Cutting down a post-formed countertop?

[Matt Meiser]

As part of our master bath remodel, I'm moving the existing bathroom cabinet into our laundry room for more storage there. Right now there are two cabinets the previous owner installed with a funny 14" wide gap between them and a piece of post formed countertop above. I'm going to move the cabinets together and install install the bath cabinet next to them (they match) which means I need to cut down the counter top. What is the prefered method of doing this without chipping the edges? Flip it over and cut from the back with a circular saw?

[Nancy Laird]

Matt, how much do you need to cut off of the countertop?

Nancy

[Matt Meiser]

About 14" or so. It won't be a standard size which was my first thought since the cabinets it needs to go on are 18" and 21".

[Nancy Laird]

Matt, you can rough cut the countertop from the back side but your best way to finish it is with a belt sander, making sure that the belt is traveling in the direction of pulling the laminate back onto the substrate. Squareness of the ends is critical for when you want to put a end cap on the counter top. The side that goes against a wall can have the end tapered so that just the laminate goes against the wall and also the back that goes against the wall. Try and get as close as possible to the actual wall and you can use a little bit of adhesive caulk to fill and finish up to about 1/8".

To get the actual wall profile use a small kid's compass, like the one that kids use in school. Hold the compass square to the wall and draw a line on the back of the countertop. (If you have a dark color put a length of masking tape on it first so that you can see the pencil line.) Then just sand it to the line and you will have a good fit.

Good Luck.

Dave

[David DeCristoforo]

Actually I have to take issue with the belt sander idea. Unless you are very, very good with a belt sander, you are going to have a tough time getting a decent square edge to apply the finished end cap. Here is a method I think you will have much better luck with:

http://www.woodworkingtips.com/etips/etip022500wb.html

[Burt Waddell]

As part of our master bath remodel, I'm moving the existing bathroom cabinet into our laundry room for more storage there. Right now there are two cabinets the previous owner installed with a funny 14" wide gap between them and a piece of post formed countertop above. I'm going to move the cabinets together and install install the bath cabinet next to them (they match) which means I need to cut down the counter top. What is the prefered method of doing this without chipping the edges? Flip it over and cut from the back with a circular saw?

Matt,

Use your EZ smart and cut anyway you like. I often cut formica face up and get no chip out - It seems to work equally well with either a 24 or 40 tooth blade. I feel more secure using the 40 tooth.

Burt

[David Giles]

I'll second Burt's suggestion. Using the EZ Smart on preformed countertops left a smooth cut.

[Matt Meiser]

I thought about that, but this is one of the counter tops with a backsplash attached and there is a lip on the bottom and the back of the backsplash so there is no place to like the EZ track flat.

I think I can get away with using it from the back, using the square hold it in place while I make the cut.

[Jim Becker]

Tape the cut line, Matt, to at least help minimize chip out and with the good side down while using your EZ, you should be fine.

[Chip Olson]

The time I had to do this (making a temporary cabinet for my dishwasher), I used a circular saw from the back. Worked fine; no noticeable chipping or tearout.

[Ben Grunow]

There is an old thread on this if you search.

I prefer from the bottom with guided CS (cut the backsplash long by 1/4 first with tape from the back) and finish the back splash with the belt sander.

[Matt Meiser]

Done! We ended up changing our plan slightly and I had to buy a new top, which came in a 6' lenght and I needed 57" So I used the EZ Smart guide and square, from the back. I cut the backsplash first, then the main part of the counter. Only problem I ran into was that the circular saw didn't have quite enough depth of cut to finish at the front where the track was lifted off the surface by the blocking that supports the front edge of the counter so I had to carefully recut that part freehand. Once it was done, I followed Nancy's advise on scribing the egde with a compass and using a belt sander to get it to shape. Its not perfect, but a bead of caulk after we get around to repainting the room will make it so.

[Tom Maple]

I see that you have already cut your laminate top but I will still add my $.02.
I have had good luck with masking tape on which I draw the ine where I want to cut and then using my jig saw. Bosch (and probably others too) make blades just for this, with the teeth pointing down so as not to chip the laminate. You can use a straight edge for a straight cut or freehand if your are following a scribed line. Little or no sanding is required. You also don't have to "climb over" the blocking for the front lip since you are on the top surface.

[Michael Schwartz]

Matt,

Use your EZ smart and cut anyway you like. I often cut formica face up and get no chip out - It seems to work equally well with either a 24 or 40 tooth blade. I feel more secure using the 40 tooth.

Burt

I have freehanded countertops, used shop made guides, and most recently used my EZ smart setup which by far is the best of any other methdod I have used.