Straight edge on laminated wood.

[DanGB]

Hi all.

Just doing my kitchen at the moment and need to trim some filler foil wrapped laminted filler panels.
This particular piece needs to be dead straight cut. I cut it will a jigsaw using a nice blade for a perfectly smooth cut, but its not too straight. What would be the best way/tool to straight it with?
Ive tried using a sanding block but I cant really sand it all even, its still a bit wavey.
The bumps in the picture is the protective wrap)
Its 60cm long, and 18mm thick.

Thanks,
Dan

 

[Deleted member 174758]

The most obvious would be a table saw fitted with a fine tooth blade. Failing that possibly an electric rip saw fitted with a fine tooth blade and using a home-made straight edge clamped onto the material (if that is possible - with very narrow stuff it may not be). If you have a workbench, Workmate or even a table fitted with a vice it should be possible to straighten the edge with a jack plane, a straight edge (e.g. a 600mm spirit level) and a try square (to ensure that your planing is square to the face), but you'll have to work in from both edges, taking very shallow cuts and you'll probably need to rehone the plane iron quite a few times as MDF knocks the edge off pretty fast (and a blunt iron will chip the edges badly). A power planer can replace the jack plane and its' carbide cutters won't need to be resharpened, but you will need to go very carefully to avoid taking too much off on each pass (all too easy to do with a power planer). In that case a block plane to fair in the cuts might be a good idea.

TBH as a joiner I'd opt for the table saw if I could, but then I have a deWalt DW745. Before I had the table saw I used to use the plane and Workmate method, starting with a jack plane then moving on to a power planer as funds allowed.

 

[DanGB]

Excellent post thanks.

My tools are still quite limited when it comes to joinery, but I was looking to invest in an electric planer, so I think that's the way to go.
It turns out i need to take off probably 0.5-1mm so an electric planer wouldnt be such a bad idea.
Do you think the electric planer would treat the laminated edge with care?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I've used electric planers on laminate-covered MDF and foil-wrapped MDF (which is actually what your deco panel will be) and they will cut the edges cleanly providing you take very shallow passes (i.e. circa 0.1 to 0.4mm) and providing the cutters are sharp (old blunt cutters will cream cracker stuff double quick). Do not attempt to plane straight through from one side to the other because you'll more than likely get break-out where the planer exits the material. Instead work in from both edges so that you are cutting into the wrapped-round edges. That means you'll need either a block plane or a sanding board (offcut of 18mm ply or MDF, say 100 x 30mm, with aluminium oxide paper spray glued onto one side - suggest P100 as a starter) to fair-in the point where the cuts meet. With an electric planer less cuts at less depth = greater control and accuracy

 

[foxhole]

Got a clean cut with my 20year old £29 table saw, nothing fancy required.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/energer-enb539tas-200mm-table-saw-230-240v/61779

 

[Deleted member 174758]

So you don't think that a fine tooth saw blade is required? Interesting

 

[Nozzle]

Use a router with a guide clamp, p.o.p

Nozzle

 

[lostinthelight]

Use a router with a guide clamp, p.o.p

Nozzle

Thats what I have used but what I have found pretty good if I have sawn a piece I want a good edge on is,I cut a length off a roll of Cloth backed Aluminium oxide and tape it to a spirit level, I then clamp the level down on a flat surface and slide the piece along it.
litl

 

[Diver Fred]

Are you intending to have an angled joint in the worktop, hence will you be obtaining a joining jig? If so then you can use the straight cut guide from that with a router.
In fact I'd suggest the best way to solve your problem is to use a router - even a low powered one will do but will have to make several passes to align the whole thickness. Use a TCT cutter.
As an alternative to the joining jig you could use a straight edge clamped to the worktop.

 

[big-all]

Are you intending to have an angled joint in the worktop, hence will you be obtaining a joining jig? If so then you can use the straight cut guide from that with a router.
In fact I'd suggest the best way to solve your problem is to use a router - even a low powered one will do but will have to make several passes to align the whole thickness. Use a TCT cutter.
As an alternative to the joining jig you could use a straight edge clamped to the worktop.

just make sure its a 1/2" router iff a 40mm worktop to get the full plunge depth as a 1/4" cutter will seldom if ever have the length and plunge depth

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Sorry guys, but the OP stated "...need to trim some filler foil wrapped laminted filler panels." No mention of worktops