Best blade for cutting cut-outs in 38mm laminate worktop ?

[shd1970]

Well i treated myself to a new Jigsaw :

https://www.screwfix.com/p/titan-ttb285jsw-750w-jigsaw-230v/63333?_requestid=543302

a Titan TTB285JSW 750W Jigsaw from Screwfix

I know its only £40 but it has really good reviews and its really just to put in my new kitchen worktops so i thought it would be fine

So today, all excited i popped in some new Bosch blades too which Toolstation said was for laminate :

https://www.toolstation.com/shop/p13849?searchstr=t101br

...and i expected for my nice new shiny jigsaw to tear through the worktop like a knife through butter with precision accuracy....how wrong i was !!!

Every cut was painfully slow and i seemed to have to really push hard which i know is a no no so i'm guessing something wasn't right. I also meant that my cut line was wonky which was disappointing considering the Titan has a laser guide too !

On inspection, these new Bosch blades teeth are pointing downwards, whereas the 3 blades that come with the Titan, are upwards !

Lesson learned i guess to check and compare

So before i attempt my sink cut-out, can anyone recommend a suitable blade that can cut a 38mm laminate worktop (Egger) ?
Also, i see, straight cut, curved cut, clean cut blades....etc etc....i'm guessing just a straight cut, yes ?

TIA

 

[big-all]

they are downcut to reduce the chip out off the blade
i always use 101b or 101d and the lip on the sink or hob covers the chipping
pull the lazer out cover it with tape or turn it off watch the blade and ignore what the machine body does just watch the blade
and pendulum off on corners

 

[shd1970]

they are downcut to reduce the chip out off the blade
i always use 101b or 101d and the lip on the sink or hob covers the chipping
pull the lazer out cover it with tape or turn it off watch the blade and ignore what the machine body does just watch the blade
and pendulum off on corners

thanks or the reply big-all

So...

1. The t101br will give a better cut of the laminate as its downward cut but you can't use pendulum action and so the cutting is very slow, correct ?
2. Conversley, the t101b cuts upwards so you get some chipping on the laminate but you can use pendulum on the straight lines so its quicker, correct ?
3. How much chipping do you get, is it bad or just a few mm ?

So is it a case of having an easier cutting experience (speed, accuracy and not having to force the jigsaw) and just having to put up with a little chipping ?

 

[big-all]

unsual to get more than about 3mm unless the blade is getting blunt and that can happen after a metre or two with chipboard worktops
yes full pendulum but keep you eye on the blade and retrace iff nessisery cutting slight into the work [cutting very slowly towards the wrong side a bit] until the bade is fully following a new line rather bending at the bottom to the old wrong line

 

[shd1970]

cheers again big-all

i'll get some t101b's then and try some test cuts first on a few scraps

fingers crossed that the pendulum upwards action helps as as i said, it was painfully slow and hard work which i didn't expect and my cut was pretty wayward at times

 

[big-all]

people will often say cut from underneath to give a clean cut on top but if you do this and the blade goes off line and hooks under can go perhaps 12mm off line
where as you cut from the top and the blade goes off line and hooks under by even 12mm the top will only be perhaps 3mm off line
if you are cutting and it starts to get very tight and slow look underneath to check for the blade hooking under [turning /bending at a silly angle compared to the top ]
an retrace as i said above
but only ever watch the blade and ignore the guids unless you know they are accurate

 

[foxhole]

Jigsaw is only of use for cutting the curve on the worktop , you need a circular saw for straight cuts unless you are happy to risk very wonky cuts.
If you are struggling it just shows why the jigsaw is so cheap , a decent jigsaw would not struggle .

 

[shd1970]

Thanks for the reply foxhole

All the advice I have seen seems to show that you drill out each corner with a flat drill so there are no corners to do
I have a circular saw but how on earth would you get that into the worktop to cut in the middle of the laminate... Surely it would wreck the laminate and anyway, i am having to cut it in situ as i will obviously have 2 long weak points.

Regarding the saw, it's a 750w and has really good reviews so my hope is that it's not being able to use the pendulum action hence i will try the upward blades and see what chipping occurs

 

[big-all]

good reviews mean nothing on a site thats edits and controls the reveiws
if they dont like what your saying it wont get posted
they will let a percentage off bad reveiws through to make them look genuine but will avoid posting many off the worst ones

 

[foxhole]

Thanks for the reply foxhole

All the advice I have seen seems to show that you drill out each corner with a flat drill so there are no corners to do
I have a circular saw but how on earth would you get that into the worktop to cut in the middle of the laminate... Surely it would wreck the laminate and anyway, i am having to cut it in situ as i will obviously have 2 long weak points.

Regarding the saw, it's a 750w and has really good reviews so my hope is that it's not being able to use the pendulum action hence i will try the upward blades and see what chipping occurs

Depend depends on the radius for some jigsaw is a must, circular is just lowered in while ruining .

 

[shd1970]

Update.............

So i have measured up and marked out all my cutting lines, drilled each corner with a 16mm flat drill and drill a few additional 16mm holes too as rest points
I set a straight edge up and started with a brand new T101B and everything seemed to be going fine, but then, stopped for a rest and a check and noticed that it was cutting off the line, somehow on the side of the straight edge and underneath, well its clear that the blade was bending
The blade is tarnished so has clearly got hot and its burnt the masking tape i put down first also.
I was giving it a little pressure but definitely not pushing or forcing it

Got to say, am absolutely gutted.

Any further ideas ?

 

[big-all]

are you running against a strait edge ??
and what length off cut had you done ??

 

[shd1970]

so i'm making my first cut on one of the sides for a new sink so out of a 600mm worktop depth, it will be a 480mm cut in total
probably made it half way before i really noticed the wander and the blade obviously getting hot
and yes, using a straight edge clamped at the front and back and i was supporting the middle section but its a hard piece of wood, perfectly straight and isn't flexing

i was just watching this guy talking about Bosch precision blades as they are thicker steel so wont flex as much

worth a try ?

he also says to use pendulum but i found that was making the jigsaw judder more and splintered the laminate more so turned it off

 

[big-all]

do not use a strait edge thats the problem just watch the blade and make minute adjustment as you go

 

[shd1970]

Update....

So i borrowed my neighbors 350w old B&D with a Titan blade and it cut like a dream
As suggested, didn't use a straight edge just watched the blade and it cut beautifully
Also didn't use the V at the front of his jigsaw as a guide either as it was miles off...just used my own eyes

Have to say, no damage nor burned look on his blade either so the Titan Screwfix jigsaw is going back....its obviously crap for laminate

Thanks big-all