Cutting furniture board?

Discussion in 'Carpenters' Talk' started by FagCardFreddie, Jan 3, 2013.

  1. Does anybody know how to get a really nice finish when cutting furniture board? I recently had a kitchen fitted and the installer had a circular saw with a 'guide' that he placed on the wood and the saw ran along it - it was brilliant but he said it cost about £1,000 which is just a little more than I wanted to pay lol. I have a circular saw, any tips would be much appreciated. FCF.
     
  2. Gray

    Gray Guest

  3. big all

    big all Screwfix Select

    he may mean laminated pine board ??
     
  4. Mr. Handyandy

    Mr. Handyandy Screwfix Select

    Or chipboard!
     
  5. goldenboy

    goldenboy Super Member

    About a £1000 for a plunge saw, that must be gold plated, more like £500 tops. In all seriousness you can now buy a DIY version of that track saw for £160. thats saw, blade and track. Scheppach CS55. Not good enough for pro work but plenty good enough for diy
     
  6. Thanks for the advice.

    Laminated chipboard is what I meant; what kitchen cabinets and most flat pack furniture is made of. Furniture board is the 'posh' name Homebase and B&Q give it, probably so they can charge more for it?
     
  7. Freddie, what cutting tools do you have? The bottom line is, cut with the teeth cutting through from the decorative side.

    If you have a circular saw, and the teeth are fine enough and in good order, then a clamped wood rail to guide the saw is a must. The board will be placed so's the nice finished surface is on the underside so's the saw blade cuts upwards. If you saw ain't up to much, then cut leaving a couple of mm to the line, and then use a smoothing plane with the finished surafce facing you - cut along the edge but slightly sliding the plane downwards as you go so's there's no risk of lifting the laminate edge.

    Another tip is to first run a Stanley knife along a straight edge on the finished side - this way the laminate shouldn't get chipped beyond the cut. Then plane to the line.
     
  8. Mr. Handyandy

    Mr. Handyandy Screwfix Select

    ...and don't forget, if you use the 'straight-edge and clamp' method, mind you don't leave clamp marks on the good side of the board.

    :)

    Mr. HandyAndy - Really
     
  9. Thanks for your answers, I actually have a Bosch PKS46 circular saw which takes 150mm blades. Any idea what would be the best blade to use for this job? There does not seem to be a big range of 150mm blades available.

    Sorry if I sound a bit THICK, but wouldn't a clamped wooden rail be cut by the saw blade?
     
  10. Mr. Handyandy

    Mr. Handyandy Screwfix Select

    The clamped rail(guide) is clamped a certain distance from the cut-line(determined by the distance between edge of bottom plate to edge of saw teeth, depending on which way you are cutting). The bottom plate of the power saw runs along your clamped straight-edge.
    Never mind the teeth, the slower you push the saw through, the better the cut will be. Set the blade to just poke through the bottom of your piece to be cut.

    Mr. HandyAndy - Really
     
  11. big all

    big all Screwfix Select

    if you keep in mind with a powertool a guide or baton will always involve the tool being used in a safe correct manor  as designed with safe support and minimum extra cutting off material
    so think rubbing against at the side or base  to guide along a strait line or several directions if a jig
     
  12. WeinsteinJohn

    WeinsteinJohn New Member

    Guys why didn't you go for laminate or bamboo flooring, it will look nice and no headach of cutting furniture board.

    bamboo rugs
     
  13. was dunc before

    was dunc before New Member

    Your furniture board can have resin pockets in it, which you won't see until you cut it; which compromises your finish. But in general I would trim off the excess with a circular saw, then clamp a straight edge and router to the finished line.
     
  14. joat43

    joat43 New Member

    Best way....but also make sure you're careful at the edges otherwise you can pull the laminate away from the chipboard........cut into the board with the router spinning "in to" the edge........
     

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