Hi

I need to trim the plinths that go under our kitchen units as they wont fit 
with the new tiles in place.

With the plinths being the usual chipboard with a thin laminate coating, I 
am trying to avoid chipping the laminate on the front edge.

Can anyone advise the best method ? If I had any spare, Id experiment myself 
!

Im wondering whether cutting with the front side up or back side up is 
better and whether it is preferable to use a hand saw rather than a jig saw 
or table saw to minimise chipping ?

Thanks for any advise.

Tim

If you put a bead of mastic along the join it will hide any slight
chipping and will prevent water getting under the units when you wash
the floor - it will also remove the need to be 100% accurate with the
trimming (which may be very difficult!)

Are the plinths set in slightly, to leave a kickspace?  If so, the top edge 
will only be visible to someone lying on the floor, or very nearly.  Make 
sure that the cut edge goes at the top, any small chips won't be seen.

Whatever sort of saw you use, you could also try putting masking tape along 
the line of the cut; this can help prevent chipping.

Bert
www.bertcoules.co.uk

In article <4319daad$0$22927$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader01.plus.net>, 
email@timdsmith.co.uk says...

> Hi
> 
> I need to trim the plinths that go under our kitchen units as they wont fit 
> with the new tiles in place.
> 
> With the plinths being the usual chipboard with a thin laminate coating, I 
> am trying to avoid chipping the laminate on the front edge.
> 
> Can anyone advise the best method ? If I had any spare, Id experiment myself 
> !
> 
> Im wondering whether cutting with the front side up or back side up is 
> better and whether it is preferable to use a hand saw rather than a jig saw 
> or table saw to minimise chipping ?
> 

Use a table saw with the front side up.  If you trim the top edge it 
probably won't be very visible anyway.

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Tim Smith   wrote:


> Hi
>
> I need to trim the plinths that go under our kitchen units as they
> wont fit with the new tiles in place.
>
> With the plinths being the usual chipboard with a thin laminate
> coating, I am trying to avoid chipping the laminate on the front edge.
>
> Can anyone advise the best method ? If I had any spare, Id experiment
> myself !
>
> Im wondering whether cutting with the front side up or back side up is
> better and whether it is preferable to use a hand saw rather than a
> jig saw or table saw to minimise chipping ?
>
> Thanks for any advise.
>
> Tim


Use a circular saw, and cut from the *back* (or a table saw with the front
side *up*). That way, the blade is cutting *into* the visible side - and is
less likely to chip it.
-- 
Cheers,
Set Square
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.

Set Square wrote:



> Use a circular saw, and cut from the *back* (or a table saw with the front
> side *up*). That way, the blade is cutting *into* the visible side - and is
> less likely to chip it.


Yup that works well. You could also use a power plane, which should 
leave both edges clean, but watch out at the ends (or better still plane 
into the centre from both sides).

-- 
Cheers,

John.

/=================================================================\
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|        John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk              |
\=================================================================/

John Rumm wrote:


> Set Square wrote:
>
>
> > Use a circular saw, and cut from the *back* (or a table saw with the front
> > side *up*). That way, the blade is cutting *into* the visible side - and is
> > less likely to chip it.
>
> Yup that works well.


Thirded. A table saw is also good for ripping plinths down when your
mate carelessly installs his kitchen units too low down !

Rgds
Paul.

"Tim Smith"  wrote in message 
news:4319daad$0$22927$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader01.plus.net...

> Hi
>
> I need to trim the plinths that go under our kitchen units as they wont 
> fit with the new tiles in place.
>
> With the plinths being the usual chipboard with a thin laminate coating, I 
> am trying to avoid chipping the laminate on the front edge.
>
> Can anyone advise the best method ? If I had any spare, Id experiment 
> myself !
>
> Im wondering whether cutting with the front side up or back side up is 
> better and whether it is preferable to use a hand saw rather than a jig 
> saw or table saw to minimise chipping ?
>
> Thanks for any advise.
>
> Tim
>


Best way to eliminate chipping altogether is to firstly mark your cut line, 
then using a sharp stanley knife and straight edge cut through the laminate 
along the line. Then cut using a jig or circular saw if you wish, but I 
always use a nice sharp hand saw. Any chipping will stop at the knife cut 
line. Then you can fine trim with a plane if you are not accurate enough!

Proper job!

Slurp

Tim Smith wrote:


> Hi
> 
> I need to trim the plinths that go under our kitchen units as they wont fit 
> with the new tiles in place.
> 
> With the plinths being the usual chipboard with a thin laminate coating, I 
> am trying to avoid chipping the laminate on the front edge.
> 
> Can anyone advise the best method ? If I had any spare, Id experiment myself 
> !
> 
> Im wondering whether cutting with the front side up or back side up is 
> better and whether it is preferable to use a hand saw rather than a jig saw 
> or table saw to minimise chipping ?
> 
> Thanks for any advise.
> 
> Tim 


Big router and trim bit to finish

Are the plinths set in slightly, to leave a kickspace?  If so, the top edge
will only be visible to someone lying on the floor, or very nearly.  Make
sure that the cut edge goes at the top and any small chips won't be seen.

Whatever sort of saw you use, you could also try putting masking tape along
the line of the cut; this can help prevent chipping.

Bert
www.bertcoules.co.uk