Jigsaw sole plate smoothing

[Oldman]

I have a new Bosch PST 700 PE jigsaw which I tried to use on my glossy kitchen worktop yesterday and even with masking tape under it I managed to scratch the surface somehow. I am now frightened to use it again to cut the hob and sink cutouts until I solve the reason for the scratches.

The tape had been picked up and dragged by the sole plate somehow. Maybe a bit of chipping got under it, but I cant be sure.

I have a vac takoff on this jigsaw but in this case I wasnt using it though with hindsight I should have done.

Is there a trick I can use like maybe attaching a bit of lexan sheet to the underside or maybe something like strips of draught excluder?

I have some offcuts I can try it out on so anyone have any tips?

 

[wizer]

Can you not cut it from the underside? Or is it already fixed in place?

 

[Oldman]

That of course would be ideal wizer, but that also means as its high gloss finish and I will be minus some man bits if it gets scratched.... taking it off the units, moving to padded workmates and cutting.
No its not fixed in place or joined to the other length that I also have to cut for a hob with the same problems.

Not impossible by any means but the worry is with only a 60mm strip of worktop left for the 970mm of sink & drainer front and back plus the weight of 700mm and 1200mm end bits, I may just snap it in two when trying to move it back to the units.

I thought it a lot less risky doing it in situ, maybe I am worrying too much?

 

[laird]

Buy a laminate blade for your jigsaw. They cut on the opposite stroke to normal so there's no splintering of the surface.

 

[monkeybiter]

What about a sacrificial peice of hardboard clamped or taped to the worktop and saw through the lot?

 

[Oldman]

Buy a laminate blade for your jigsaw. They cut on the opposite stroke to normal so there's no splintering of the surface.

I have the correct blades laird so I dont chip the laminate, it was scratching by the sole thats the problem. You only have to look wrong at this stuff to scratch it.

Monkeybiter, that sounds like a plan if I cover the worktop surface with masking tape first then tape down the sheet of hardboard. My only worry with that would be chippings getting in between the hardboard and tape.

Maybe I ought to risk doing it upside down after all, I wonder if I fit the sink unit in it while on workmates if that would give me more chance of fitting it without it snapping.

 

[Philly]

Why not give the sole of the jigsaw a rub over with some 180 grit sandpaper on a block? It will removed any burrs, which sounds like the problem to me.
Hope this helps,
Philly

 

[jasonB]

I wouldn't use a jig saw from underneath, if/when the blade wanders there is a risk of it making the hole bigger than you want, most appliances and sinks only have a small overhang so not much room for error.

MY DW has a plastic foot that slips over the metal base and I only use that when working delicate surfaces. Even then a couple of layers of masking take usually does the trick, I tend to do cut outs with a cordless circ saw not teh jiggy.

If you do use hardboard the two strips about 1" apart and taped over so no muck can get under them would be the safest. You may have found a bit of metal in the chipboard core, it does happen.

Jason

 

[Oldman]

Why not give the sole of the jigsaw a rub over with some 180 grit sandpaper on a block? It will removed any burrs, which sounds like the problem to me.
Hope this helps,
Philly

The sole plate looks fine and smooth already Philly, no burrs which is why I was at a loss to figure how the scratching occured. As Jason says maybe I had a small bit of metal in the chips.

Jason, you just saved me a worktop! I already know that the jigsaw is hard to keep on a line through this worktop chip and does wander off quite a bit on the other side of the work piece.
But I was really considering using it from underneth, good of you to remind me!
The strips of hardboard and cut from the top with the jigsaw sounds good with no chance of rubbish getting under it.
My circ saw chips out too much and is a bit too bulky anyway for me to try using on this job.
I could route it but I would need a fair few new bits and it would take forever to do both hob and sink.

 

[jasonB]

Once you get the cut started a good old handsaw will also make quick work of it, the modern hardpoints are probably best.

Jason

 

[George_N]

Rather than mask the sole plate of the jigsaw, mask the worktop. A roll of wide tape is a lot cheaper than a new worktop and you can draw on it with a marker pen.

 

[Oldman]

Jason, many thanks for the tip, I cut it today using the strips of hardboard and even with bits of nail in the chipboard trying to bounce the jigsaw I got a damage free worktop.

 

[eggflan]

Do you have access to a router , ive cut my share of holes in worktops using a jigsaw and will never again , the cut is usually terrible and wandering all over the place .

A router with a worktop bit will do the job nice and straight so you know the sink clips will fit properly :wink: