Hello need a bit of help. I screwed up and did not order enough laminate for the counter top I am building and now need to piece two sheets together. Is there a trick to getting a near invisible butt joint seam?
Also how do you cut this stuff. I was told to score it and snap it, but the edges don’t look too hot after wards, so I took the Jig saw to it and, while exceptable, still chips the edges.
Replies
Use a laminate trimmer and a straight edge, Cut both pieces at the same time.
mike
Use the advanced search function for p-lam.
You'll get a ton of information from the old threads on this topic, or.....
If you need an excuse to buy a new tool, now is the time. Porter Cable, Bosch, and Dewalt all make laminate trimmers that got decent reviews. My old Bosch builders kit had good instructions for joining laminate. I would guess the newer models also have instructions.
Dave
I've heard of using this technique with wood, but haven't tried it with laminate, so you may want to see what others here say:
Clamp the two pieces together as they will be when you put them on the counter top, but overlap them slightly, then run the laminate router down the overlap (using a straightedge (although you wouldn't really have to, it will look nicer if you do)). Any straying off the straightedge will be compensated for because you are cutting both at the same time and the cut is on opposite edges. Hope I'm making some sense. This is probably overkill and just scoring with a laminate trimmer until you actually cut through the first piece and heavily score the second before snapping would also work. The guy I work for insists that snapping by bending upward and inward towards the score line keeps it from chipping (I always bent it back from the score line).
That sounds like a neat trick. At least it makes sense on paper, or whatever. I'll try that, thanks
You're welcome--VaTom had the ultimate answer though--the router that cuts it in place! Wonder if you could rent one?
Back in my very younger days when we wanted to miter stick-on decorative edging on graphics, we overlapped the two and cut the angle across with an X-acto knife. Similar principal, though I'd forgotten we did that till just now. (Lot easier cutting a little eighth inch wide piece of tape than cutting a sheet of laminate though!)
If you'd fill in your profile, you might find someone in your area who has the right tool you could borrow. The real answer is:
PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
Time management is an issue. a filled out profile would be nice, right after the sink repair and mowing the lawn. Right now I got to get to work
Couple of ways to cut laminate. As was pointed out, straight edge and a router, table saw will cut the laminate as well. Down cutting jigsaw blades are excellent once attached to the substrate.
This is how we seamed laminate in the cabinet shop. Stick a piece to your substrate and roll it out. Take your second piece, clamp a straight edge about 8-10 inches behind the seam to hold pressure on the laminate to keep it from moving. Use a seaming attachment for your trim router and reference off the stuck piece. Now you should have a nice invisible seam. Spray up your substrate and laminate and stick. Use plastic (vizqueen) to allow you to position the seamed piece and stick it. A little airbubble left under the second piece will allow you to force to the seam real tight when you roll the piece down.
Hope it helps.
Jeremy