Very strange question from someone with limited knowledge..

[Woody Alan]

wizer wrote:

Where are you based matt?

Just outside of Norwich

:shock:

Alan

 

[mattyd]

yep...just outside Norwich.

BTW... I now know where the image came from, there is a bispok company who specialise in making HIFI and tv stands - there website states the that the middle section only (not the little tables on the end) is £950a, made from oak the dimentions are 1400mm x 400mm x 3 tears.

I would not need anything that large, maybe a slightly over/under a metre long would be more than fine, I notice alot of worktops come in 3metre lenths anyway

Also, something I had not considered untill now.. If I use dowels the legs would be fixed. It would be helpfull to find a way to remove them and install taller/shorter legs if needed - the website has screew on legs

 

[FatFreddysCat]

I agree with the others - ideal material would be something like 30 or 40mm square edged hardwood kitchen worktop which comes in lengths of 3m or 4m from my local supplier. Even IKEA sell 30mm beech worktop in 3m lengths. As to sawing it if the supplier won't do it there are plenty of small joiners shops who will probably do the job for you at minimal cost.

The edges will need to be sanded and the main thing I'd be concerned about for a beginner would be dubbing-over the edges. In my trade we often make-up sanding boards by contact-glueing aluminium oxide sanding roll onto 12 to 18mm MDF (circa 80 x 250mm works well) and if needs be an offcut of 2 x 2 PAR can be attached along one long edge to make-up a right angle sanding board with fence. That should keep your edges square and prevent dubbing over.

The leg solution might be to drill deepish clearance holes, let-in T-nuts and then look for legs with the appropriate size threaded ends. Some kitchen component suppliers do these as do the big upholsterers' suppliers like Coopers. We use screw adjustable legs on some of the stuff we make which are M8 or M10 thread, but often our legs are made to order for the individual client. T-nuts can be had (sometimes) from Screwfix, although if you need mail order I know that Woodfit in Chorley stock them.

At the end of the day an adjustable leg can be made simply by using some threaded studding and lock nuts and then hidden by popping a piece of chromed towel/wardrobe hanger rail over it. It all depends on what you are looking for

Edit: Just took a quick look on eBay. There's someone there doing the proper spiked feet (the sort you are supposed to use for "accoustic decoupling" at around £3/pr. Auction number 110396507714 (URL won't work in link :evil: ). They're probably your best bet

 

[miles_hot]

wizer wrote:

Where are you based matt?

Just outside of Norwich

:shock:

Alan

bugger now it seems that a) I can't remember the thread and b) you're too far away. Sorry about that.

MIles

 

[DaveL]

Edit: Just took a quick look on eBay. There's someone there doing the proper spiked feet (the sort you are supposed to use for "accoustic decoupling" at around £3/pr. Auction number 110396507714 (URL won't work in link :evil: ). They're probably your best bet

Do you mean these, sold by a camping retailler?

 

[mattyd]

The edges will need to be sanded and the main thing I'd be concerned about for a beginner would be dubbing-over the edges. In my trade we often make-up sanding boards by contact-glueing aluminium oxide sanding roll onto 12 to 18mm MDF (circa 80 x 250mm works well) and if needs be an offcut of 2 x 2 PAR can be attached along one long edge to make-up a right angle sanding board with fence. That should keep your edges square and prevent dubbing over.

Ah, I think I know what you mean - By making a guide of two peaces of MDF at a 90 right angle with attached sand paper I can maintain a clean sanded corners and sides?

With regard to spikes, Yep, like those... I was wondering how much work it might be to counter sink the spike bases into the tops of each tear...But no point running before I can walk

Also, does anyone have any thoughts on buying wood from ebay, theres quite alot of solid wood worktops of the right dimention for about £120 (inc postage) - If I could manage to do all this for £200-300 (inc tools) I would be a very very very happy bunny!

 

[FatFreddysCat]

Do you mean these, sold by a camping retailler?

Ooops, no I meant something like the Ixos Superspikes I have on my own HiFi. I've just asked the missus and she actually got them from a firm just down the road called Audiovisual in Bacup

Ah, I think I know what you mean - By making a guide of two peaces of MDF at a 90 right angle with attached sand paper I can maintain a clean sanded corners and sides?

Not sure I've explained things too good. Flat piece of MDF 80 to 100 mm wide (because sanding roll is 4in or so wide) by 200 mm or so long. Actual size no really that important. Rip off a piece of sanding paper and apply contact adhesive to one side of MDF and to back of sanding paper. Let glue go off for 10 to 15 minutes. Stick together. That's a basic sanding stick, although we normally make them two sided - 60g and 100g or 100g and 150g. If you take a sanding stick and screw a piece of 2 x 2 PAR to one face parallel to the long edge (makes a sort of "L" cross section) you've go a sanding stick with a right angle fence. We use these a lot because of the need to sand off stuff quickly but without dubbing over. They don't last too long (a week or so, often less), but as they're made from offcuts it doesn't matter too mucg

The spikes on our set-up are underneath the individual components and sit on small pad, but I've seen stands made the same way.

 

[Chippyjoe]

Hi Mattyd,

Both of the local B&Q's in Norwich will cut the worktop for you if you go down that line.
Also Cushions on Barn Road are a good timber merchants and they have a full machine shop to dimension anything you buy and it would be a better class of timber than you buy from the sheds.

Hope that might help.

Mark.

 

[mattyd]

Ah!, local lad

cheers for the advice, but....I dont think I can afford B&Qs prices

Im not sure ebays a good idea but what do peps think of something like this...Good or bad idea?

Edit....Original URL TO LONG

http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/Worktop-E ... QQ_armrsZ1

 

[mattyd]

Another quick question...

With regard to cutting the worktop (which is 40mm thick) would it be better to use a circular saw or a jigsaw.

Im guessing that a circular saw would be better because its probably more powerfull. But I read that CSs can splinter wood - i obviosly want a nice clean cut.

Any tips ?

 

[wizer]

Circular Saw. The Jigsaw will leave a worse edge than the CS. If you use a saw board then you will have minimal chip out on the face side. To minimise it even more you could add a good quality freud blade and also cover the cut line with masking tape.

 

[WellsWood]

Circular Saw. The Jigsaw will leave a worse edge than the CS. If you use a saw board then you will have minimal chip out on the face side. To minimise it even more you could add a good quality freud blade and also cover the cut line with masking tape.

Also, cut from the underside rather than the face. That way any breakout you do get will be on the bottom edge and easier to hide.

 

[FatFreddysCat]

With regard to cutting the worktop (which is 40mm thick) would it be better to use a circular saw or a jigsaw.

Circular saw. Not only is it more powerful, but even the poorest circular saw can normally do a better job than a jigsaw. Most jigsaw blades have a tendency to cut off square when dealing with thick solid stock, even the Festool and Bosch jiggers with the extra blade clamp aren't completely immune from this "feature".

As others have said saw from the underside and don't trust the bevel gauge on the saw. They are frequently wrong. Set the blade at right angles using an accurate square and make a test cut to confirm the saw is cutting square (we have a fairly new Skil Classic in work which always seems to twist a bit when making heavy cuts). Most CSs come with a rip blade which isn't very good for crosscutting, so the saw will need a crosscut blade designed for the task. Break-out can be further reduced by using a sawboard - a piece of thin plywood or MDF (try 800mm long x 150mm wide) to which a piece of straight 2 x 1 PAR has been screwed (along the long edge). The saw sits on top of the board and the left side of the saw base rides against the softwood strip. It works a bit like the Festool guide rail system, only it's a lot cheaper :lol:

The best way to ensure that you have a dead square edge is to make your finishing cut with a router, but that really requires a reasonably powerful 1/2in router so it's maybe out of the question.