Making clean cuts in laminated particle-board - Successful!

[Crowquill]

I was originally planning on picking up some plywood and laminate to make a cocktail table in the near future. But today at work they decided that one of our counter units was unnecessary and that it would be broken into bits and tossed in the dumpster. It's 3/4" laminated particle board (probably melamine) just like a cabinet would be made of. I salvaged the pieces in the hopes that I can use this instead of buying more materials.

So the big question is how should I go about cutting this stuff so it doesn't shred the laminate? Will a circular saw work OK? What type of blade should I use? Should I sandwich it between scrap wood? Is this possible at all?

I wasn't originally planning on having a granite-looking Midway cocktail, but I think it could turn out OK in the end If I can just get the pieces cut out.  I figure it'll be a "monument to gaming" 

[kingflynn]

You can cut that with a circular saw, but first take a straight edge and score the cut line with a sharp utility knife.  That will reduce chipping.  Keep the blade of the saw to the waste side of the score.  Use a finish blade, the more teeth, the finer the cut.  Use a straight edge clamped to the piece to run the saw guide against. 

[shardian]

Run 2" masking tape along any cut lines. Works like a charm.

[ScottS]

The first thing you need to do is buy a decent saw blade. Buy one that's specifically designed for cutting laminates and plywood. Plan to spend at least $25-30, if not more.

Next, build yourself a sawboard. There's a sticky post in this forum that describes how to do it. Not only does it serve as a guide, it will also prevent the material that is directly underneath the sawboard from splintering or chipping.

When you're ready, make all of your cuts on a sacrificial surface. You want the entire cut to be supported by this surface: it's what prevents splintering on the back of the cut. If you have any old plywood, MDF, or melamine use it. You can also use large sheets of hard foam insulation. Don't try to cut through this backer! Set the depth of the blade so that you're only cutting slightly into the backer board. That way you'll be able to make many cuts without the backer board falling apart.

Finally, make some test cuts and then plan your cutting sequence based on the results. If you do everything I've suggested, you should get pretty good results, but there may be some chipping on the top of the piece on the part that the sawboard doesn't cover. Make your cuts so that these chips won't be exposed (e.g. they're on the inside of the cabinet). You can also try using masking tape across the cut line. though it's a bit hit-or-miss in my experience.

Finally, pay attention to the quality of your cuts as you're moving through the project. MDF and melamine dull saw blades quickly. In addition, you may find that little bits of melamine adhere to the sides of the saw's teeth. If either of these things happen, you'll suddenly start to get lots of chipping. Examine the saw blade and clean or resharpen it as needed.

[somunny]

The first thing you need to do is buy a decent saw blade. Buy one that's specifically designed for cutting laminates and plywood. Plan to spend at least $25-30, if not more.

80 tooth Freud.  Like butta.

[Crowquill]

The first thing you need to do is buy a decent saw blade. Buy one that's specifically designed for cutting laminates and plywood. Plan to spend at least $25-30, if not more.

That's about as much as my cheap saw cost 

Normally, I'd stick to better equipment than the "Harbor Freight special", but I don't think I'll use the saw that much. Building a Saw Board is going to be my next step.

Since I first posted this I found quite a few pages about cutting laminated countertops. Most seem to be saying about the same thing as here (tape the edge, use a carbide blade with a higher-count of teeth). Scoring the laminate is one I haven't seen and that seems like a really good idea.

Thanks for the input. Attached is a pic of what the original counter looked like.

[ScottS]

That's about as much as my cheap saw cost 

Normally, I'd stick to better equipment than the "Harbor Freight special", but I don't think I'll use the saw that much. Building a Saw Board is going to be my next step.

Just be aware that if your cheap-o saw has too much runout you'll never get a clean cut in melamine no matter what you do... If this turns out to be the case, throw the Harbor Freight saw in the junk and buy a used saw in decent condition from Craig's List or another local source. When you're done making your cabinet, you can resell it for as much or more than you paid for it.

Since I first posted this I found quite a few pages about cutting laminated countertops. Most seem to be saying about the same thing as here (tape the edge, use a carbide blade with a higher-count of teeth). Scoring the laminate is one I haven't seen and that seems like a really good idea.

I do basically everything I suggested to you and haven't found it necessary to score the cut. In my experience, making two cuts when you could get away with one just doubles your chances of a screw-up...

[xmenxmen]

I have had pretty good luck with these blade from homedepot. 

http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/P/B00006FRPE.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

They are about 8 bucks.

[ScottS]

I have had pretty good luck with these blade from homedepot. 

http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/P/B00006FRPE.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

They are about 8 bucks.

Should be great at cutting 2x4s. For melamine-covered particle board, or even plywood, I'd be very skeptical that you'll get clean cuts...

[prOk]

The right tool for the job.. can't say that loudly enough..  You use a poo tool you'll usually get a poo result.   

Sucks to see so many people spend bad money on bad tools in the name of 'cheap'.

[Crowquill]

The right tool for the job.. can't say that loudly enough..  You use a poo tool you'll usually get a poo result.   

Sucks to see so many people spend bad money on bad tools in the name of 'cheap'.

On that note--I ended up with a KraftTech circular saw from Walmart. The build quality is drastically above what the Harbor Freight saw was. It's also 12amp versus 10amp on the Harbor Freight. I think it'll work fine as a "starter saw". I'm not sure why it was only $28 other than it's made in China for Walmart. It definitely doesn't seem to be made any worse than the B&D and Skil circular saws that I'd seen for $40. The two-year warranty was appealing too for a cheap saw. Ironically, their website is now down, so maybe the two-year warranty is useless after all. It's this saw:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Krafttech-7-1-4-12-amp-Circular-Saw-NIB_W0QQitemZ230102636953QQcmdZViewItem

Using it and a moderately inexpensive 60-tooth carbide blade, I cut some of the scrap material I had from that counter. I got a nice clean cut on the laminate. The only flaw was that I didn't get a square cut. But that was my fault for not checking the adjustment on the saw.

[DrewKaree]

The first thing you need to do is buy a decent saw blade. Buy one that's specifically designed for cutting laminates and plywood. Plan to spend at least $25-30, if not more.

Couldn't have stressed this part ENOUGH! 

The word "carbide" doesn't necessarily mean "for laminates", but it sounds like you already did your job.  Even that 80-tooth Freud, while more than likely would have resulted in something nobody here would scoff at, isn't necessarily a laminate blade, which is what you were cutting. 

The angles of the teeth for a laminate blade are purpose-designed, which is what makes it the proper tool for the job, not just the number of teeth and/or carbide.  Those last two items can combine/be added to make the right blade even better.