I
can't recall ever seeing any professional carpenters installing
post-formed pre-mitered counter tops. I have seen a lot of guys
building counters on-site, trimming the laminate with a
laminate-trimming router bit, and maybe making a decorative
hardwood edge by chamfering the front corner.
And a lot of contractors just
order their L-shaped counter-tops and install them, possibly
making small modifications to the back edge to accommodate
non-linear walls and out-of-square corners. Some of the smaller
lumberyards can get pretty decent prices on custom-formed
counters, and most contractors get discounts from such places,
which is a big factor in where they choose to buy.
But I've had pretty good results
with store-bought counter tops, the kinds that are mitered right
or left or just plain straight. All you have to do is cut them to
length.
Getting a good factory-looking
cut requires using techniques that factories would use, namely,
NEVER using just a hand-guided saw to cut anything. I am a
believer in replicating the methods that factories would use, that
is using an arrow-straight metal cutting guide to control the path
of the saw. I have sometimes used a carefully selected piece of
1x4 or 1x6 as a cutting guide. The trick is to sight down the edge
to find a board that is perfectly straight. But finding a straight
board is unlikely, so I would recommend a thin section of aluminum
extrusion. (A fact about aluminum extrusions is that after being
extruded they are always placed in a special machine that pulls on
both ends to straighten the long metal sections. Thus extrusions
tend to be plenty straight for virtually any carpentry
application.)
You could also buy a thick piece
of steel bar stock from a hardware store, but check for
straightness first.
I bought an 8-foot long cutting
guide from Sears (but I think it was only sold during the
Christmas holiday season) that is basically two 4-foot extrusions
with a metal joiner to connect them. Each piece is straight, but
when put together they tend to kink somewhat. But they make great
4-foot saw guides.
Keep in mind that a circular saw
guide must not be too tall, because when making a deep cut the
saw's motor may be just 1/4" above the saw's base plate (or
foot).
See if your local Home
Improvement store has a 4-foot cutting guide. But don't expect a
simple metal ruler to work well, they just aren't tall enough to
keep the saw's foot from climbing over.
I normally just clamp a cutting
guide in place, although you could screw a guide to the back of
the counter top. Setting up a guide takes some time and tinkering,
but for most do-it-yourselfers, it's time well spent. Make a
practice cut if you aren't sure of yourself.
I've never seen anybody cut their
own 45-degree miter. That sounds difficult. Just getting an
accurate 45-degree angle could be a major challenge. And then
you'd have to use a router to make the special slots for the
clamping hardware. To quote an article from Fine Homebuilding's
Builder's Library series of books "It's impossible to make
this cut without special equipment, so buy sections of counter
with the 45 degree miter already sawn."
If you want to learn about
professional techniques, I recommend checking out some of
Taunton's kitchen-related books. Home Depot sells a good selection
of Taunton's books, but look near the contractor's desk.
If your local supplier does not
stock your choice of counter in pre-mitered form, they should be
able to order them quickly.
Bruce W. Maki, Editor.
