nice new beech worktop – don't want to ruin it!

[alfietinker]

Hi everyone, I've just found this forum so I hope you can help.

We're putting in a belfast sink and have got a nice length of beech worktop. It's not top quality (only £60), so I don't know how it'll hold up. It's only 28mm thick.

We would like to rout in some draining grooves like we keep seeing but (a) can't find how to do it and (b) have never used a router!

Any tips?

 

[fitter]

It is a difficult job, if done properly the grooves should get deeper as they get closer to the sink.

Even without this feature the grooves have to be the same length and equally spaced, to look anywhere near decent.

I found a joinery company who does them and I leave it up to them.

If you have no expierence in using a router, it's far too difficult a job to start with.

Now sit back and wait for all the "experts" to tell you how easy it was when they did it, with no more than a cordless and rotary rasp.

 

[alfietinker]

B****R! Thought you might say that!

Someone suggested cutting the hole for the sink with a router though. Wouldn't a jigsaw be better? I have no idea!

 

[fitter]

I always cut the hole with a jigsaw and then screw 3 batterns under and run around with a bearing guided router bit, to give a good finish. Then a bearing guided radius bit around the top edge but I love routers (could be my age).

I don't know about just using a jigsaw, I can't see the finish and squarness being up to much, it will most certainly require a lot of finish work by hand and beech is pretty tough.

If you are ok with the hard work finishing it MAY be worth giving it a go, I've got so use to using power tools for everything, the mere thought of physical work starts me shaking.

Don't forget to allow 15/20mm overhang measured on the inside of the sink and radius the corners.

 

[alfietinker]

Do you know, you are the first person who's actually given me some decent advice! Apart from 'you've only got to cut a hole', I've really struggled to find any information on actually how. I was beginning to think there was a secret society on worktop cutting!

Thanks a lot!

 

[fitter]

Thanks very much, glad to help.