Thread: Very precise sink cutout

Jigsaw

Personally i'd go a different route and make it a feature, ie make an endgrain board to fit the space.

If you wanted to do your idea, i'd get a benchtop that had enough of an offcut to make your board as desired. A 3.2mm router bit isn't really designed to be used as you intend. you'll probably end up snapping the bit or overheating it. You could go router route as per China's idea, but i don't know about your skills with a jigsaw, but i'd be bloody happy if i ended up with a 3.2mm kerf with a jigsaw.

Having said all that, you're building something with a tight tolerance in a high humidity, high temperature fluctuation environment. This results in significant wood movement, so your snug fitting board might end up looking all kinds of funky if its not designed with movement in mind.

Thanks guys, a jigsaw is going to be too inaccurate - I don't know if it's me but even with a guide I don't get very good cuts (have tried many types of blade)...I only used my jigsaw to rough out shapes. Yep, I guess I could make a cutting board to fit, but the point is to have a finish that reads the same right across the bench (incl following grain). Not too worried about moment as I'm using bamboo ply, which should be fairly stable.

One other thought I had when reading the replies is that I could use a jigsaw for the corners and a plunge saw for the straight bits. I might do a little experimenting.

Thanks again...Matt

If there is no radius corners, use a multi tool and a hardwood guide clamped down for the blade to follow. Use a quality brand multi tool, not a cheap one like ozito.
Do a couple of practice cuts on some cheap timber or sheet board to get a feel for the technique

Originally Posted by rwbuild

If there is no radius corners, use a multi tool and a hardwood guide clamped down for the blade to follow. Use a quality brand multi tool, not a cheap one like ozito.
Do a couple of practice cuts on some cheap timber or sheet board to get a feel for the technique

Great suggestion, super thin kerf and just need a way to guide it vertically. As you suggest I will experiment - I have a Bosch, which is one of their lower end units but it should do the job. Cutout does have radiused corners but I can perhaps do those very slowly with a thin jigsaw blade.

Water jet?

CNC will give the neatest finish. If the kirf is too much, edge with some rubber to make up the difference.

Some interesting suggestions...water jet would be the ultimate probably since the "kerf" would be very narrow and it would be super accurate. CNC would similarly be accurate, but the same issue arises with what bit to use doesn't it? Alas I have neither a water jet or CNC machine!! I could get it cut by a business that does those things but I am a bit of a tight- and would rather do it myself

It's fun thinking about these sorts of things, so many ways to approach a job and thats why I love woodworking so much.

I'd just go make it out of something else,

using it as a cutting board with matching grain sounds nice.... untill you use it as a cutting board and its has marks etc all over it from well... being used as a cutting board. sure you can sand it back but now its not the same thickness as the rest of the bench.

I'd find some normal chopping boards that can easily be replaced and cut them down to size if you desperately need the room/surface area.