|
Hi Earl, Circular saws chip on the top side of the work as the tooth comes up. So, in addition to the other good tips you've gotten here, you can improve your odds of not chipping the laminate by sawing with it turned upside down. Sawing from measurements is not for the faint hearted but you can get it right the first time if your reference points are precise. Tiny holes drilled from the face side will provide good reference points as long as they are vertical. An unused plywood blade ought to give you two 24" straight cuts before it warps from overheating. A new 40 tooth thin kerf carbide tipped blade is good, too, if you'll have use for it afterward---they run $25 to $40. Don't make the cut unsupported (unless you're using a jigsaw, of course.) If you're using a circular saw with the counter top upside down, put a clean piece of pine or some other soft wood under the cut, and set the blade depth to plunge into it slightly. The main thing is to take your time, think it out in advance, set it up carefully, and do it right once. If I spend fifteen minutes setting up an important cut that works, I'm still way ahead of a quick cut that mainly demonstrates what I can do to get the next one right. Good luck, Stan
|
