Cutting sinkhole into kitchen counter
I’m installing my first kitchen countertop and have a question about cutting the sinkhole. My idea is to drill a pilot hole and use a router with a 1 1/2″ straight bit (1/2″ shank). By comparison, I might use a jig saw. In either case I will use carefully laid out jigs to help guide my tool. What is the best approach? Any suggestion on the most efficient way of making this cut?
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What do ya wanna bet somebody will come along and ask ya to confirm WHAT the material is you're cutting into?
<g>
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Ok, what type of material are you cutting??
(Shredder made me do it!)
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BTW, most my countertops in life to date have been ceramic tile (which is why I now hate ceramic tile countertops in a kitchen) and the sinkhole WAS cut with 4 pilot holes drilled first, then use of a jigsaw. But I have no idea what material the OP is dealing with...DUM SPIRO SPERO: "While I breathe I hope"
Two questions -
Add one more, is the countertop installed ? If not, the options ae greater.
Maybe a half question, ok? - lol
I've done them both ways and it really doesn't seem to make much of a difference.
I'm making three bathroom vanities right now that will have granite countertops and undermount sinks. When the customer asked me if I could fabricate the tops, I told them that I had always wanted to give it a try but they should be ready to accept an early Flintstones finish. After I told them what was involved, they decided that the granite people may be a better choice - lol.
Depending on location I have seen window sills get in the way. I have seen the bulk of the cutout made with a circ saw and finished with a jig saw. If using a router you might not have room at the rear.
My chain saw sometimes puts a little soot on the walls if already installed.(;-)
Ditto on the other posts, its hard to cut mystery material!
You probably don't need a carefully laid out jig to cut razor sharp lines. Darw an accurate pencil line and carefully with a jigsaw. The flange on the sink will cover the edge.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
IF
we were to presume that you have a laminate top over Pboard from a fabricator, turn it upside down. Well, you could drill a few holes first for reference holes if you want.
Then lay it out
Then double check your layout. Working upside down can be confusing.
Then I amke the straight cuts with my circ saw, making slow carefull plunge cuts, and finish the corners out with the jigsaw.
The idea is that you want the teeth to be pulling laminate into the base as they cut. If they are pulling away from the base material, the laminate surface can chip or shatter.
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The countertop will be post form laminate and the sinkhole will be cut be the final installation. Nobody said to not use one tool or the other. I appreciate the feedback.
Ok, here's one tool not to use: if you use a jigsaw, buy a blade with reverse teeth. Like Piffin said, you want the teeth to force the laminate against the mdf. If you use a regular jigsaw blade, it will might snag the laminate and pull it off. And it will certainly chip the laminate.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
but the regular blade is fine when you cut from the back.
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A jigsaw won't get close enough to the backsplash of a post form top to make the cut out.... but you probably knew that.
It will if you cut from the bottom.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
if you score it first with a sharpe razor knife it keeps the chip'n way down...
p
The jigsaw will get close enough if it has a Collins coping foot mounted.
I have another question about post-formed countertops ...What's the best way to cut the end off, so you can get a nice, clean cut for the end cap?Also, for the end cap, do you apply it with the hot-melt adhesive that is usually already applied by the manufacturer, or do you use regular contact cement?********************************************************
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I buy it with the end cap already on
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I have done it with jig saw and with circ. I put a filler on the bottom if the front edge has a stiffener mark it well and go for it from the bottom with circ saw with good blade. Do not use a plywood blade with stiffener/stabilizer (do not ask me how I know this). I usually use a good quality finish blade. Go across the bottom and up the back. I used the regular contact stuff for the end cover.
While I prefer Piffin's way, I had to do a couple in the last year, where the GC showed up with oversized counters bought off the shelf to save a $.I take it you're doing your cutting without any kind of guide, right?********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
I have done it with and without. Got the pretty much full up EZ, have not used it but probably would now. Would use the saw off the rail since most of my saws would not go through/by the filler and top. Used downcut jigsaw blade last time to cut most of the bottom, then back. IIRC switched to standard fine cut blade in the Bosch fine cut saw to finish the radius. Cleaned up with file and sandpaper/block.
end caps, preglued, use plenty of heat from an iron o heat gun and roll aggresively
unglued? use contact cement, plenty on the of end of the top
either case, trim witha flush cutting router bit and file the final edge by hand
I like to put tape on the top of the countertop , layout the sink and then score the line with a new razor. After that I drill holes in each corner and take the tape off that lies within the sink perimeter. Take a jigsaw and cut about 1/16 away from your tape and then use a beltsander to clean it up . Sometimes I use a grinder to clean up the edge but be sure that the rotation of the disc moves from the top down to avoid chipping