Cutting phenolic faced plywood

[Neil2]

I'm replacing the bow locker covers with buffalo board, the covers are a sort of half moon shape. Having never worked with this stuff before I wonder what is the best way to cut curves in it. There doesn't seem to be a lot of advice on the net generally but I'm sure some members on here must have experience.

[Flyboy]

A jig saw would be normally used for cutting curves. A good tip for cutting any laminate type board using a power tool is to cut it with the good side downwards. This will stop any chipping of the edge.

[ditchcrawler]

A jig saw would be normally used for cutting curves. A good tip for cutting any laminate type board using a power tool is to cut it with the good side downwards. This will stop any chipping of the edge.

I have never tried it but its also recommended to stick masking tape on the good side where the cut will be.

[Murflynn]

I have never tried it but its also recommended to stick masking tape on the good side where the cut will be.

......................... and on buffalo board, having a black shiny surface, masking tape allows you to draw a visible pencil line.

[Bod]

Get the right jig-saw blade, there are ones that cut clean on both sides.

 

 

Bod

[MtB]

If you draw the line and cut with the jigsaw on the back, the blade tends to 'wander' a bit on the 'good' side even though the cut is very clean.

 

To get around this, kitchen fitters use a 'down cut' blade for cutting laminated timber accurately and cleanly. You have to press the jigsaw firmly down onto the workpiece so is a different skill, but the results can be very good.

[WotEver]

The cleanest cut would be achieved with a router on a trammel bar and fitted with a 1/2" cutter.

 

Failing the above then a downward cutting jigsaw as Mike describes.

[MtB]

The cleanest cut would be achieved with a router on a trammel bar and fitted with a 1/2" cutter.

 

 

 

That would only work if the 'curve' the OP describes needing to cut is a true arc. Pretty unlikely given the way narrow boats are built!

[Neil2]

Most of what I gleaned from other forums suggested a router or band saw is the best bet, but I don't have a band saw and to do the complex shape with a router I'd have to make a rough template first so I think I'll get a selection of down cut blades for the jig saw. I wondered if the resin coat makes the blades clog up.

[MtB]

Most of what I gleaned from other forums suggested a router or band saw is the best bet, but I don't have a band saw and to do the complex shape with a router I'd have to make a rough template first so I think I'll get a selection of down cut blades for the jig saw. I wondered if the resin coat makes the blades clog up.

 

 

Careful inspection of the cut edge on the old boards might reveal some info about what was used to cut them...

[widebeamboy]

if you've got the old ones and the edges are in reasonable shape you could use a router and suitable cutting bit with the roller bearing on (name escapes me). Cut it approximately to shape and then trim to the profile of existing boards.

[Neil2]

Good suggestions guys but the old boards are just standard ply and they are also 360 miles away...

 

I made cardboard templates the last time we were on board so I could do this job in the comfort of my "workshop" at home (my wife insists on those quotation marks you all know what I mean..)

[WotEver]

if you've got the old ones and the edges are in reasonable shape you could use a router and suitable cutting bit with the roller bearing on (name escapes me).

Trimming bit.

Most of what I gleaned from other forums suggested a router or band saw is the best bet, but I don't have a band saw and to do the complex shape with a router I'd have to make a rough template first so I think I'll get a selection of down cut blades for the jig saw. I wondered if the resin coat makes the blades clog up.

Where are you located? You're welcome to have use of my bandsaw if you want to travel to Nuneaton.

[Chewbacka]

If you use a jig saw turn of pendulum action - if you have it - pendulum action gives a faster but more ragged cut.

I have not cut buffalo board, but having cut kitchen worktop (laminate, not solid wood) which is a resin composite board the blades do blunt quite quickly so have a few spares.

[Neil2]

Trimming bit.

 

Where are you located? You're welcome to have use of my bandsaw if you want to travel to Nuneaton.

 

That's a very kind offer WotEver. but I guess you didn't see my post immediately before yours.

 

I would actually like a band saw I think I could get my moneys worth out of one but I seem to recall a conversation with a joiner who advised against it "unless you can afford a really good one" which I took to mean many hundreds of pounds. What do you think?

[pete.i]

 

That's a very kind offer WotEver. but I guess you didn't see my post immediately before yours.

 

I would actually like a band saw I think I could get my moneys worth out of one but I seem to recall a conversation with a joiner who advised against it "unless you can afford a really good one" which I took to mean many hundreds of pounds. What do you think?

You are right about the band saw. I have a cheap one, well it was over a hundred quid. It's a Sealey and it is absolute rubbish. I don't use a Band saw to any great extent so paying more was out of the question and I thought, at the time, that over a hundred was enough to pay for a tool.

[WotEver]

You are right about the band saw. I have a cheap one, well it was over a hundred quid. It's a Sealey and it is absolute rubbish. I don't use a Band saw to any great extent so paying more was out of the question and I thought, at the time, that over a hundred was enough to pay for a tool.

Pete got in before me but yes, you have to pay more than £100 but an awful lot less than you used to have to pay.

 

For instance this one from Machine Mart is excellent for the money: https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-cbs300-305mm-professional-bandsaw-sta/. I played with this one a few weeks back and was very impressed for the money.

 

The blades supplied with all new bandsaws are absolute rubbish so budget to throw the supplied one away if you ever do buy one.

[Neil2]

Pete got in before me but yes, you have to pay more than £100 but an awful lot less than you used to have to pay.

 

For instance this one from Machine Mart is excellent for the money: https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-cbs300-305mm-professional-bandsaw-sta/. I played with this one a few weeks back and was very impressed for the money.

 

The blades supplied with all new bandsaws are absolute rubbish so budget to throw the supplied one away if you ever do buy one.

 

Yes that's the sort of price I guessed you have to pay and it does seem an awful lot when you consider the cost of other power tools. I should have bought one twenty years ago really but as you say I suspect they were proportionately more expensive in those days.

[WotEver]

 

Yes that's the sort of price I guessed you have to pay and it does seem an awful lot when you consider the cost of other power tools. I should have bought one twenty years ago really but as you say I suspect they were proportionately more expensive in those days.

20 years ago you'd have had to pay well over £1000 (then!) to get the quality of that Clarke saw. Axminster do a range that's about 30% more expensive, less precise to set up, and less convenient to use.

 

Axminster 'today' I mean.

[AndyV]

The best edge would be achieved with a router. Cut a template from whatever you have. Cut this with a jigsaw close to the line and finish with a sander. Use the template with a bearing bit on the router to follow the shape. It's not as difficult or time consuming as it sounds and with a good router and bit the edge will be far cleaner than any kind of saw.

[WotEver]

The best edge would be achieved with a router. Cut a template from whatever you have. Cut this with a jigsaw close to the line and finish with a sander. Use the template with a bearing bit on the router to follow the shape. It's not as difficult or time consuming as it sounds and with a good router and bit the edge will be far cleaner than any kind of saw.

Absolutely agree

[Bod]

How to tune a bandsaw.

 

Generally cheap bandsaws take a lot of tuning, to get the best from. But a lot is correct set up and good blades.

In my experience a good supplier is a firm called "Tuff Saws", who will advise on what blade you need for the job in hand, and machine you have.

 

Usual disclaimer, no connection, other than satisfied customer.

 

Bod

[WotEver]

I'll second the recommendation for Tuff. I've been using them for many years. https://www.tuffsaws.co.uk/index.php?route=product/category&path=2

[Murflynn]

If you use a jig saw turn of pendulum action - if you have it - pendulum action gives a faster but more ragged cut.

I have not cut buffalo board, but having cut kitchen worktop (laminate, not solid wood) which is a resin composite board the blades do blunt quite quickly so have a few spares.

I have only cut buffalo board with a portable circular saw. It is based on multi-ply birch and I can confirm it is very hard to cut.

[Neil2]

The best edge would be achieved with a router. Cut a template from whatever you have. Cut this with a jigsaw close to the line and finish with a sander. Use the template with a bearing bit on the router to follow the shape. It's not as difficult or time consuming as it sounds and with a good router and bit the edge will be far cleaner than any kind of saw.

 

I've used this method before with small jobs, the trouble is these locker covers are not exact "mirror images" though they should be in theory, so it means cutting two templates. I know it's the ideal way to do it though, and the more I look at this type of board the more apprehensive I am about tackling it with a jigsaw. I've got enough to experiment with first I suppose.