James Baker SD
11-27-2011, 12:40 PM
I am adding some new cabinets in our kitchen, but SWMBO likes the old (yikes) Walnut formica stuff we have so my assignment was to make the news look like the old ones. I found a Walnut laminate sheet (about 1/40" thick) that I will glue to Ash and Baltic Birch ply substrate with contact cement. Last night I tried my first glue-up covering three 2" wide Ash styles for the fronts of one cabinet. I deliberately cut the laminate a little large ( (1/32" or soon all sides) so I would not have to perfectly place the workpieces since there is little opportunity to readjust after contact is made.
Question now is how to flush trim the laminate. I think a router with flush trim bit is the norm, but I have fear of it chipping the laminate if the amount being trimmed is too great. Also I will have several very thin (~3/4") pieces and I fear keeping the router perpendicular to those thin pieces. Final problem is type the kitchen is weird and some of the joints (cabinet side to cabinet front) are not 90 degrees, but 75 degrees. I fear the router cannot easily flush trim this angle.
Question. Can a sharp low angle block plane do the flush trimming for me? Maybe first use one of those flexible Japanese flush cut saws with no set to get close first?
Any other suggestions?
Thanks.
James
Question now is how to flush trim the laminate. I think a router with flush trim bit is the norm, but I have fear of it chipping the laminate if the amount being trimmed is too great. Also I will have several very thin (~3/4") pieces and I fear keeping the router perpendicular to those thin pieces. Final problem is type the kitchen is weird and some of the joints (cabinet side to cabinet front) are not 90 degrees, but 75 degrees. I fear the router cannot easily flush trim this angle.
Question. Can a sharp low angle block plane do the flush trimming for me? Maybe first use one of those flexible Japanese flush cut saws with no set to get close first?
Any other suggestions?
Thanks.
James