Thanks, guys. That just made life easier. No post formed backsplash. There is a separate piece which I will remove all together. I plan on a row of 6" tile for the backsplash when the new laminate is down. I'll have to check my adhesive.
But a few questions.
Sand with what grit for 'tooth'?
If you're using a ROS, or a belt sander, a 50x -80x would work well.
Which goes first, the edges or the top? Also, the outside corners are radius-ed. I am assuming the laminate will bend without heating or something.
The ends first, then the front, then the top. Laminate comes in two popular sizes. For horizontal use...1/16"... like for countertops. For vertical use, 1/32". Many patterns and colors come in both thicknesses in order to get a match up. In many cases, the 1/32" will bend around a 3" radius fairly easy. If not, a warm up with a heat gun will work wonders. If you are stuck with 1/16" material, you can block sand the backside carefully to get it to bend without cracking.
Lastly, the big counter is "L" shaped and has a miter cut in the laminate. I gather I need to repeat that? I got one 12' and two 8' pieces.
Yes, that is the usual way. But, some installers prefer to use a 90 degree seam because it's shorter. Actually, I like the miter cut myself. You can use a straightedge clamped to the underside to rout the cut with a flush trim router bit. I use a 6" wide piece of ¾" plywood with a laminated edge as a straight edge. Ideally, if both pieces to be mitered can be clamped so as to permit a onetime pass at 45 degrees, the fit will be very good. Whatever happens to one side happens to the other, and they will mate. You could pre cut the laminate on a 45, leaving ¼" long. That way you aren't routing a lot of material at one time. Allow for the diameter of the bit when you do this.
When you do cut your miters, mark both sheets where they are supposed to meet before you rout, so as to align them afterward. When checking both sheets for a fit, the edge can be back filed slightly to allow the edges to mate better. You may have to file on the mating edges to get a good fit. My suggestion for installing would be to apply one sheet, with a spacer, like a ¼" dowel about 8" from the seam. Do that with the second piece. You can use ½" dowels on the rest of the sheet to keep the parts from making contact until you're ready to stick them down. Position both sheets, and very easy pull out the dowels and let the sheet touch down (in the middle of its length) but don't press it down. When the miter is lined up, touch down both mitered edges. You should have a small hump where the ¼" dowel was. Use that gap to force the two edges together. Then press the rest of the sheet down. If the fit was good in the beginning, you may only need what one ¼" dowel provided.
Press down with your hands from the center out to the edges to get all the air out. Then you can use a "J" roller, or a block of wood and a hammer. A general tip...when both surfaces have been coated with solvent based contact cement, it will stink like heck. So, make sure the area is well ventilated, You could get quite light headed. Before applying the laminate, be sure to check all mating surfaces for any debris, as that will show as bumps when you are done. Also check the mitered edges for any glue that would keep them from mating.
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