I need to cut a piece of melamine the same size (5x4) as my assembly table
(which has a small sag in the middle). I need a very flat surface for a
pretty long (64") glue up. I am going to have to cut the sheet on my second
"workshop" - my driveway. I put 4x8 sheets down on two pieces of 2x4 hard
foam insulation and cut with a circular saw. The cuts don't have to be
perfect but I hate to a make a mess if I don't need to. A little web
research says to lay it white side down with packing tape over the cut line.
I should possibly score the cut line.

Is there anything else I should be doing to have a reasonble job?

TIA

Dick Snyder

On Sat, 19 Dec 2009 15:07:48 -0500, "Dick Snyder"
wrote:

I need to cut a piece of melamine the same size (5x4) as my assembly table
(which has a small sag in the middle). I need a very flat surface for a
pretty long (64") glue up. I am going to have to cut the sheet on my second
"workshop" - my driveway. I put 4x8 sheets down on two pieces of 2x4 hard
foam insulation and cut with a circular saw. The cuts don't have to be
perfect but I hate to a make a mess if I don't need to. A little web
research says to lay it white side down with packing tape over the cut line.
I should possibly score the cut line.

Is there anything else I should be doing to have a reasonble job?

TIA

Dick Snyder


Use a blade rated for cutting melamine. I cut some back/sidesplash
for a melamine countertop and got a reasonably good edge (been over a
mont and my wife hasn't noticed any obvious flaws yet). Not sure
which blade I used, but think it was a Freud.

John

On Dec 19, 1:07 pm, "Dick Snyder" wrote:
I need to cut a piece of melamine the same size (5x4) as my assembly table
(which has a small sag in the middle). I need a very flat surface for a
pretty long (64") glue up. I am going to have to cut the sheet on my second
"workshop" - my driveway. I put 4x8 sheets down on two pieces of 2x4 hard
foam insulation and cut with a circular saw. The cuts don't have to be
perfect but I hate to a make a mess if I don't need to. A little web
research says to lay it white side down with packing tape over the cut line.
I should possibly score the cut line.

Is there anything else I should be doing to have a reasonble job?

TIA

Dick Snyder

The tape is a good way to keep chip-out to a minimum, as is the good
side down, too. May I also suggest you make a couple of practice cuts
and find out how well they work out. I've gotten good results by
having the good side up, tape on both sides, a preliminary scoring cut
(1/16th deep) with the circular saw, then the through-cut. There're
other ways, also. HTH. Tom

"tom" wrote in message
...
On Dec 19, 1:07 pm, "Dick Snyder" wrote:
I need to cut a piece of melamine the same size (5x4) as my assembly
table
(which has a small sag in the middle). I need a very flat surface for a
pretty long (64") glue up. I am going to have to cut the sheet on my
second
"workshop" - my driveway. I put 4x8 sheets down on two pieces of 2x4 hard
foam insulation and cut with a circular saw. The cuts don't have to be
perfect but I hate to a make a mess if I don't need to. A little web
research says to lay it white side down with packing tape over the cut
line.
I should possibly score the cut line.

Is there anything else I should be doing to have a reasonble job?

TIA

Dick Snyder

The tape is a good way to keep chip-out to a minimum, as is the good
side down, too. May I also suggest you make a couple of practice cuts
and find out how well they work out. I've gotten good results by
having the good side up, tape on both sides, a preliminary scoring cut
(1/16th deep) with the circular saw, then the through-cut. There're
other ways, also. HTH. Tom

Thanks Tom. I need a 5x4 piece out of an 8x4 piece so I will have ample
opportunity to experiment.

Dick

On Dec 19, 9:02*pm, "Dick Snyder" wrote:
"tom" wrote in message

...





On Dec 19, 1:07 pm, "Dick Snyder" wrote:
I need to cut a piece of melamine the same size *(5x4) as my assembly
table
(which has a small sag in the middle). *I need a very flat surface for a
pretty long (64") glue up. I am going to have to cut the sheet on my
second
"workshop" - my driveway. I put 4x8 sheets down on two pieces of 2x4 hard
foam insulation and cut with a circular saw. The cuts don't have to be
perfect but I hate to a make a mess if I don't need to. A little web
research says to lay it white side down with packing tape over the cut
line.
I should possibly score the cut line.

Is there anything else I should be doing to have a reasonble job?

TIA

Dick Snyder

The tape is a good way to keep chip-out to a minimum, as is the good
side down, too. May I also suggest you make a couple of practice cuts
and find out how well they work out. I've gotten good results by
having the good side up, tape on both sides, a preliminary scoring cut
(1/16th deep) with the circular saw, then the through-cut. There're
other ways, also. HTH. *Tom

Thanks Tom. I need a 5x4 piece out of an 8x4 piece so I will have ample
opportunity to experiment.

Dick

cut it a smidge wide then clean up along a fence with a straight bit
in a router

On Sat, 19 Dec 2009 17:13:07 -0500, wrote:

On Sat, 19 Dec 2009 15:07:48 -0500, "Dick Snyder"
wrote:

I need to cut a piece of melamine the same size (5x4) as my assembly table
(which has a small sag in the middle).

Is there anything else I should be doing to have a reasonble job?

TIA

Dick Snyder


Use a blade rated for cutting melamine. I cut some back/sidesplash
for a melamine countertop and got a reasonably good edge (been over a
mont and my wife hasn't noticed any obvious flaws yet). Not sure
which blade I used, but think it was a Freud.

John

What he said.

-Zz

On Sat, 19 Dec 2009 18:41:37 -0800 (PST), Robatoy
wrote:

On Dec 19, 9:02*pm, "Dick Snyder" wrote:
"tom" wrote in message

...





On Dec 19, 1:07 pm, "Dick Snyder" wrote:
I need to cut a piece of melamine the same size *(5x4) as my assembly
table
(which has a small sag in the middle). *I need a very flat surface for a
pretty long (64") glue up. I am going to have to cut the sheet on my
second
"workshop" - my driveway. I put 4x8 sheets down on two pieces of 2x4 hard
foam insulation and cut with a circular saw. The cuts don't have to be
perfect but I hate to a make a mess if I don't need to. A little web
research says to lay it white side down with packing tape over the cut
line.
I should possibly score the cut line.

Is there anything else I should be doing to have a reasonble job?

TIA

Dick Snyder

The tape is a good way to keep chip-out to a minimum, as is the good
side down, too. May I also suggest you make a couple of practice cuts
and find out how well they work out. I've gotten good results by
having the good side up, tape on both sides, a preliminary scoring cut
(1/16th deep) with the circular saw, then the through-cut. There're
other ways, also. HTH. *Tom

Thanks Tom. I need a 5x4 piece out of an 8x4 piece so I will have ample
opportunity to experiment.

Dick

cut it a smidge wide then clean up along a fence with a straight bit
in a router

....I've made plenty of clean cuts on melamine in the field with just a
straitedge and a 40 tooth blade on my 6" kit saw, cutting from the
underside. I'm rarely concerned with the underside of the piece, if
that's an issue extraordinary measures are necessary, but I've made a
4' shooting board for that particular saw that works well...although
you could do the same thing with a straightedge clamped away from the
cutline. Point is that a very good quality cut on the upside can be
obtained with not a lot of stress, just a sharp *good* blade and a
guide.

All that said I use a blade designed for cutting melamine in my shop,
and with a zero clearance insert in my TS I get acceptable results on
the underside, and a super clean look on the upside ...of course a
pre-cut two- blade system is the ideal, but that's usually reserved
for specialty shops...

cg

More teeth is the trick with a circular saw. Pick up
a plywood blade from the borg.
or
You can use any blade handy and overcut by a 1/8" and
then clean that edge with a router.

A 96 tooth from Freud that is made for melamine is the
real answer if you plan on many project using melamine.


Dick Snyder wrote:
I need to cut a piece of melamine the same size (5x4) as my assembly table
(which has a small sag in the middle). I need a very flat surface for a
pretty long (64") glue up.