Cutting an oak worktop.

[dobbslc]

I will soon be fitting the oak worktop for the utility room and I'm not sure on the best tools and blades for the job of cutting out the sink hole and cutting the end off the worktop.
I've got a nearly new 190mm Bosch circular saw, jigsaw and track saw, it's a straight length with no corners but with a 6" cutout on one end to go round a chimney breast.
Thanks

 

[tom2207]

downwards cutting jigsaw blade if your not competent ,, standard blade if you are , but score the cutting lines ,,
router if your an expert... I use a jigsaw. But the score lines are vital .

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

I will soon be fitting the oak worktop for the utility room and I'm not sure on the best tools and blades for the job of cutting out the sink hole and cutting the end off the worktop.
I've got a nearly new 190mm Bosch circular saw, jigsaw and track saw, it's a straight length with no corners but with a 6" cutout on one end to go round a chimney breast.
Thanks

Did some a couple of weeks back.
Can cut from the underside with your skilly and a straightedge clamped
Though I cut all mine from above with the tracksaw fresh blade and nearly knackered by the time I was done

If your ts blades not in the best condition clamp the track in place and cut in 3 or 4 passes to avoid burning the cut edges

Jigsaw and downcutters if working from the top. Up cutters from the underside

Sink cutout was a pita for me as I fitted an undermount and needed to be clean
Rough cut with the tracksaw then made a mdf template to route it cleanly in one pass
Then widened the same template again to route a drainage groove on the underside
For an top mount I just cut from above with the TS and cut the radius corners from above with downcutters.

 

[dobbslc]

So a new blade in the track saw and downward cutting jigsaw blades?
Off to Screwfix....

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

So a new blade in the track saw and downward cutting jigsaw blades?
Off to Screwfix....

Have a practice cut with the downcutters
Need good downwards pressure as the blades trying to push the saw up as it cuts unlike an upcutter that pulls the shoe in tight

Not sure why Tom would consider downcutters for non competents. They are harder to use than downcutters
There an essential blade when working with laminates and finished timber

 

[julianf]

Ignore all the junk, staining, tool box, etc. and just look at the curve.

All that is is me drawing round a plate, rough cutting with whatever was close to hand, and then finishing with a hand held belt sander.

All the ends here are done in the same way. Rough cut and then finish with the belt sander.

The pro way is with a router, but I used what I had to hand, which was fine. More time consuming than the proper way, I'm sure, but for a single job, fine.

Ours is cheaper beech, so yours will be harder and take longer, but the same method would, I'm sure, work.

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Ignore all the junk, staining, tool box, etc. and just look at the curve.

All that is is me drawing round a plate, rough cutting with whatever was close to hand, and then finishing with a hand held belt sander.

All the ends here are done in the same way. Rough cut and then finish with the belt sander.

The pro way is with a router, but I used what I had to hand, which was fine. More time consuming than the proper way, I'm sure, but for a single job, fine.

Ours is cheaper beech, so yours will be harder and take longer, but the same method would, I'm sure, work.

View attachment 237344

Unless I had the router set up for more than just the curve I'd have done much the same.

 

[tom2207]

Have a practice cut with the downcutters
Need good downwards pressure as the blades trying to push the saw up as it cuts unlike an upcutter that pulls the shoe in tight

Not sure why Tom would consider downcutters for non competents. They are harder to use than downcutters
There an essential blade when working with laminates and finished timber

Yes totally agree , on the technique , but if your not good with a stanley knife for the score line ,, and comy following close to it without going to the wrong side , a down cutting blade will let most folk get away without splintering the wood on the important top side , same as id not recommend turning it over and cutting from the bottom with a standard blade , unless you have a decent jigsaw and a good quality fresh blade its just too easy to go all wookety ,, and you dont want wookety on a new surface .

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Yes totally agree , on the technique , but if your not good with a stanley knife for the score line ,, and comy following close to it without going to the wrong side , a down cutting blade will let most folk get away without splintering the wood on the important top side , same as id not recommend turning it over and cutting from the bottom with a standard blade , unless you have a decent jigsaw and a good quality fresh blade its just too easy to go all wookety ,, and you dont want wookety on a new surface .

Seen people cut to a line from above with the saw below and a upcutter but that always struck me as a stupid option especially when cutting curves never cuts at 90 degrees on a curve.

Since getting a tracksaw scoring has become obsolete for the most.

 

[mike os]

Track saw and finish corners with jigsaw

 

[jerrytug]

Assuming it's thick,and heavy oak..
When you've done most of the cutout for the sink, the cut-out section will try and fall out, pinching your saw blade, whatever kind of saw you use.
Screw a random batten or whatever into it, overlapping the intended aperture. just with one screw in the middle so you can rotate the batten out of the way of the saw. Doing that gives you more of a fighting chance of a neat cut!
Hope it made sense its hard to explain.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Whatever happened to drilling holes at the corners and 'straight-cut' sawing up to them?

 

[tom2207]

Whatever happened to drilling holes at the corners and 'straight-cut' sawing up to them?

Thats so yesterday ,,, sort of before B&Q did routers for 35 quid ....

 

[TechnicAl]

Whatever happened to drilling holes at the corners and 'straight-cut' sawing up to them?

Thats how I did it....and then went round the lot with a router

 

[jerrytug]

Whatever happened to drilling holes at the corners and 'straight-cut' sawing up to them?

Luxury. All we had was an adze. Mind your toes.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Thats so yesterday ,,, sort of before B&Q did routers for 35 quid ....

Aye, but I still have that £35 in my pocket. Well, actually I don't - I spent it on something else.....

 

[slim_boy_fat]

uxury. All we had was an adze.

And you slept in the drawers of the wardrobe?

 

[dobbslc]

What make of jigsaw blades do you guys use?
I've got some Bosch ones I've just been using and realized how blunt a very lightly used one was when compared to the teeth of a new one!
I mean they cut well when new but really don't seem to last long. I've been using them on the cabinet carcass so its chipboard not oak.

 

[jerrytug]

What make of jigsaw blades do you guys use?
I've got some Bosch ones I've just been using and realized how blunt a very lightly used one was when compared to the teeth of a new one!
I mean they cut well when new but really don't seem to last long. I've been using them on the cabinet carcass so its chipboard not oak.

I don't find the branded ones much better than random bulk supplies, and am suspicious they're all made in the same factory..

 

[tom2207]

And you slept in the drawers of the wardrobe?

Luxury ,,, we were evicted from our wardrobe.