Can straight joints be done without joining bars. Our kitchen will require two lenghts of worktop joined together and my wife doesnt want joining bars. Can it be done same as a mitre joint. thanks
Some worktop manufacturers will supply w/tops in any length you want. This would save having a joint. Try contacting some of them. Out of interest, what length of w/top are you after?
have got the worktops already as we are working to a tight budget. Just wanted to know if someone could join them using biscuits and bolts rather than joining bars. thanks
Yes, you can do them with bolts and biscuits just like a corner - a while ago I did one using long dowels and it was fine. Don't rely on the maker's end cut to be square & clean - make a new cut on both pieces.
WB staright joints are easy to do just use bolts and biscuits, they just take a bit more planning and VERY accurate measurements, as has been said DO NOT rely on the manufactered ends being square, use either a plunge saw or a router for the cuts, and position the joint over the ends of 2 joining cabinets this way the joint is completly supported front to back! hope that helps
Straight joints are no problem, just make sure you can fit the top in situ - wall to wall might be very tight!
Hi,straight joints are done in the same way as mitre joints..for best job use jig and router with three bolts...we always use pva for joints as it gives a solid joint. Some fitters use silicone, but this willl give u slight movement as silicone is flexible..cheers * [Edited by: admin]
Just a quickie - how do you go into post formed edge at 90 degrees without blowing the laminate with the bit??
Ruski always cut so that the router bit is cutting into the preformed edge so that means the left hand worktop is cut from top and the right hand worktop is cut from underneath (upside down).
cokitchens, are you saying you do a straight joint by doing a male masons on one and a female masons on the other?
Its as simple as . . . cut the left hand worktop square, using the outside edge of your jig or any 100% straight edge clamped to the worktop. This one will be cut from left to right from the above(as per MoS instructions about cutting into the front edge). put the second one in place with an off cut supporting it at the wall end then mark the joint with a pencil. Measure off this line into the worktop which will be waste by about 100 mm. Clamp straight edge to this line with underneath facing up and again cut left to right. When happy cut the wall end to suit, seal and bolt it up.
Cheers guys - I always believed the laminate would blow if going in at 90, but obviously not! I intend to rough cut and then take the last 5mm off with router to get the best edge (not butt joint, this is to have nice square ends outside freestanding range cooker)
that is an option but do your first pass, maybe 5 mm deep with the router first so you have a line to cut to. Jigsaw carefully down the centre of your groove then router cut as normal. This way you are only cutting on one side of the router cutter and will last longer and be more effective on what it is cutting.
I was just enquiring as to whether cokitchens does his straight joints as masons rather than a simple butt and bolted joint, i cant see any benefit in having a masons mitre straight joint. My straight joints rare as they are are simple butt and bolts, no reason to overcomplicate things
totally agree goldenboy. I would imagine that 2 90deg solid corners pulled together would be as strong as anything else.