Cutting kitchen units without damaging melamine

[Keitai]

If you cut a kitchen unit with circular saw the melamine outer material can not be cut cleanly so i tried two ways- climb cut then a full depth cut but found with this way I needed to to move the fence 1 or 2mm so the deep cut was nowhere near edge made from climb cut. This left a nice finish but small lip, is this ok? Tried scoring as well but this didn't cut nicely, is the blade blunt I guess scoring also needs to be 1mm to the side too I guess

may have asked this before regarding scoring with knife but not with climb cut and moving fence

 

[johnny2007]

Dismantle and use a table saw.
Or, dismantle and use the circular saw with the panel's good side down.

 

[foxhole]

Where are you cutting a kitchen unit that will be on show? And need a clean cut .

 

[opps]

The chipping will be on the upper face (where the saw is).

I use a decent track saw. The first pass, I set the saw at about 1.5mm deep (to score the facing). The second pass is a full cut.

Personally, I would not want to use a scrap of timber held down by clamps. They flex. A guide rail won't.

I think you may also benefit from a new (appropriate) blade.

 

[johnny2007]

The chipping will be on the upper face (where the saw is).

I use a decent track saw. The first pass, I set the saw at about 1.5mm deep (to score the facing). The second pass is a full cut.

Personally, I would not want to use a scrap of timber held down by clamps. They flex. A guide rail won't.

I think you may also benefit from a new (appropriate) blade.

Yes, my favourite are Freud.
Good value for money.

 

[Keitai]

The chipping will be on the upper face (where the saw is).

I use a decent track saw. The first pass, I set the saw at about 1.5mm deep (to score the facing). The second pass is a full cut.

Personally, I would not want to use a scrap of timber held down by clamps. They flex. A guide rail won't.

I think you may also benefit from a new (appropriate) blade.

DeWalt DWS5022-XJ 1 x 1500mm Guide Rail - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. Cut on both sides to get best finish when ripping or cutting. Ideal for smaller work areas. Compatible with router attachments. Replaceable rubber edge, high and low friction strips. FREE next day delivery available, free collection in 1 minute.

www.screwfix.com

Found this, dunno if compatible with my circular saw though. Generally use a spirit level as straight edge not wood if possible

 

[opps]

I cannot comment with regards to the guide rail that you are considering, but seriously, if you buy a decent saw and guide rail, you will beat yourself up for not having done so years earlier. BTW, the saw should sit on the track, rather than butting up to it.

They are almost idiot proof.

By way of an example, I now seldom use a planer on doors. I just use the track saw (unless the door liner is bowed and I cannot pack it out).

 

[Keitai]

Ok so it's my mate's kitchen. With the lever things on back of cabinets To go on wall, do you set them in middle then measure from top of cabinet to where plates go? . We made 37mm the distance between top of where cabinet goes to where plates are fixed into position?

Got these orange plastic separators holding the cabinets on floor into wall.

Trying to make top of units level with top of fridge freezer unit

 

[foxhole]

Lots of adjustment on them so as long as you are close they can be adjusted to fit .

 

[chirpychippy]

The bracket line measurement is 55mm down from where you intend the top.of the wall unit to finish.
Tips on hanging wall units...
Whilst it is important to level the tops of the wall units it is also important to plumb the face edge of the carcass of the wall units especially if you have run of them. Walls are rarely plumb the plaster can deviate wildly.

Level and plumb wall units makes door alignment a walk in the park.

 

[Keitai]

The bracket line measurement is 55mm down from where you intend the top.of the wall unit to finish.
Tips on hanging wall units...
Whilst it is important to level the tops of the wall units it is also important to plumb the face edge of the carcass of the wall units especially if you have run of them. Walls are rarely plumb the plaster can deviate wildly.

Level and plumb wall units makes door alignment a walk in the park.

55mm is quite different to 37mm. I'll have another look at brackets to see where I've measured wrongly.

Getting the front plumb I guess may mean packing the wall side out.

I wasn't there but mate put other units up