Replies

1. 
   calvin | Jan 04, 2010 06:24pm | #1

   If you are making a splash out of laminate-you should find a 5'x10'. You'll get the splash's out of the long side of the 10'. Top band and the faces also probably. The small top and the splash for that and the 4' end of the main counter will come out of the drop off the "L". You can also buy edgeband-1-3/4'' x 12 ft.

   Figure it out closely and I believe you'll get the face edge for the counters out of that too.

   I use a stripper (a 110.00 tool) to cut the splash's, the face edge bands and splash edge bands. If you don't want to buy one of those, I used to rip the strips and cut the tops and splash faces with a circ. saw, a 24 tooth carbide and a rip fence with a block taped to it (so the lam. doesn't slide under it and ruin the cut. You can cut out the top with the same saw, only mark it out with a pencil and cut all from the backside. It'll chip a little, but you'll rout that off.

   I use a lam. router bit w/o a bearing. You can use a bearing if you wish. If you do not, lube up the faces of the lam with vaseline so you don't burn it. Keep the bit or bearing clean!

   When you mark out the top to cut, make it oversized. I can get pretty close, but if it's your first time-maybe an inch or so too long/too wide. For that inside corner of the "L", use a one inch or so hole saw with a backer underneath (or a spade bit with spurs) and bore a hole at that inside corner cut line. Straddle the line. Laminate has a tendency to crack while handling and after glued down if you make an inside corner sharp. When you rout that top, DO NOT file that inside corner sharp!

   I use old venetian blinds to lay on the substrait after the glued "dries" to keep the lam from sticking until you're ready. I put strips ever 8"'s or so. Start at one end (the "L" end I would) and remove the "spacers" pressing (wiping motion) as you go along. ONE END TO THE OTHER. Do not leave an air space as you go along. Keep pressing,smoothing, as you remove the strips. You can use dowels or 1/2 x 1/2 strips CLEAN!

   Then you roll it out, the same way-completely one end to the other getting it stuck good.

   -Man, there's alot of steps to this that I take naturally. Writing this out isn't easy-easier to do it.

   I double up the front edge, keeping that add-on perfect with the top edge. I'll use a sanding block to help out, making it perfect. Some guys use a long router bit to true it up.

   I still use the strong smelling glue, but have used water based successfully. There's a laminate glue roller cover (like a pc of hard looped carpet) that works well. You don't clean it-it lasts forever-just don't set it down, drape it over a bucket till dry.

   OR you can use a brush and smear it around, not leaving alot of glue in any one spot-even coat.

   OR, you can use a pc of laminate as a squeegee and run around the top like you'd apply driveway coating-back and forth on an angle to coat evenly

   I usually double coat the edges and any "weak" spots.

   You apply the face edgeband first, then the top. The backsplash is up to you, face first or edge-it's how you want it to look on finish (black line)

   I cut the substrait sink hole b/4. Drill a hole in the laminate after glued down and then rout the hole out.

   I then coat that cut Industrial flake particle bd (or other) with a good caulk to seal it against the water that invariable gets past the sink edge. Cheap insurance.

   I grind/sand/file the splash to fit the top and glue it to the wall (silicone or const. adhesive)-with an adhesive caulk between the splash and counter to seal it and hopefully glue it there also. Some will screw the splash to the counter, then slide it into place. Working alone, too much trouble.

   I do all the work on the top in place, pulled out enough to work, but sitting where it belongs especially at final glue up. Alone that's the only way I can handle it.

   Joints in the substrait I double up with a larger "bandaid" below. Glued and screwed or stapled (1-1/4"). Same with the buildup on the front edge and back edge. I usually run fill build ups interspersed at the cab breaks.....not necessary but it used up the scraps.

   Be careful filing (there's a quickcut and fine file made for laminate-get them. The rollers I use is a small J roller for the face edge, splash and edges. A larger extendable handle roller for the top. You don't need the larger one unless you are going to do this some more.

   If you tile the splash, it looks better and isn't as much work as that damn lam. splash. Well, not as much lam work.

   I know I forgot something, but this is a start.

   best of luck!

1. 
   Matt | Jan 04, 2010 06:37pm | #3

   Gheese Cal!!! - you wrote a book... Sounds like you are describing square edge laminate tops. I was thinking he wanted post formed??? I guess he has a choice now...

1. 
   webby | Jan 04, 2010 09:16pm | #7

   Lol,

2. 
   Matt | Jan 04, 2010 06:29pm | #2

   I'm assuming you are going to
   I'm assuming you are going to get new post-formed tops?

   Is the corner square? Use the biggest square you can get your hands on to check it. If not the counter top will very possibly need to have the miter recut so that it fits. The best thing for this is a large radial arm saw like the have in a top shop. (I guess that is what they use). If you find out what the angle is you may be able to have whoever assemples the top cut the correct angle. One way it to template the top when ordering it. This will add a few days of down time though. Or better still, contract with a top shop who will template it for you. Of coarse this will be more expensive. If the room is pretty straight and square, this can probably be skipped.

   Also, if the walls aren't straight (wavey) you may need to scribe the top(s) to the wall. The way you do this is set the top up there and mark the scribe with a pencil. Then take it down and use a belt sander to make the top conform to the wall.

   Once you do get the top to fit properly (or close enough) Screw the top in place fro, underneath and then caulk the back of the splash to the wall with some good caulk that has some flex but is paintable. It is very common for this wall/splash joint to crack.

   If you install a tile back splash above the CT splash, it aliviates a lot of these fit problems.

1. 
   calvin | Jan 04, 2010 06:39pm | #4

   MATT,
   ******* me, you read
   MATT,

   Fuck me, you read the original alot closer than I did.

   Fuck me twice.

   Maybe even three times.

1. 
   Matt | Jan 04, 2010 06:44pm | #5

   :-)

   Weird sheet going on here... I went back to edit my first post above and it says "Access denied

   You are not authorized to access this page." Like I don't own the post or something....

1. 
   calvin | Jan 04, 2010 06:53pm | #6

   Yes MATT, I see as I scroll up, There's NO EDIT button available anymore.

   I'm telling you man, this gets worse every day.

   NEW don't work along the left column, if you get and email of a post responding to yours..............the link only gets you to the first message in the thread, not the specific post in response-that's worthless as tits on a boar hog.

   Lesse, what else.......................

   Happy New Year by the way.

   EDIT: I could edit this one, at least this time.......

3. 
   webby | Jan 04, 2010 09:33pm | #8

   Thanks for all the info. I depend on the edit button, to clean up and organize my posts. Now I will have to think alot more.

   Thanks for the good info. The budget for these tops is incredibly small like 200 dollars, so of course I was looking at the PF at Lowes. Which isn't so bad, cause I have'nt done so much that Pf tops wouldn't still fit in; And whats there now is so hacked that I feel confident I could do a better job than they original builder did (finished it himself) Not to mention it is 20+ years old. I have no budget for new cabs so the laminate would be easy to remove and reuse if desired in the future.

   I have also toyed with the idea of building my own because I like the square edge splash alot better. I could probably do it, I have worked with laminate before, however the 9 foot run gets me, unless I could special order the laminate in a 10 foot length.

   At the short side, from the wall to the range is just 4 feet exactly so depending on how I attached the splash I could do it out of a 4 foot wide sheet, but the 9 foot length...

   I remember a spot in FHB years ago where guy took a nice maple hardwood strip inlayed some cherry and fastened it to the front, ran his laminate over the whole thing then formed a profile on the edge- ogee or classical I forget, it looked great and the laminate protected that joint.

   I would like to tile the backsplash so yes that would be less lam. work.

1. 
   calvin | Jan 04, 2010 09:44pm | #9

   Laminate comes an inch oversized in length and width.

   So, a 4x10 would be 49"x121"

   Comes 5' (61) x 12'max long.

   On occasion I've seen 9'-ers.

   Special order, but not that special.

   Wood edge is sweet. You should make up your own.

1. 
   webby | Jan 05, 2010 02:05pm | #10

   Thanks, I do remember that the sheet I bought to build my router table was an inch oversize.

   Thanks for the advice.