Laminate Cutting Tips

How to cut laminate countertop diy this is a short video demonstrating how to cut laminate formica countertop without chipping with a circular saw.

Laminate cutting tips. With a carpenter s square mark your cutting line onto the first piece of masking tape. Just adjust the fence to proper width for your rip and lay the jig on. Cutting laminate to width is necessary on the last piece used before you get to an obstacle like a wall fireplace cabinet or pipe. With the tool you can cut patterns or circles.

Take a full sheet of laminate and lay it on top of the second to last piece. Adhere a strip of masking tape on the counter where your cut will be to protect the laminate from chipping. Leave the sheet there while you create your template. 5 use a carpenter s square to draw the cut line onto the masking tape.

Make sure you jig your table saw fence to prevent the laminate from sliding under the fence. Measure the length required using your tape measure mark the board for the cut use your square and pen or pencil to create a straight line across the face of the board. Lay a second piece of masking tape so the shoe to your saw will rest on the two strips of tape and protect the counter from being scratched. Always wear safety glasses when cutting laminates to protect your eyes.

Line the sheet up so that it fits snugly against the wall. Stick a strip of masking tape over the countertop widthwise so the mark you made is centered underneath to keep the laminate from chipping during cutting. Plastic laminate is surprisingly easy to cut. Cutting a sheet laminate by itself is best done with tin snips or aviation snips provided you re cutting it oversize and will trim it later.

1 8 hardboard cut a foot longer and wider than your fence with a rectangular cut out slightly bigger than your fence will prevent this problem. The mouth of a laminate shear moves in an up down direction to cut small laminate pieces. Cutting laminate to length. You can do it with a circular saw a jigsaw a router or even some hand tools.