Out of square worktop joints.

joe-90

joe-90

Joined
28 Oct 2005
Messages
31,282
Reaction score
1,998
Country
United Kingdom
I've got a worktop jig but have never needed to cut an angle that wasn't pretty close to 90 degrees.

With a standard jig, how do I adjust the cut to make,say, an 85 degree angle or a 95 degree angle?

Am I right in guessing you'd cut the male section, sit it on the carcasses scribe around it with the other board in situ - but how do you adjust the angle? I guess you must clamp the jig slightly off-line but anytips?
 
Sponsored Links
Most jigs have a serious of pins that you can put in various different positions therefore adjusting the angle by a few degress at a time. For comkplete accuracy you can scribe a half sheet of ply into the corner then disect the angle equally. from that angle line you can mark 45% from it, thus giving you the line for your jig. you can then clamp on the ply and jig to your worktop. Tricky but the efforts are worth it. If you have really expensive worktops, may be worth goinfg to your local timber yard and seeing if they have any off cuts to practice on.
 
It sounds a bit difficult. Is it possible to just move the jig a fraction to get a couple of degree shift?
 
I don't know if they are any good as I've never used on but SF do an "out of square" jig, see here
 
Sponsored Links
I've seen them but they are a bit pricey. I believe that they use eccentic cams rather than simple pegs.

Over a 3 metre wortop where you want the end to be a cm back or forward should be the tiniest of tweaks to the alignment. I suppose I should be able to work out the ratio of one centimetre at the far end to (probably) about one mm at the cut end.
 
You really need to use a worktop jig, which can be hired with the right equipment.

To do out of square joints firstly cut the female joint as set by the jig. Put this in its final position and roughly cut to length the adjoining worktop and place it in its position but so that it sits on top of the female cut. You can then use a pencil and once the worktop is pushed tight against the wall you can mark the underside which will give you a line to set up the male side of the jig.

Turn the worktop over and using the jig with the pins in the male holes line up the template edge of the jig with the line you have just drawn making sure that the pins are tight up against the postform edge.

Always make sure that you are cutting into the postform edge with the correct direction of rotation from the router to prevent splitting of the formica.
 
Thanks Mifty - that is the info I was looking for.
 
I realise that this is quite an old thread but it covers the info I am looking for.
I do have a query on it though.

I have bought a jig and router to do the worktops in the kitchen I am fitting. I have used a router before so I am confident in doing the joints.

However, as in the posts above, my walls are not 90 degrees to each other and I have realised that the jig will not suit the angle required.

If I put the female side of the joint in at 90 degrees with the jig the male side will have to be adjusted to enable the length of the wortop to fit parralel to the wall.

Above you have quoted "Turn the worktop over and using the jig with the pins in the male holes line up the template edge of the jig with the line you have just drawn making sure that the pins are tight up against the postform edge.."

I understand the theory of this but, if you place the pins hard against the edge, won't this still produce a 90 degree angle?
 
Thank you for posting the link.

I presume then that the only way of doing a non 90 degree joint is to use a jig capable of these joints - such as the Trend one you pointed me to?

The jig I have is only a basic one and does not seem to be adjustable.
 
It is one I bought off Ebay - I don't think it is any known make - just has

SURFACEJIG 900 marked on it
Untitled

Untitled


Probably too small a picture to make out details but it might help.

There is something nagging in my head - I will try and explain

The kitchen surfaces are 'u' shaped and both the 'uprights' so to speak, run off at an angle so - \_\ (exagerated)

My intention was to cut a left and a right handed female joint in the bottom section and cut corresponding left and right male joints to fit.

Now this would be simple enough IF the walls wee 90 degress but they aren't. They both run off approximately 4 inches over the 3 metre length of worktop.

If I cut the female joints so that they are normal ie running parralel to the face of the worktop, and then do the male joints skewed so that they are basically 90 degrees to the wall - this will give me the incorrect angles for the joint to fit together neatly.

What would be the outcome if I skewed BOTH male and female joints to be 90 degrees to the wall?

Would this work.

Also, if I cannot use the face pins to adjust the angles, could I just clamp the jig in the required position (ie 90 degrees to the wall surface)?

Reading back this sounds confusing but I know in my own mind what I mean - just find it difficult to explain.
 
I think I get what you are saying but by changing the angle of the female cut you will be making the radius of the first part of the cut and making it shorter at the same time you would be making the male cut radius longer so you would end up with an exposed bit of chipboard.

I spoke to Trend and they reckon that by adjusting the male cut you could acheive what you need (as in mifty's post) I think they recommend no more than 3 degrees off to avoid the exposure problem.

Trend have a technical helpline if you want to call them.
 
D

DIYnot Local

Staff member

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Sponsored Links

Similar threads

S
cutting kitchen worktop for not quite 90 degrees
Replies
5
Views
6K
chappers
C
T
Cutting Kitchen worktops (unusual angles)
Replies
6
Views
11K
pjholybloke
P
F
How do you join worktops with an angle of 117 degrees?
Replies
2
Views
2K
Fadangalini
F
M
Worktops
Replies
3
Views
2K
ritzie
R
J
Worktop Jig Problem.
Replies
3
Views
2K
Jonno35
J
Back
Top