DIY worktop fitting with router and jig

Worktop Fitting
Just
Doors

Worktop Dimensions:

The most common lengths for laminate worktops are 3 and 4 metres. Most are now 38mm/40mm thick - 30mm worktops were popular years ago, and it is still possible to get them (in a limited range of colours). The standard depth is 600mm, although Howdens are 615mm deep.
Standard worktops have an unfinished back edge, whereas 'breakfast bars' have both long edges finished. Breakfast bars come in widths of 665mm and 900mm.
Sometimes it is necessary or desirable to fit deeper worktops than the standard 600, for example if you are incorporating an appliance underneath (washing machine, dishwasher,etc), otherwisethe front of the appliance will protrude. In this instance, the normal procedure is to trim a 665mm breakfast bar down to the desired depth - this usually entails trimming15 or 20mm off one of the finished edges.

Planning
1. If you're planning on using long lengths of worktop (3 or 4 metres, etc), will you be able to carry them into the property ? Are there any awkward doorways, etc, that may impede you?
2. Do you need gas fitters, electricians, plumbers, etc? These will all need to be arranged in advance.
3. Be aware that worktop fitting can be disrupted by bad weather - it's normal to do the cutting of the worktops outside (there's alot of dust created). Make sure you have space to work.
4. Are you replacing a 30mm worktop with a 40mm ? Then remember that the existing sink or new sink won't necessarily just drop back directly onto the existing plumbing because it will be raised by 10mm.
5. Decide where the joints should run - there are several things to bare in mind here: the proximity of joints to cutouts (for sinks and hobs), ease of access to tighten the worktop bolts underneath when the worktops are in place, and general ease of fitting.
6. Tiling. If you're going to retile, the correct order in which to do things is: firstly, remove the the old tiles, then fit the new worktops, and finally retile. It does actually make it slightly easier to fit worktops in these circumstances because you don't have to fit the worktops absolutely flush to the wall - you can leave a gap of a few mm which will be hidden when the tiles are in place (this makes it easier to manoeuvre the worktops in place).
7. It is important to maintain an even overhang at the front, over the front edge of the cabinets, usually about 25 to 30mm, although variations of + or - 5mm are normal and acceptable (because of uneven walls,etc).
8. Try to check the new worktops before you start to make sure they are undamaged (they are easily damaged in transit). Don't be mean when ordering worktops - it might be better to order a 4 metre length even if 3 metres is all you need. It's easy to make mistakes when cutting, so you may be glad of the extra length.
9. When we are fitting worktops we often pre-cut them the previous day - not usually to the exact lengths required (you can't do this because they usually need trimming to take in account uneven walls,errors,etc). But we will cut some of the joints, bolt holes, etc, because it saves time on the actual fitting day.

Correct tools

Jigsaw, with down stroke blade

Worktop Jig with ½ inch router with 30mm collet and straight blade

Carpenters square

Saw horses

Clamps

Worktop bolts and 10mm spanner

Plus, masking tape, PVA adhesive (for gluing joints), colour compound (for colouring joints), file (to smooth down laminate edging), tape measure, etc

Using the Jig
If you've never cut worktops with a jig and router before you would be advised to practice on some off cuts. These are sophisticated tools, capable of producing very high quality joints, but it requires skill and patience to produce good results.
If you're only intending to use the jig and router once it would be better to hire them (a good 1600W router can cost £300). The jigs come with instructions.

For a corner joint, there are 2 cuts. The male joint (shown on left) and female joint (on right).

The jig cuts both joints - follow the instructions carefully because both the jig and the worktop can be turned over to produce the various combinations of cuts (left female, right female, left male, right male).
Lay the worktop on the saw horses and make sure it is stable.

The jig is placed on the worktop and positioned in the correct place with the help of pins. When correctly positioned clamp the jig securely down on the worktop.

Left male
Right female

At this point, we double check that the jig is accurately positioned. For male joints we use the 'square' to check that the jig is exactly 90° to the back edge of the worktop. For female joints we measure from the back of the jig to the back of the worktop to ensure that the distance is the same all along the back.
It cannot be stressed too much that patience and care at this stage is essential !

Checking male with square

Checking female by measuring from back of worktop

Using the Router

The router sits in the slot on the jig, and always cuts from left to right. If you're cutting a 40mm thick worktop you would normally expect to make ar least 4 passes, which means each time you would start with approximately a 10mm cut and then increase by about 10mm on each successive cut.

Again, take your time and don't rush. It is most important that you move the router smoothly and keep it in a perfectly upright position - some routers are particularly tall and ungainly, and have a tendency to lean. You must guard against this because you will end up with a wavy cut.
There is a tiny amount of play in the slot in the jig - the idea is that on all the initial cuts you keep the router slightly pushed away from the edge your are cutting, then on the final cut, you apply pressure to the router to press against the worktop edge to take an extra fraction off for a clean cut.
When you've done all this, clean the dust away and examine the cut. If it's a male cut if you've made an error and the cut's not good, as long as long as you've got enough spare length in the worktop, you can always put the jig back on and cut again - usually you only need to skim a couple of mm off to rectify any uneveness.
If you've made an error on a female cut your options are limited. You can't cut any deeper into the worktop.

Finally, you need to cut the 3 holes on the underside of each worktops for the bolts that will secure the worktops together when they are fitted in place. Again, the jig comes with instructions about how it should be positioned to do this. The router needs to be set at a consistent depth when cutting bolt wholes - we usually cut at about 28mm.

Fitting the Worktops
This can take longer than you think - the problem is walls are often out, corners aren't 90°, base carcasses are uneven. Also check the overhang on the front of the cabinets. Basically, it means carrying the worktops into the kitchen and seeing if they fit.
TIP.If you've removed old worktops and they were a good fit, use them as a template. It may mean trimming the back of the worktops so that they fit better against the wall (or chipping away plaster is often a better idea - it's faster, and it means you aren't cutting the worktop which is often a bad idea if you cut too much off). If you do need to trim the back of the worktop, mark your line in pencil on a strip of masking tape to make it easier to see, then cut with a jigsaw. Down stroke blades are best because they don't chip the surface of the worktop.
When you're satisfied with the fit, the next steps are cutting holes for hobs and sinks and bolting/glueing the joints together. You may want to carry the worktops outside again to cut the holes - however, it's worth remembering that if you're not used to handling worktops, they are very vulnerable to snapping when being carried when they've a cut-out in them ! So, it may be wise to cut them in place in the kitchen. Plus, when you've cut the hole remember to seal it with glue or silicon (particularly sinks) to stop them swelling with the ingress of water.

If there are two of you working, usually at this stage one can be fitting the sink whilst the other one is doing the joints. We seal the joints by putting using PVA wood glue on the lower part of the joint and worktop colour compound (matched to the worktop colour) along the top edge.

Then finally, reaching underneath the worktops you insert the bolts into the appertures you cut for them, and tighten the bolts up. As you do this keep checking that the worktops are level - feel the joint (and wipe off the excess compound that will be oozing out) to see if any points are too high or low. You can raise a worktop from underneath by placing something between the worktop and the carcass (eg a washer). You can gently lower a worktop by gently tapping it from above with a hammer using a scrap piece of wood. As a matter of interest, some fitters use biscuit joints to ensure worktops are level.

Then on any exposed worktop ends, add the laminate edging. First coat the worktop end with impact adhesive, then cut a suitably sized piece of edging (slightly oversize so that you can file it the edges down when attached), and coat this with glue, and then put a second coat of glue on the worktop end. Allow to become touch dry, then attach.

Finally, fix the worktops in place by screwing from underneath.

Tel: 01768 480800, www.justdoors.com

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