Question
I need to install a wood countertop on a built-in cabinet with walls on both sides. Any tricks to get a good fit? Is it best to make a template?
Forum Responses
(Cabinet and Millwork Installation Forum)
From contributor J:
I just asked Gary Katz this question two months ago. With Gary's advice I was able to fit a 14ft U shaped wood countertop to my custom cabinets. The advice was to create a template (no matter the size) and use splines at the joints. My client's wall was pretty bad and needed quite a bit of scribing. The template helped get my counter very close. With some minor scribing on site I was able to fit the countertop tight on all three sides. My client was very happy. Thanks again, Gary.
I used to use some sheet metal scrap for a shoehorn to keep tight scribed counters from damaging the walls as I installed, but now I use some plastic sheets that I found. I don't really know the composition but they are just like the UHMW stuff and a heavy 1/16th thick. The plastic doesn't leave any black/grey marks on the wall like the sheet metal could.
Method 1:
- 2 1/2"-3" strips of luan
- Knife and speed-square
- Glue gun or 1/2" pan head screws
- Place 5/16" shims to wall on one side, and luan tight to shims and tight to opposite wall (once removed, this will give you 3/32" spacing on either side, to allow for expansion/contraction and to get it in).
- Once back wall has been laid out, remove shims, center the template between two walls and clamp in place with 2" spring clamps.
- Screw or hot-glue luan strips past the cabinet line to edge of countertop.
- Mark sink, dishwasher, overhangs, etc.
- Once template is done, draw scribe onto back wall pieces.
- If in a large room, draw a center line, mark a "C" for center (can be used for alignment back at shop), cut it with knife on center line or where you plan on putting a seam, and mark the customer's name or job number on both sides, and date it.
- If appropriate, put the person's name who templated it on it, in case the person templating is not the same person fabricating the top, in case there are any questions.
Method 2:
- 4'x8' sheets of cardboard
- Knife and speed-square
- 4' length of material same thickness as the countertop overhang
- Glue gun
- Place 5/16" shims to wall on one side, and cardboard tight to shims and tight to opposite wall (once removed this will give you 3/32" spacing on either side, to allow for expansion/contraction and to get it in).
- Cut "L" out of two sheets of 4'x8' cardboard, and use to cut-out piece to complete template. Once back wall has been laid out, remove shims, center the template between two walls and clamp in place with 2" spring clamps.
- Draw scribe lines on back wall.
- Trim cardboard pieces to overhang by 2"-3".
- Once the template is in place, take 4' material the same thickness as countertop overhang, and place against cabinet face.
- With a marker, draw a line marking the overhang all the way around.
- Mark seam location (if any), sink, dishwasher, overhangs, etc.
- If appropriate, put the person's name who templated it on it, in case the person templating is not the same person fabricating the top in case there are any questions.
- Back at the shop, use a straight-edge and knife to trim excess off of edge and knife to trim scribe of back wall.
In a "U" top scenario, using the cardboard method allows you to remove it from the room as if it was a top to account for any challenges with the walls. If the person installing is not the person templating, make notes as to best angle for install.
Either way I would guess yes. One step that may have been left out is that it is sometimes better to build your template raised the thickness of the top so that you are actually making the template at the top of the countertop plane.
I have run into situations where a countertop just can't be made to fit without a joint. Existing columns is one that comes to mind, and I am sure that there are other situations, but usually if the boxes are there, the top can go there.
As far as cutting the material goes, the proper blade should be used and the top protected from the tool base as it rides on it. I tend to use down cutting jigsaw blades and stay outside of the line. I then use a belt sander to creep up to the line with the belt turning into the stock so as not to cause any flakes or chips. I have had some very brittle PLAM that just wanted to chip, so sample cuts in scrap areas are a good idea to get a feel for working with the material.
We enjoy doing this type of top to see how good we can get them. Some walls are real tricky; sometimes we will only do 1/4 of the 1/2 inch of scribe just for a test fit, sometimes we add 3/4 scribe to each end. Once you figure your method out, it's enjoyable to see how nice they turn out. This works on plam windowsill also, but then we fit them as tight as possible and caulk.
