboard plinths
 

Man at B&Q wrote:
On Mar 21, 3:12 pm, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:
stuart noble wrote:
On 21/03/2011 14:58, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
fred wrote:
On 21 Mar, 13:35, Andy Dingley wrote:
On Mar 21, 12:15 pm, dog-man wrote:
I tried using a fine jigsaw blade but it still chips the plinth
somewhat.
Blades help a lot. Not just small teeth, but anti-chip shaped teeth
(Bosch 101B) and a new, sharp blade. Even better is a "reverse" tooth
blade (Bosch 101BR) that cuts on the downstroke. Make sure any
pendulum action is switched off. If your jigsaw has an anti-plinter
plate (tiny gap round the blade), then use that, although they're not
a great help on chipboard.
Scoring doesn't work too well on chipboard, because it's too hard on
the surface to score easily, and the chips are so fragile they''re
especially prone to chipping. Scoring might help if you can score to
the depth of at least half a chip thickness.
Another trick is to trim with a router, not a jigsaw.
Cramp a piece of ply or perhaps chip to the face side. Good and tight.
Then cut through the lot. No pendulum action. Sharp blade, Slowly.
Sometimes masking tape along the cut line is effective but a lot
depends on the quality of the core and the melamine face.
Paul Mc Cann
cut 3mm outside final, finish with high speed router pass.
Or sand to final.
The top edge of the plinth doesn't normally show, but that doesn't help
with a sloping floor where you have to cut the bottom edge.
Thats where you put the plastic sealing strip innit?

Horrible bodge.


and a melamine chipboard plinth is NOT?


MBQ

Best method to cut chipboard plinths
 

On Mar 21, 12:15*pm, dog-man wrote:
I am in the process of finishing my kitchen installation and need to
cut the chipboard plinths to size.

I tried using a fine jigsaw blade but it still chips the plinth
somewhat.

I also tried scoring along the line with a stanley knife and again it
still chips slightly.

Can anyone advise me how I can cut these with clean cuts and no
chipping?

Steve.........

Either use a reverse tooth blade or hold the saw with normal blade on
the underside of the material and the surface will not chip.

Best method to cut chipboard plinths
 

On Mar 21, 5:05*pm, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:
Man at B&Q wrote:
On Mar 21, 3:12 pm, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:
stuart noble wrote:
On 21/03/2011 14:58, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
fred wrote:
On 21 Mar, 13:35, Andy Dingley wrote:
On Mar 21, 12:15 pm, dog-man wrote:
I tried using a fine jigsaw blade but it still chips the plinth
somewhat.
Blades help a lot. Not just small teeth, but anti-chip shaped teeth
(Bosch 101B) and a new, sharp blade. Even better is a "reverse" tooth
blade (Bosch 101BR) that cuts on the downstroke. Make sure any
pendulum action is switched off. If your jigsaw has an anti-plinter
plate (tiny gap round the blade), then use that, although they're not
a great help on chipboard.
Scoring doesn't work too well on chipboard, because it's too hard on
the surface to score easily, and the chips are so fragile they''re
especially prone to chipping. Scoring might help if you can score to
the depth of at least half a chip thickness.
Another trick is to trim with a router, not a jigsaw.
Cramp a piece of ply or perhaps chip to the face side. Good and tight.
Then cut through the lot. No pendulum action. Sharp blade, Slowly.
Sometimes masking tape along the cut line is effective but a lot
depends on the quality of the core and the melamine face.
Paul Mc Cann
cut 3mm outside final, finish with high speed router pass.
Or sand to final.
The top edge of the plinth doesn't normally show, but that doesn't help
with a sloping floor where you have to cut the bottom edge.
Thats where you put the plastic sealing strip innit?

Horrible bodge.

and a melamine chipboard plinth is NOT?

Two wrongs don't make a right.

MBQ