Worktop mitering

[ken123]

Hi all

I've hired a router and worktop jig and to be honest I haven't a clue how to set it up!!!

Can anyone post some clear instructions. Is this something anyone can tackle or is it a professional job only???

Thanks in advance

 

[breezer]

from what i read on here i recomend you take it back and get some one in.

1) you havent a clue how to set it up

2) you will not know what to do

3) work tops you only get 1 go

it could be argued that you could use an Old work top to practise on, but unless you learn very quickly i should get some one in to do it for you, as i said with a work top you only get one chance

 

[AJS]

Ken,

I would think that you would be hard pressed to do ths job without instructions. You might find some resource here on the web - I know that Trend <www.trendmachinery.co.uk> do a jig and they have regular newsletters, so perhaps take a look there. I agree with the above though that you only have one go at this, so it might me an idea to call in someone who has done it before.

A few years back, I employed someone to do mine for me. He charged £65 per joint, seemed well worth it. I got his name from the local Wickes as he did their showroom joints.

Good luck

 

[murraysnudge]

Ok but how did we all learn to do jobs? Sometimes we made mistakes but learned from them.
I say have a go Ken.

 

[breezer]

i stongly diagree, because as i mentioned you only get "one go" with a work top

and he deosnt have a clue how to set it up in the first place.

bit like saying, i have taken my room light down i put all the reds together, and similarly the blacks, why does it go bang

 

[2scoops0406]

i stongly diagree, because as i mentioned you only get "one go" with a work top

and he deosnt have a clue how to set it up in the first place.

bit like saying, i have taken my room light down i put all the reds together, and similarly the blacks, why does it go bang

Oh does it, that's what I'm doing wrong then

I don't know, I know you're trying to save the guy potentially a few quid, i.e. i'm sure he doesn't want to knacker his worktops, but with a bit of practise... who knows. If, and I repeat if, you are prepared to have a go then either practise on your old worktops or failing that go to somewhere like magnet, and ask for some cheap damaged worktops, they often pretty much give 'em away. As everyone has said though... your choice. I personally have never done it, so can't offer practical advice. Anyhow you haven't said what the tops are made of, I'm guessing they're laminate, if not, do not even try, it's way too expensive to screw any of the other types up.

 

[murraysnudge]

breezer replied:

bit like saying, i have taken my room light down i put all the reds together, and similarly the blacks, why does it go bang

I should have said I was talking about how to use tools. Electrics require a LOT of knowledge and a bit of skill to make the connections.
Tools often require a lot of experience to use them effectively. If I had said I've never plastered a wall so I won't try, I would never have learned.

 

[breezer]

sorry, it was the most common problem i could think of

 

[2scoops0406]

sorry, it was the most common problem i could think of

I know, I had to sort this exact problem out for one of my mates, he thought I was a wizard (shan't tell you what I thought he was ) and a night of free beer, not bad for about 1 minutes work, amazing things those books. I think a lot of successful DIY revolves around knowing when your limits have been reached / breached, once this happens, stop. That's my philosophy anyway.

 

[murraysnudge]

...and this is a great forum to push people towards their limit of competence. I do think a lot of people underestimate their abilities.
I like the signature of big-all:-'we are all still learning'. I hope I am.

 

[2scoops0406]

...and this is a great forum to push people towards their limit of competence. I do think a lot of people underestimate their abilities.
I like the signature of big-all:-'we are all still learning'. I hope I am.

I've been pushed well beyond that, at least it was only a short journey.

 

[ali68]

Playing catch up on the forum reading here, just wondering how you got on Ken.

There was a lot of speak about spoiling your worktop but assuming you hired a 1850w router ( you really need that for this job).Great care must be taken in using this beast i.e. feed the router in the correct direction.

I once witnessed a joiner remove the top of his knuckles after a lapse in concentration and fed the mc the wrong way it jumped out his grip and his knuckles found the sharp spinny bit.

I used a bit of chipboard t&g flooring to practice on when attempting this myself.

 

[the_main_dude]

when using a worktop jig to cut a joint bear in mind a worktop is tricky to cut without practice u can only cut the worktop from left to right as you will chip the front edge of the worktop so u have to turn it upside down to do the other half of the joint but when ure worktop is upside down set your depth stop so u dont go all way through. dont plunge through middle of the laminate or it will chip just go through in one pass have a good practice first

 

[Bas]

best advice I can add is to ensure the router is perfectly vertical when cutting or the joint will look awful. Go slowly, and MOST important ensure the router has stopped completly before removing from work piece or the jig WILL get damaged and they are then useless. Good luck

 

[ban-all-sheds]

sorry, it was the most common problem i could think of

Surely right now it's:

Q: I want do do <all this major stuff>, how do I do it?

A: <These> are all the things you have to think about.

Q: **** off! I don't want to think, I just want to be told how to do it.