Cutting Formica Countertop With Circular Saw

Mark the cutting line on the formica with a pen or pencil.

Cutting formica countertop with circular saw.

Measure the distance from the blade on your circular saw to the edge of its shoe. Using a circular saw to cut formica 1. Used with a 40 toothed carbide blade the circular saw works efficiently at cutting formica. These materials contain large amounts of glue that quickly dull the edges of saw steel that is not carbide tipped.

Press down the power button of your circular saw to get the blade up to full speed first. Measure the length of your cut at the top and bottom of your counter. A sawhorse is used as a platform or base for cutting countertops out of formica. Formica sheets are between 1 16 and 1 32 of an.

How to cut formica countertops without chipping when working with unmounted formica countertops start by placing the counter laminate side up on your saw horses. A circular power saw with 40 teeth is ideal for cutting these countertops. Because a circular saw can produce jagged edges and chip the laminate your best bet is to lay the laminate face side down and cut from the back to the front. The jigsaw is by far one of the most convenient and cost effective tools for cutting formica.

Purchase the size of formica sheet that fits best for your project. You will want to clamp a 1 2 to use as a rip fence. Use this measurement so that the saw rests against the fence and the blade is lined up with your mark. Most of the cutting is done with power saws while the finishing is carried out with a power jigsaw.

Mark off the line you want to cut using masking tape and make sure to leave a bit of extra room for overhang which you can later cut off. Place the blade carefully against the start of the cut line and the outside edge of the saw guard up against the wooden guide fence. It is not ideal for smaller and detailed laminate cuts. Cutting formica countertops to size involves sawing both the formica sheet and the particle board layer that gives the counter its strength.

Then connect the marks with a strip of thick masking tape which will protect the laminate from tears. Measure the area you wish to laminate with a tape measure. This way if there is any minor chipping to the laminate then you can sand it out with the belt sander and the counter will still be the correct size. The jigsaw thus helps in cutting the countertop without damaging the adjoining wall.

Push the saw along the line through to the end. Use your saw to cut slowly along the whole line to cut the countertop.