I have an old built-in hob which I want to replace with a freestanding
cooker. Therefore the existing kitchen worktop will need cutting in
order to be able to slot in the new cooker. Is it going to be possible
to cut the laminated worktop using a jigsaw? I can tolerate some slight
chipping since I intend to cover the end using metal edging.

Jeff.

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Jeff Allen wrote:

I have an old built-in hob which I want to replace with a freestanding
cooker. Therefore the existing kitchen worktop will need cutting in
order to be able to slot in the new cooker. Is it going to be possible
to cut the laminated worktop using a jigsaw? I can tolerate some
slight chipping since I intend to cover the end using metal edging.

Jeff.

Possible, yes - desirable, no!

Are you planning to remove the worktop to cut it, or to do it in situ?

By far the best solution is to remove it, turn it upside down, and cut it
with a sharp circular saw starting from the rolled edge.

If you cut it with a jigsaw, it is *much* more difficult to keep it
straight. Since jigsaws usually cut on the up stroke, you still need to cut
from the bottom in order to minimise chipping. [I've a vague feeling I've
seen some jigsaw blades which cut on the down stroke - but I've never used
one. This may make it possible to cut from the top - but I would be worried
about the blade buckling].
--
Cheers,
Set Square
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is Black Hole!

Jeff Allen wrote:
I have an old built-in hob which I want to replace with a freestanding
cooker. Therefore the existing kitchen worktop will need cutting in
order to be able to slot in the new cooker. Is it going to be possible
to cut the laminated worktop using a jigsaw? I can tolerate some
slight chipping since I intend to cover the end using metal edging.

Jeff.

Cutting it in situ is not the most desirable but if you must do it in
situ there are jigsaw blades that will cut on the downstroke (minimizing
chipping) but a straight edge,to run the jigsaw along, is a must as getting
any sort of straight cut is nigh on impossible freehand. Using a "normal"
blade is not to be recommended, as you may strike lucky and any chipping
will be covered my the metal edging, but it's far more likely that the chips
(which can't be predicted) will be visible at the edge of the metal edging.
Remember that there is a minimum gap between a freestanding cooker and
any flammable surface I have no site or anything but 22mm comes to mind .

--
Yours S.
addy not usable (not that you would try it)
Utinam logica falsa tuam philosophiam totam suffodiant!
www.killies.co.uk/forums/index.php

On Sat, 20 Dec 2003 16:28:30 -0000, "Set Square"
wrote:

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Jeff Allen wrote:

I have an old built-in hob which I want to replace with a freestanding
cooker. Therefore the existing kitchen worktop will need cutting in
order to be able to slot in the new cooker. Is it going to be possible
to cut the laminated worktop using a jigsaw? I can tolerate some
slight chipping since I intend to cover the end using metal edging.

Jeff.

Possible, yes - desirable, no!

Are you planning to remove the worktop to cut it, or to do it in situ?

By far the best solution is to remove it, turn it upside down, and cut it
with a sharp circular saw starting from the rolled edge.

If you cut it with a jigsaw, it is *much* more difficult to keep it
straight. Since jigsaws usually cut on the up stroke, you still need to cut
from the bottom in order to minimise chipping. [I've a vague feeling I've
seen some jigsaw blades which cut on the down stroke - but I've never used
one. This may make it possible to cut from the top - but I would be worried
about the blade buckling].


Dunno ! I think I'd have a go with the jig saw. Switch off the
pendulum action as it tends to cause more chipping. Use a new blade
and take it easy. The problems can lie in rushing it and pushing the
jig saw too fast. This can cause the blade to bend. To all intents and
purposes you will be cutting to the marked line but actually the blade
has bowed and is cutting a curved profile. This can be real bugger to
correct.

If you try it out on a waste area of the worktop first you will be
able to establish how much chipping is going to occur. Profile strips
in aluminium are availabel to finish off these cut ends and they
generally have enough of a lip to cover a rough edge. I have done this
successfully in the past.

Personally I wouldn't dream of removing the worktop to do this. Get as
close to the wall as possible and finish off with a hand saw.


Paul Mc Cann

On Sat, 20 Dec 2003 16:28:30 -0000, "Set Square"
wrote:

By far the best solution is to remove it, turn it upside down, and cut it
with a sharp circular saw starting from the rolled edge.

Just as an aside, I cut a 38mm worktop today. It was a 3m length and I
needed something shorter. As the worktop was soooooo heavy (it took
two to lift it) I did a rough cut with a circular saw a few inches
longer than I needed, knowing that the laminate would chip.

Surprisingly the laminate did not chip - and I did cut from the
laminate side.

Not something I would plan to do normally (cut from the laminate side
I mean), but it just proves that cutting from the laminate side need
not necessarily result in a chipped cut.

PoP

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On Sat, 20 Dec 2003 17:41:14 +0000, PoP wrote:

Just as an aside, I cut a 38mm worktop today. It was a 3m length and
I needed something shorter.

Did this the other week in the car park of Focus (the beggers seem to
be removing all those nice big sheet saws from the stores...). A rough
cut to get the two lengths I require and to fit it into the car.

Used an ordinary hand saw, laminate on top, minimal chipping fairly
straight across but wanders a bit on the thickness. The proper cuts
will use a new laminate/worktop blade in a jigsaw guided by a batten
clamped (or maybe screwed to the underside if I cut from the
underside) and taken slowly letting the saw do the work not pushing it
at all.

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

Soup wrote:

Jeff Allen wrote:

I have an old built-in hob which I want to replace with a freestanding
cooker. Therefore the existing kitchen worktop will need cutting in
order to be able to slot in the new cooker. Is it going to be possible
to cut the laminated worktop using a jigsaw? I can tolerate some
slight chipping since I intend to cover the end using metal edging.

Jeff.

[snip]

Remember that there is a minimum gap between a freestanding cooker and
any flammable surface I have no site or anything but 22mm comes to mind .


What exactly do you mean by flammable surface? According to the
installation instructions "The space either side of the cooker need only
be sufficient to allow withdrawal of the cooker for servicing. It can be
used with cabinets on one side or both sides ..."

On Sat, 20 Dec 2003 15:40:58 +0000, Jeff Allen
wrote:

I have an old built-in hob which I want to replace with a freestanding
cooker. Therefore the existing kitchen worktop will need cutting in
order to be able to slot in the new cooker. Is it going to be possible
to cut the laminated worktop using a jigsaw? I can tolerate some slight
chipping since I intend to cover the end using metal edging.

Jeff.

I cut through my worktop using a jigsaw in order to fit an upright
freezer in.

Used a brand new, down cutting jigsaw blade - the sort used for
laminate flooring. Placed duct tape along the top, and put pencil
mark on top of that. Used saw at "high" speed and took it gently.

Well pleased with the result.

Noz
--
Email nozza underscore wales at yahoo co uk

Jeff Allen wrote:
Soup wrote:

Jeff Allen wrote:

I have an old built-in hob which I want to replace with a
freestanding cooker. Therefore the existing kitchen worktop will
need cutting in order to be able to slot in the new cooker. Is it
going to be possible to cut the laminated worktop using a jigsaw? I
can tolerate some
slight chipping since I intend to cover the end using metal edging.

Jeff.

[snip]

Remember that there is a minimum gap between a freestanding
cooker and any flammable surface I have no site or anything but 22mm
comes to mind .


What exactly do you mean by flammable surface? According to the
installation instructions "The space either side of the cooker need
only be sufficient to allow withdrawal of the cooker for servicing.
It can be used with cabinets on one side or both sides ..."

Flammable surface = Wooden (or idea M.D.F.; or compressed wood; etc.)
worktop.

Installation instructions from a cooker manufacturer, perhaps an
electric (induction) cooker, maybe the "22mm" just applies to cookers with a
naked flame ? As I said in my post couldn't cite any legal requirements
etc. but have always thought there was a min. distance requirement. As far
as having cabinets either side, we do but there is still a gap between them
and the cooker whether this is a legal requirement or just to facilitate
servicing I have no idea.
Recently had the kitchen refurbished and the chaps who were doing it
said they "had" to leave a gap.Whether for servicing;legal reasons or some
warped fitters bu*****t I again have no idea.

--
Yours S.
addy not usable (not that you would try it)
Utinam logica falsa tuam philosophiam totam suffodiant!
www.killies.co.uk/forums/index.php

On Sat, 20 Dec 2003 19:00:57 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Liquorice"
wrote:

Did this the other week in the car park of Focus (the beggers seem to
be removing all those nice big sheet saws from the stores...). A rough
cut to get the two lengths I require and to fit it into the car.

I put the 3m length of 38mm worktop on my Freelander roofbars (with
the help of a Homebase employee). I swear the car was 3 inches lower
on the drive home! That was one heavy piece of worktop!

PoP

Replying to the email address given by my news reader
will result in your own email address being instantly
added to my anti-spam database! If you really want to
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"Jeff Allen" wrote in message
...
I have an old built-in hob which I want to replace with a freestanding
cooker. Therefore the existing kitchen worktop will need cutting in
order to be able to slot in the new cooker. Is it going to be possible
to cut the laminated worktop using a jigsaw? I can tolerate some slight
chipping since I intend to cover the end using metal edging.

A router and a jig or straight edge clamped to the work top is another option.

A conventional wood saw cutting from the laminate side will cut the work top
without chipping.
The problem is making a straight edge.


Michael Chare

In article ,
"Soup" writes:
Remember that there is a minimum gap between a freestanding cooker and
any flammable surface I have no site or anything but 22mm comes to mind .

Check the cooker instructions.
The one I've got explicity says no gap is required, providing the
worktop is no higher that the surface of the hob. That that's
likely to depend on the arrangement of the burners (burners are
quite raised and not very near the edge of this cooker).

--
Andrew Gabriel

"Michael Chare" wrote in message
...
"Jeff Allen" wrote in message
...
I have an old built-in hob which I want to replace with a freestanding
cooker. Therefore the existing kitchen worktop will need cutting in
order to be able to slot in the new cooker. Is it going to be possible
to cut the laminated worktop using a jigsaw? I can tolerate some slight
chipping since I intend to cover the end using metal edging.

A router and a jig or straight edge clamped to the work top is another
option.

A conventional wood saw cutting from the laminate side will cut the work
top
without chipping.
The problem is making a straight edge.




To add to that, there are jigsaw blades available that cut on the down
stroke so you shouldn't get any damage to the laminate surface if you're
cutting from the top.

--
Regards,
Alan.

Preserve wildlife - Pickle a SQUIRREL to reply.

PoP wrote in message ...
As the worktop was soooooo heavy (it took
two to lift it) I did a rough cut with a circular saw a few inches
longer than I needed, knowing that the laminate would chip.

Surprisingly the laminate did not chip - and I did cut from the
laminate side.
Glad you said that. IME decent quality laminate doesn't chip with a circ
saw. I've known a saw cut completely wreck the face of cheap ply, but then
I've had a perfectly clean cut with good quality birch ply. I think we're
being encouraged to use routers for straight cuts when, in most cases, the
circ saw is perfectly adequate, and a whole lot faster.

Soup wrote in message ...
Cutting it in situ is not the most desirable but if you must do it in
situ there are jigsaw blades that will cut on the downstroke (minimizing
chipping) but a straight edge,to run the jigsaw along, is a must as getting
any sort of straight cut is nigh on impossible freehand.
You can minimise the chipping, but jigsaws just don't cut square (and yes I
do have a good one). Fine for sink inserts but not much good for anything
else.

On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 13:20:35 -0000, "stuart noble"
wrote:

Glad you said that. IME decent quality laminate doesn't chip with a circ
saw. I've known a saw cut completely wreck the face of cheap ply, but then
I've had a perfectly clean cut with good quality birch ply. I think we're
being encouraged to use routers for straight cuts when, in most cases, the
circ saw is perfectly adequate, and a whole lot faster.

That's something that kitchenman said a while back - I believe that he
said he uses a circ when ripping worktops.

Me, I'm not that brave......yet.

PoP

Replying to the email address given by my news reader
will result in your own email address being instantly
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On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 13:24:20 -0000, "stuart noble"
wrote:


Soup wrote in message ...
Cutting it in situ is not the most desirable but if you must do it in
situ there are jigsaw blades that will cut on the downstroke (minimizing
chipping) but a straight edge,to run the jigsaw along, is a must as getting
any sort of straight cut is nigh on impossible freehand.
You can minimise the chipping, but jigsaws just don't cut square (and yes I
do have a good one). Fine for sink inserts but not much good for anything
else.

Very true. Better off with a good hard point saw in a lot of cases.


Paul Mc Cann

On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 13:20:35 -0000, "stuart noble"
wrote:


PoP wrote in message ...
As the worktop was soooooo heavy (it took
two to lift it) I did a rough cut with a circular saw a few inches
longer than I needed, knowing that the laminate would chip.

Surprisingly the laminate did not chip - and I did cut from the
laminate side.
Glad you said that. IME decent quality laminate doesn't chip with a circ
saw.
People tend to forget that ther a lot of different qualities of
laminate out there. Sometimes the chipboard core can cause problems
also.
I've known a saw cut completely wreck the face of cheap ply, but then
I've had a perfectly clean cut with good quality birch ply. I think we're
being encouraged to use routers for straight cuts when, in most cases, the
circ saw is perfectly adequate, and a whole lot faster.


I have often, when using a template, marked the outline with a heavy
felt tip pen. Cutting just to the outside of this line with a jig-saw,
replacing the template and then using the router with a template
follower bit very quickly finishes the job off. Much quicker, I find,
than multiple passes with the router on its own, especially in heavy
material



Paul Mc Cann

"Jeff Allen" wrote in message ...
: I have an old built-in hob which I want to replace with a freestanding
: cooker. Therefore the existing kitchen worktop will need cutting in
: order to be able to slot in the new cooker. Is it going to be possible
: to cut the laminated worktop using a jigsaw? I can tolerate some slight
: chipping since I intend to cover the end using metal edging.
:
Yes we did. Just use some strong tape to minimise the chipping. If there is likely to be liquid spilt near it, it is a good idea
to seal the raw edge to prevent it swelling.
Please be careful as the laminate edge is very sharp. Hubby's mate nearly removed two fingerprints help him with it. Sort of
ironic as he is a copper. Required stitches in the hospital. I nearly fainted when I rang from work and hubby says he has cut the
top off his fingers and is driving himself to the hospital. But I was adding an extra 'f'. He had cut the top OF his fingers, not
right OFF.

Oh and score a line in the laminate with a stanley knife before you start. Helps to keep from wandering off, and increases the
likelihood of any shatter being in the right line.

Thats how I do it, I use the router set to cut 2mm deep to remove the
laminate then use a jig saw to remove the bulk of the waste.

Then use the router cutting no more than 10mm per pass to save wear & tear
on the router.

--
regards
Dave Batter
Kitchenman
www.kitchenman.co.uk
www.sxmitres.info
www.marks-family.co.uk
http://oneandone.co.uk/xml/init?k_id=5568652
"Paul Mc Cann" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 13:20:35 -0000, "stuart noble"
wrote:


PoP wrote in message ...
As the worktop was soooooo heavy (it took
two to lift it) I did a rough cut with a circular saw a few inches
longer than I needed, knowing that the laminate would chip.

Surprisingly the laminate did not chip - and I did cut from the
laminate side.
Glad you said that. IME decent quality laminate doesn't chip with a circ
saw.
People tend to forget that ther a lot of different qualities of
laminate out there. Sometimes the chipboard core can cause problems
also.
I've known a saw cut completely wreck the face of cheap ply, but then
I've had a perfectly clean cut with good quality birch ply. I think we're
being encouraged to use routers for straight cuts when, in most cases,
the
circ saw is perfectly adequate, and a whole lot faster.


I have often, when using a template, marked the outline with a heavy
felt tip pen. Cutting just to the outside of this line with a jig-saw,
replacing the template and then using the router with a template
follower bit very quickly finishes the job off. Much quicker, I find,
than multiple passes with the router on its own, especially in heavy
material



Paul Mc Cann