|
Builders’ Tip: Fast and Accurate Countertop Scribing
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
Click for larger image. |
As a kitchen-cabinet installer, I have scribed hundreds of countertops to fit irregular walls.
For most jobs, I only have to remove a little of the countertop material, but for some jobs, I have to carve away as much as 1⁄2 inch of material — which can be a long, dirty job with a belt sander.
Now, I use a new technique that leaves the old way in the dust. Instead of a belt sander, I use a router.
- As shown in the accompanying drawing, I use a medium-duty router with a 1⁄2-inch diameter straight-shank cutter.
- I position the countertop away from the wall so that, at the maximum distance between the counter and the wall, the router bit just kisses the very edge of the counter.
- Then I temporarily screw the countertop to the base cabinets from below.
- Next, I run the router across the backsplash scribe using the wall as a guide.
Apart from a minor touch-up in the corner with a belt sander, the job is complete. A perfect fit, every time.
— Steven Morris, Sarnia, Ontario, Canada
Tips & Techniques provided by Fine Homebuilding.
©2005 The Taunton Press
To request a reprint of this feature, e-mail Christina Glennon at Fine Homebuilding.
 BuilderBooks.com Offers More Than 250 Books That Help You Build Your Business
BuilderBooks.com is your source for training and education products for the building industry. The official bookstore for NAHB, BuilderBooks.com offers award-winning publications, software, brochures and more available in both English and Spanish.
To view these publications online, click here, or call 800-223-2665.
Free
 NAHB Kit Gives Builders Back-to-Basics Tips in Cooling Market
With the current cooling of the nation’s housing market expected to persist next year, NAHB has developed a comprehensive online toolkit geared to providing association members with information that will help them prosper in today’s changing business environment.
To access the “Back to Basics” toolkit, you must be an NAHB member and have a login to www.nahb.org. To create a login, go to www.nahb.org/login or click on the log-in button on the main menu bar on the NAHB Web site.
For assistance, call the NAHB Member Service Center at 800-368-5242.
|
