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How to complete benchtop mason mitre cut?

Hi, I am a novice in carpentry work. I started renovating my kitchen myself with the help of some friends and YouTube videos. I am currently at the benchtop installation stage. It's a U-shaped kitchen, and I need to make two mitre cuts on the benchtops. I understand that I need a jig to use as a template for making these mitre cuts with a router. I found one place that sells the jig, but it seems expensive. Are there any other places where I can find it at a more reasonable price? Or is there any way I can hire it? I would appreciate any suggestions on this matter.

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JacobZ

Hi @sunsaro100,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community it is wonderful to have you with us.

The jigs used to produce masons' mitres on benchtops are fairly specialised pieces of equipment, and unfortunately, I am not aware of an alternative option to using one. I am also unaware of anywhere that you could hire one.

Perhaps it would be wise to contact a benchtop installer for assistance with this part of the project. The cost for them to cut the mitres for your benchtop would likely end up cheaper than purchasing a mason's mitre jig, which you are only going to use once or twice. Weighing up the cost of purchasing one versus having someone who already owns one come in would likely sway your thinking one way or the other.

Allow me to tag @Nailbag and @Dave-1 to see if they have any thoughts.

Jacob

Dave-1

Good Afternoon @sunsaro100

Installing benchtops is something that I am cautious of 🙂 Mainly because when I did my last kitchen it really sank in that walls are not always square as you would expect. So cutting a miter cut of the bench Id be stressing to get it right. @JacobZ's suggestion of bench installers might be the way to go if you want to stay with a miter cut.

As an alternative workaround, how about straight Butt styled cuts. You still join the benchtops with the clamps/biscuit joins but using straight edges. Less chance for a mistake.

Dave

sunsaro100

Thank you, Jacob and Dave, for your prompt responses. I initially visited a place that offers reasonable prices on benchtops, but they charge $400 for mason mitre cuts, which is $200 per cut. Other places I checked are quite expensive and are unwilling to provide a detailed breakdown of their quotes. Therefore, I'm considering purchasing the benchtops without the mason mitre cuts from the first store and handling the cuts myself.

Since I already have the router and the necessary bits, I only need to purchase the jig. I have also bought benchtop tightening bolts and bits for making holes. The "Trend" brand jig is available for $242 in a suburb near Melbourne. I have both a table saw and a circular saw equipped with new 80-tooth blades. Most quotes I received range between $1,050 and $1,200. If I do the cuts myself, my total cost will still be less than these quotes. Additionally, I can resell the jig for half its original price.

I have a couple of concerns. First, I wonder if my cuts will be as precise as those made by a professional. Additionally, as Dave mentioned, my kitchen walls are not completely square. If I cut the benchtops to size based on my measurements (please see the attached diagram), I might make a mistake, especially with the centre piece. If that happens, I will need to replace it with a new piece that is cut correctly. For the two side pieces, I plan to leave extra margin on the ends before making the final cuts, so I can avoid having to replace them in case of errors.

Could you please share your opinion on my idea?

Nailbag

Hi @sunsaro100

When planning the position of the benchtops, there will be some wriggle room for the errors of both how square the wall is and any waves in it due to the studs not being plumbed. This wriggle room comes from the tile underlay, adhesive and the tiles themselves covering the gab. Assuming of course thats your splashback build. Plus there are some nice trims available to further cover any additional gaps in a worse case scenario. The most important thing is placing the benchtop squarely to the finish wall and cabinetry. This balancing act may result in the front over-hang less or great than standard.

Unless you need to do a rip cut, I'm not sure what purpose the table saw will serve and a circular saw being hand operated will never make a cabinetry accuracy straight cut regardless of how good you are. So in answering your question, I don't believe your cuts will be any where near as precise as the professional ones. Remember you also have the additional challenge of being a novice DIY'r attempting to make a first ever advanced series of cuts with nothing to practice on.

Having said that, it simply comes down to your level of acceptance of finish to DIY vs cost for a precision machine cut. It might need something like an epoxy filler in your joins.

Obviously in hindsight, ordering the benchtops in the first place with the masonry mitres would have been ideal.

Nailbag

Noyade

G'day @sunsaro100

"Since I already have the router and the necessary bits"

One forum I visited suggested testing the router and bit (30mm?) on scrap first. Some people have found the cut is not a perfect 90 degrees.

This site...

https://semble.com.au/what-to-know-about-mason-mitres-for-your-kitchen/

... seems to be suggesting the mitre on the right of your drawing should be running with the cooktop bench?

JacobZ

Hi @sunsaro100,

Personally, I would have a professional do it. Ultimately, it is up to you, but the potential for error and the cost to replace the benchtops if you didn't get it perfect would far outweigh the slight reduction in cost of doing it yourself.

When that much money relies on one or two cuts, it's probably not the best place to be learning.

Jacob

Noyade

Well, I wish you (@sunsaro100) every success with your endeavor.

I also wish I had your gumption 10 years ago. I was disgusted with the bench-tops we purchased then - very expensive 'plastic' covered chipboard.

Recently, before she became unwell, my wife was a keen baker and wanted a larger oven - an extra 200 mm on what he had. I kept telling her I was more than happy to rip off the current bench-top and reduce the sliding drawer component by 100 mm each side and replace the bench-top with Bunnings SpecRite Boards .

Just cut and butt join. I wouldn't give two hoots for the joint appearance now.

No 3 HP router.

No 30 mm router blade.

No template.

Too late now.

But I will see what life throws at us.

Cut! Cut!

Dave-1

Good morning @sunsaro100

We pay for what we get is the saying that comes to mind. Every time I thought I could "do a job cheaper" it has ended up costing me the same as the quote 🙂 Mostly because I was in unfamilure territory and needed extra tools, material or just outright mistakes. I would strongly suggest to go the route of the professional cuts. They know what they are doing, they have been doing it for awhile and you arnt paying for their tools or time, you are paying for their skill. For a job that is viewable for years to come, makings ure its done to your satisfaction would be high on the list.

Dave

sunsaro100

I apologise for the delay in expressing my gratitude to all of you who took the time to respond to my question. I was on holiday for a month and returned home in the first week of this month. Thank you all for your answers; I truly appreciate them. The responses were very informative, and most of you advised me to have the benchtop cutting done by a professional. I followed your advice, and I’m happy to report that the kitchen is now 90% complete. The measurements were accurate when I ordered the benchtops, and they fit perfectly during installation. I still need to make and install the cabinet doors, and the splashback is expected to be ready by next week. After the splashback is installed, I will focus on the tiling. The satisfactory result is the reward for my efforts.

Please take a look at the pictures of my kitchen now.

EricL

Hello @sunsaro100

Thank you very much for the update, the benchtop looks great and I am glad to hear that it fits perfectly. Now that you have this task out of the way you can now concentrate on finishing the rest of your kitchen,

Please keep us updated with your progress, we look forward to seeing your kitchen renovation complete.

Eric

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