Jigsaw (??) for Kitchen worktop.

P

Phil54

Joined
5 Sep 2012
Messages
18
Reaction score
2
Country
United Kingdom
Apologies if this has been asked before, but I have looked and can't see anything quite relevant, or recent.

I have a few jobs coming up, and am about to buy a new jigsaw. I want it for general purpose, DIY use (not commercial), and it'll be relatively infrequent use, not every day.

But I do want a quality tool.

The current options are a Makita 4350, or the Bosch GST-140 (or 135 if I can find one convenient to me). So the budget is in the £130-£200-ish bracket.

The first, but far from only, job it'll be used for is cutting a hole in a 40mm breakfast bar for a flush-fitting recessed sink. As a result, it needs to be fairly powerful, and because the cuts need to follow the contours of the sink, the cuts will be curved, and need to be pretty accurate.

So, the questions ....

1) Given the price differential, and the relatively infrequent use, is the extra cost of the Bosch justified? Is it that much better? Which one to buy?

2) Blade choice. The obvious choice seems to be the T144D (cutting from underneath, etc). But what about the reverse-teethed blades designed for cutting from above? Or is the action of the saw lifting off the work bad enough to make them a poor choice? Or is there a better option that the T144D?


This rather nervous novice would appreciate any help from those far more experienced, 'cos if I cock this up, Domestic Management are going to make my existence a living hell for a long time. :D

Thanks.
 
Sponsored Links
Hi Phil,

Regarding the blade choice, 99% of kitchen fitters use the T101BR - this is a downcut blade which means you can cut from the top without any splintering (the splintering comes out on the bottom).

An alternative would be the T308B which gives a clean finish on both sides - this is mainly used for laminated boards, but would mean that you would also get a good finish on the bottom of the worktop (I know nobody will see it, but some people are a bit anal like that!)
 
Once I settle on the saw, I'll get a T101BR and give it a try. I've got a bit of scrap I can play with. Thanks for that.
 
If you need an accurate cut a jigsaw blade is not ideal as it tends to lean over thru thick material, really need a router for accurate worktop cuts.
 
Sponsored Links
I hear you, foxhole, but my (relatively inexperienced) view is that it's a matter of degrees.

If the job was to cut straight edges in worktops for joining together, like 45 degree cuts to go round a corner, I'd be inclined to agree that a jigsaw is far from ideal, and that a router and a suitable jig is the only decent option. But what I'm after is a general purpose saw for a variety of jobs, the first of which is the recess hole for dropping in a sink. The problem is, it's not square cut, so a circular saw won't do it. Instead, it's like half of a kind-of squared-off oval. A cross between a rectangle and an oval. It's hard to describe, other than to say the only way I can think of doing it is to create a cardboard template (which I've done) as a quick mock-up, and cut a ply template from that, and use that as a cutting guide for the worktop.

As for the leaning, it's certainly true of cheap saws, but I'm given to understand that good ones, like the Makita and even more the Bosch blue I mentioned, are pretty resistant to that problem because of the blade supports, and because of the solidity of the base plate. So if I let the blade do the work and don't force it, I should, I think, be able to get a decent cut.

I hope. ;)
 
I suggest that you listen to Foxhole. I have the Makita and have used similar spec Bosch machines and they can not be relied on to give an accurate cut in 40mm worktops.

If you insist on trying it, I suggest that you try to cut a small opening, with your new jigsaw, in the middle of the area you intend to remove. You should be able to cut to a marked line on the top surface, but the bottom line of the cut will wander about. When you get over the disappointment, you can then think about using a router to cut the real hole.

You can use your new jigsaw to create the router template for your sink hole, probably in MDF with a thickness to match the template guide for your router, usually 6mm or 9mm. The jigsaw should cut the MDF very cleanly.

When routing the real hole, expect to take a number of passes of about 4-5mm each time.
 
If you use upward cutting blades you won't get anywhere near the same degree of banana-ing. I know you risk chipping but never had a problem myself.
 
Aunsh said:
I suggest that you listen to Foxhole. I have the Makita and have used similar spec Bosch machines and they can not be relied on to give an accurate cut in 40mm worktops.

If you insist on trying it, I suggest that you try to cut a small opening, with your new jigsaw, in the middle of the area you intend to remove. You should be able to cut to a marked line on the top surface, but the bottom line of the cut will wander about. When you get over the disappointment, you can then think about using a router to cut the real hole.

You can use your new jigsaw to create the router template for your sink hole, probably in MDF with a thickness to match the template guide for your router, usually 6mm or 9mm. The jigsaw should cut the MDF very cleanly.

When routing the real hole, expect to take a number of passes of about 4-5mm each time.
Click to expand...
Cutting reasonably accurately to the top line will do me just fine. As I said, the sink is hard to describe, but the shape is curved, and not a regular curve, round the top edge, but it also curves away from the outside edge as you go down. Imagine cutting an apple in half, then hollowing out the interior, then slicing a straight edge along the back, and you've got the shape. And I'm dropping that shape into a hole cut in the worktop.

So I don't need an accurate cut anywhere other than along the surface of the worktop, and even then, only accurate enough to not have to use a vast amount of filler or sealer, but there will be a thin band of sealer round the edge of the sink, and it'll mask minor inaccuracies.

But the crux of it is I'm buying a jigsaw, not a router. I do have a number of jobs coming up where I'll use a jigsaw, and may well never have another need for a router. And I'm not buying a router for this one job.

I did listen to foxhole .... and he's right. It's just that I'm buying a jigsaw not a router, and I'll have to get the best job I can from it, which is why I was asking about which jigsaw.
 
You tell em mate.

It's not so much which brand as they are all good (Makita, Bosch, Hitachi) but which one is on special. Go for a name and get a good deal.
 
The Bosch 135 that you suggested will cut 40mm tops straight and vertical, use a new Bosch blade for each cut. It's the best, most accurate jigsaw I've ever owned.
 
curved lines and square edges rarely go together when using jig saws but should be good enough for a sink cut out do the straight lines first then the curves, thats when things go pear shaped ,use good blades bosch are usually up to the job
 
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

A
Bosch jigsaw blades
Replies
7
Views
2K
Handyman
H
M
Bosch jigsaw blade for 40mm laminate worktop
Replies
5
Views
13K
Thermo
Thermo
K
Jigsaw advice
Replies
2
Views
814
^woody^
^woody^
E
Blades for cutting worktop, jigsaw and skillsaw, table saw
Replies
10
Views
6K
eyup
E
K
What jigsaw blade do i need for worktop
Replies
7
Views
25K
pompeyal
pompeyal
Back
Top