I’m getting ready to install new cabs that include a corner sink. I have never seamed laminate before. I have the DeWalt laminate trimmer with attachments that up ’til now has seen use only as a lighweight router. I’d really appreciate it if somebody would give me a brief intro on the use of the trimmer to seam laminate.
Lance
A rear addition provides a small-scale example of how to frame efficiently.
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Replies
The best luck that I've ever had was to clamp both pieces to a straight edge. I like steel for this, and cut them at the same time.
You'll need a bit straight faced bit with bearing for that.
Very careful. It is tricky. The smallest nick will show up a diamond in a goat's a$$
If at all possible, go for NO field seams. Buy a wide sheet like a five footer if it will make it to the stove. And I've seen a lot with the field seam at the sink. You only have about 2 inches showing, but that puts it in high traffic, high moisture area, and that's not good either.
For more detailed info on seaming, and plam in general, I would recommend Herrick Kimball's book.
Ken Hill
Do you know the publisher? rg
Thanks to everyone for the info.
My DeWalt came as a kit including several bases, one of which is the DW6708 Seaming Base. It sounds very much like the one Nick has and I guess it's time to learn to use it. Bummer is, this counter would be easy to do with no seams- with a wide sheet, as suggested, but I have laminate from our last house project (that sold without a complete kitchen) and was hoping to use it so I don't have to move it again.
Lance
I've always done seams by cutting both pieces at once with a straight edge and a 1/8" bit. The smaller the bit the better the fit if your router bumps off the straight edge. In fact the bump and dip will act as a register to align the sheets to mate exactly as they were cut.
I use 1/4" thick stickers under the sheets as I place them. Glue down first piece. Get second piece in place. Butt seam then start removing stickers except the sticker 4-5" from the seam and press down the plastic. Once the second piece is stuck well enough pull out the sticker near the seam and the joint tightens up sweet.Smile. It could be worse. You could be me working for you.
Thanks Mikey, that sounds like a good, straightforward approach.
Lance
If this is a task you are going to do often, I recommend a Betterly underscribe unit for your trimmer. The underscribe is an aluminum base that is made such that the sheet you are trimming is cut using the mating sheet as a guide. Any flaw in the guide sheet is cut into the mating piece, leaving a flawless seam. It's difficult to visualize, but works well.
The trimmer I have came with the unit installed (I bought it 10 years ago when a kitchen designer/builder went out of business) and although I searched, I could not find a link. I did find an address and phone number, however.
Art Betterly Enterprises
11160 Central Ave. NE
Blain, MN
763-755-3425
Hope this helps.
Bosh also has an underscriber with thier laminate trim kit. Works very well if care is taken to keep the edge of the laminate that is down first very clean. In fact, any seam in plam requires clean edges. I have also found that masking off the seam joint on the substrate helps. The tape is removed after the first sheet is glued down, and the underscriber runs on two clean surfaces (the plam edge and substrate).
If the search function works, we cover alot of this ealier thsi year for ProDeck. He got a lot of good advice and posted some pics of his first seam job.
Dave
Thanks Steve.