Cutting Formica covered board

[LittleSister]

A very basic question I know, but before I waste time and energy -

I want to cut some boards salvaged from an office type desk to make shelves, etc. They are covered by a Formica type laminate (top, bottom and edges) and I guess are fibreboard inside.

I believe cutting bare Formica is challenging, but am I likely to be successful sawing through these glued down, double-sided, laminates? And are there particular techniques to apply?

I have only very limited equipment: medium and fine hand wood saws (I could probably borrow an electric jigsaw, but not for some time yet). The lengths of cuts I want to make effectively rule out cutting through the laminate with a knife before sawing.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Invariably you will end up with chips in the formica the two best options I could think of would be a plunge saw and track with 60 tpi blade and a router. With the tools you have perhaps the fine toothed hand saw but it would be worth a small investment in a Japanese pull saw with a fine blade that with care could give good results.
Forget about masking tape and a jigsaw that's a load of bollocks.

 

[LittleSister]

Thanks for your swift response Fr. Hackett. Just the sort of info I need.

Since both 'investment' and 'care' are in short supply, I will just content myself with the knowledge these boards will inevitably have chipped edges and won't be suitable for use where aesthetics matter.

I'll limit their use to shed shelves and the like, deploy my finer-toothed handsaw to make them, and find something else for 'indoor' shelves.

 

[andsarkit]

You can get downward cutting jigsaw blades designed for cutting laminate.
Screwfix : jigsaw blades
Toolstation : jigsaw blades
I have found them reasonably sucessful but you have to push down hard with the jigsaw or it will tend to push away from the workpiece.

 

[Mister E]

If cuting with a normal handsaw have the good edge on the top. That way a chips will be on the unseen underneath.

 

[Graham376]

A sharp hard point panel saw works OK. Chipping is the problem so, if using a jig saw (as said above) you would need a down cutting blade and be still left with an edge which would most likely need finishing, which could be done with a sharp plane. Track saw would work, particularly if a reverse scoring cut done first but a table saw would be better and a local woodworker could do it for you.

 

[Stemar]

Whatever you use, cut away from the laminate. If you can, cut a couple of mm oversize and plane (razor sharp blade, angled down from the laminate) or router to size. Alternatively, accept that you're going to get chips, and finish the edge with hockey stick moulding to hide it.

 

[coopec]

I'd probably try my angle grinder using a metal cutting disc and a strip of metal as a straight edge. ?

 

[john_morris_uk]

Cut it a few mm bigger than you need. Run a router along a fence clamped to the board to get a perfect edge. It's a bit tedious to set up, but so long as you're not ham fisted with the router it will work perfectly.

Experiment with a very sharp circular saw with a fine toothed blade and a fence?

PS if you use the router, make sure its a very sharp blade and go slowly.

 

[LittleSister]

Ha ha!

Thanks for all the suggestions. Hopefully they'll also be of use to others.

Most of you, though, live in a different world to me. I have no router, circular saw, angle grinder, nor even a bench and vice!

The attempt will be made in the garden (when it stops raining), with a handsaw, on a couple of trestles or a Workmate.

 

[johnalison]

Ha ha!

Thanks for all the suggestions. Hopefully they'll also be of use to others.

Most of you, though, live in a different world to me. I have no router, circular saw, angle grinder, nor even a bench and vice!

The attempt will be made in the garden (when it stops raining), with a handsaw, on a couple of trestles or a Workmate.

It’s a long time since I did it but seem to remember that it was easier if you scored the line first with a Stanley knife and I think there is a special blade for the purpose. After that, cutting with a hand saw was not hard, although I do recall our amusement at being told that my BiL was busy because he was trying to cut Formica. He had already been at it for an hour and only got a few inches done, with a hacksaw. It appeared that his first in maths at Cambridge was of little use.

 

[Rappey]

Turn it over and cut with the laminate on the underside. That avoids chips in a lot of different materials. (When using a jigsaw)

 

[Fiddlesticks]

Have had some success with using two passes with a circular saw and find toothed blade. The first just to score the surface, the second to go through.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Have had some success with using two passes with a circular saw and find toothed blade. The first just to score the surface, the second to go through.

A great suggestion but sadly the OP says he has none of the options suggested.
If he’s going to use a handsaw it needs to be sharp and he needs to go very steadily and slowly.

 

[penberth3]

It’s a long time since I did it but seem to remember that it was easier if you scored the line first with a Stanley knife and I think there is a special blade for the purpose.....

You're right, there was a special Stanley blade. I'm not sure if they're still available, google/e-bay will give the answer. There were also scoring tools with a blade and handle, similar to tile cutters. Back in the day when Formica was "the thing".

 

[bigwow]

I think a Japanese saw would tackle it without damaging the laminate.

 

[Wing Mark]

Not all office desks are remotely like the hard 'Formica' you get on worktops. Some are quite soft, can be cut neatly by scoring with a stanley knife and cutting with a handsaw.

Real Formica, what John Morris said, but a belt sander is an alternative for the tidying up., even if you just bevel the sharp edges a little.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

I think a Japanese saw would tackle it without damaging the laminate.

See post #2

 

[Boater Sam]

Leave a little waste when you cut with a sharp hand saw and plane to size with an electric plane to leave a good edge on both sides.

 

[russ]

Leave a little waste when you cut with a sharp hand saw and plane to size with an electric plane to leave a good edge on both sides.

I agree, just keep the handsaw at a very low angle as this will kind of file/cut rather than the teeth chopping down and chipping it.
I've done quite a few mason mitre worktop joints by hand. A sharp fine saw and finish with a plane.
Any kind of jigsaw will not cut a square and plumb cut, blades are too flexable.