I'm installing a kitchen from a trade supplier: the cabinets were provided
ready assembled but the decorative end panels have to be cut to size. I can
use two of the existing finished edges for the front and top of the panels
but the edges I cut will still be visible even though they'll be at the back
and foot, and obviously I'd like to do a good a job as possible.

Any tips for a clean cut? A new fine-tooth blade for the circular saw
perhaps? Which cut will be the better, the top face or the underneath?

I have a vague memory of once clamping two sheets together and cutting them
as one, which gave a particularly clean chip-free cut on the two inner
surfaces. Is that right?

Many thanks.

On 27/01/2017 12:24, Bert Coules wrote:
I'm installing a kitchen from a trade supplier: the cabinets were
provided ready assembled but the decorative end panels have to be cut to
size. I can use two of the existing finished edges for the front and
top of the panels but the edges I cut will still be visible even though
they'll be at the back and foot, and obviously I'd like to do a good a
job as possible.

Any tips for a clean cut? A new fine-tooth blade for the circular saw
perhaps? Which cut will be the better, the top face or the underneath?

I have a vague memory of once clamping two sheets together and cutting
them as one, which gave a particularly clean chip-free cut on the two
inner surfaces. Is that right?

Many thanks.




Cut with the face side (the one you will see) down. Set the depth of cut
to just over the thickness of the panel The blade cuts upwards and so is
unlikely to chip.

I have cut worltops this way with no problems

Malcolm

Malcolm, thanks for that. Much appreciated.

On 1/27/2017 12:56 PM, Malcolm Race wrote:
On 27/01/2017 12:24, Bert Coules wrote:
I'm installing a kitchen from a trade supplier: the cabinets were
provided ready assembled but the decorative end panels have to be cut to
size. I can use two of the existing finished edges for the front and
top of the panels but the edges I cut will still be visible even though
they'll be at the back and foot, and obviously I'd like to do a good a
job as possible.

Any tips for a clean cut? A new fine-tooth blade for the circular saw
perhaps? Which cut will be the better, the top face or the underneath?

I have a vague memory of once clamping two sheets together and cutting
them as one, which gave a particularly clean chip-free cut on the two
inner surfaces. Is that right?

Many thanks.




Cut with the face side (the one you will see) down. Set the depth of cut
to just over the thickness of the panel The blade cuts upwards and so is
unlikely to chip.

I have cut worltops this way with no problems

Malcolm

Agreed, but the "two sheets" method also works. I think the results
depend on how good your blade is. You could do a trial by doing a first
cut "oversize".

Enjoying the current "Cadfael" on 4e BTW.

"newshound" wrote:

You could do a trial by doing a first
cut "oversize".

Yes, I planned to do that; thanks.

Enjoying the current "Cadfael" on 4e BTW.

Kind of you to say so!

On 27/01/17 12:24, Bert Coules wrote:
I'm installing a kitchen from a trade supplier: the cabinets were
provided ready assembled but the decorative end panels have to be cut to
size. I can use two of the existing finished edges for the front and
top of the panels but the edges I cut will still be visible even though
they'll be at the back and foot, and obviously I'd like to do a good a
job as possible.

Any tips for a clean cut? A new fine-tooth blade for the circular saw
perhaps? Which cut will be the better, the top face or the underneath?

I have a vague memory of once clamping two sheets together and cutting
them as one, which gave a particularly clean chip-free cut on the two
inner surfaces. Is that right?

Many thanks.




cut 4mm oversize and clamp a ruler across as a guide for a router to
take the edge down exactly

--
"The great thing about Glasgow is that if there's a nuclear attack it'll
look exactly the same afterwards."

Billy Connolly

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote:


Cut 4mm oversize and clamp a ruler across as a guide for a router to take
the edge down exactly.

That's an interesting thought, thanks. I do have a router, bought for a
single job some years back and not used since. I'd need to put in some
practise.

On 27/01/2017 12:24, Bert Coules wrote:
I'm installing a kitchen from a trade supplier: the cabinets were
provided ready assembled but the decorative end panels have to be cut to
size. I can use two of the existing finished edges for the front and
top of the panels but the edges I cut will still be visible even though
they'll be at the back and foot, and obviously I'd like to do a good a
job as possible.

Any tips for a clean cut? A new fine-tooth blade for the circular saw
perhaps? Which cut will be the better, the top face or the underneath?

If cut with a circular saw the underside will be clean.

I have a vague memory of once clamping two sheets together and cutting
them as one, which gave a particularly clean chip-free cut on the two
inner surfaces. Is that right?

Its only the top surface that chips out, so doing both at once will give
three clean sides.

If you need clean cuts on both side of a panel, then either use a
sawboard[1] (the board reduces breakout on top of the board, but only on
one side (the side protected by the board). So make sure the board is
resting on the bit you want to keep!

Or use a shallow scoring cut[2] as a first pass cut before doing the
main cut.


[1] http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php/Sawboard

[2] http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php/...saw_techniques


--
Cheers,

John.

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John Rumm wrote:

If you need clean cuts on both side of a panel, then either use a
sawboard...
Or use a shallow scoring cut...

John, thanks for that. I knew about (but have never used) a sawboard but
hadn't come across the shallow cut technique before.

"Bert Coules" wrote in message
o.uk...
I'm installing a kitchen from a trade supplier: the cabinets were provided
ready assembled but the decorative end panels have to be cut to size. I
can use two of the existing finished edges for the front and top of the
panels but the edges I cut will still be visible even though they'll be at
the back and foot, and obviously I'd like to do a good a job as possible.

Any tips for a clean cut? A new fine-tooth blade for the circular saw
perhaps? Which cut will be the better, the top face or the underneath?

You want the blade to pull the surface into the body of what is being cut.

I have a vague memory of once clamping two sheets together and cutting
them as one, which gave a particularly clean chip-free cut on the two
inner surfaces. Is that right?

Yes, stops the free side chipping.

On 1/27/2017 3:22 PM, John Rumm wrote:
On 27/01/2017 12:24, Bert Coules wrote:
I'm installing a kitchen from a trade supplier: the cabinets were
provided ready assembled but the decorative end panels have to be cut to
size. I can use two of the existing finished edges for the front and
top of the panels but the edges I cut will still be visible even though
they'll be at the back and foot, and obviously I'd like to do a good a
job as possible.

Any tips for a clean cut? A new fine-tooth blade for the circular saw
perhaps? Which cut will be the better, the top face or the underneath?

If cut with a circular saw the underside will be clean.

I have a vague memory of once clamping two sheets together and cutting
them as one, which gave a particularly clean chip-free cut on the two
inner surfaces. Is that right?

Its only the top surface that chips out, so doing both at once will give
three clean sides.

If you need clean cuts on both side of a panel, then either use a
sawboard[1] (the board reduces breakout on top of the board, but only on
one side (the side protected by the board). So make sure the board is
resting on the bit you want to keep!

Or use a shallow scoring cut[2] as a first pass cut before doing the
main cut.


[1] http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php/Sawboard

[2] http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php/...saw_techniques


(2) is a good tip, I have never tried that. What I used to do, before I
discovered sawboards, is to score through the top layer of veneer with a
stanley knife along the final dimension line, then cut slightly
oversize, and sand or plane down to the final dimension. Especially when
cutting across the grain of the top veneer!

"newshound" wrote:

(2) is a good tip, I have never tried that. What I used to do, before I
discovered sawboards, is to score through the top layer of veneer with a
stanley knife along the final dimension line...

I've used the Stanley knife trick but always then sawn along the exact line
of the knife cut. The results tended to be a bit variable.

On 27/01/2017 18:23, Bert Coules wrote:
John Rumm wrote:

If you need clean cuts on both side of a panel, then either use a
sawboard...
Or use a shallow scoring cut...

John, thanks for that. I knew about (but have never used) a sawboard
but hadn't come across the shallow cut technique before.

Well worth making a set of saw boards IME. They let you get close to
table saw accuracy with a hand held circular saw. The nice bit is that
the edge of the board defines *exactly* where the cut will be. (use a
marking out knife rather than a pencil if you need sub mm accuracy)

If you can spare some sheet goods (9mm MDF or 6mm or 5/8ths ply) cut 4"
off the long edge of *both* sides these don't have to be bang on
accurate - just straight enough. Flip them over and glue them on top of
the new board edges (so the factory straight edge is pointing toward the
centre of your board). Once the glue is dry, rip them from the board
with your chosen circular saw and blade. Keep one at 8' long, and cut
the other into two bits at the 5' mark. You then have a board for full
length cuts, one for widths, and smaller one for cross cuts on other
stock (sometimes worth gluing and pinning a fence on the bottom of that
in the middle for doing easy right angle cuts).

To make the boards work really well I find it good to wax them with a
lubricating wax. Do the sole of the saw as well.


--
Cheers,

John.

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\================================================= ================/

John,

Many thanks for those details: it's clearly a worthwhile thing to do.

Some of the better table saws come with a small circular scoring blade mounted in front of the main blade to score the underside which on a table saw is the side which chips. When set up right they do a wonderful job, the one we had at work was a lovely machine, I do miss it!

Richard

Richard,

Yes, a table saw is something I've often wished for. Space and probable
usage have always militated against it, unfortunately.

It turns out that the cut for depth - that's to say the cut along the full
length of the boards - is just 12mm. And since they're going against a wall
that's been clad in plasterboard dot-and-dabbed over brick, I'm tempted to
cut two channels in the wall and make good afterwards...

On 28/01/2017 11:51, Tricky Dicky wrote:
Some of the better table saws come with a small circular scoring
blade mounted in front of the main blade to score the underside which
on a table saw is the side which chips. When set up right they do a
wonderful job, the one we had at work was a lovely machine, I do miss
it!

Indeed... the scoring cut technique I posted earlier basically aims to
do the same thing - just in two passes rather than one.

--
Cheers,

John.

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| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/