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davecla

61 posts

Master Geek


#318695 12-Feb-2025 16:50
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I need to cut a hole in a 35mm thick timber laundry bench top to fit a sink.

 

The sink will do overmount or undermount.

 

I'll really like to do an undermount, but I'm not confidant I'd do a great job on the rounded corners and they will be very visible.

 

I was thinking that if I could find a company who does laser cutting, I could sketch up a template and get one cut out of MDF and use a router to cut the hole. The template being the size of the needed hole + the radius of my router base.

 

Anyone done this before? Any better ways to approach this?

 

Thanks

 

Dave

 

 


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mdf

mdf
3512 posts

Uber Geek

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  #3342058 12-Feb-2025 18:09
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In principle, template + router works really well.

 

Suggestions:

 

  • Use a flush trim router bit with the bearing at the top for patterning (e.g., trademe). Then your template is just the hole size. You definitely can do the offset with the router base or template guide bushing, but your bit needs to be dead nuts on center for this to work accurately. And the maths of getting the sizes just right is a pain (add router base then subtract half of bit width. I think.)
  • It's not that hard making your own template. Go slow and careful with (probably?) holesaws, jigsaws, routers and straight edges, but leave yourself a mm or two to sand down to the line. Without worrying about super expensive one off whoopsies, they're pretty straightforward.
  • I 3D print a lot of router templates. May/may not be an option for you, particularly at this size, but could be useful for the corners?
  • Telling you to suck eggs, but come Real Cut time, cut away as much as you can using rough cuts first, then make sure you have a tonne of hold down so the template doesn't slip before doing your final pass. You want to go as fast as possible though to avoid burn marks.
  • Chamfer or roundover the edges when you're done.



davecla

61 posts

Master Geek


  #3342781 14-Feb-2025 09:29
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I've never used those router bits with the bearing at the top, but with a deep cut, there is no chance of doing it in one pass.

 

Does the mean you need to use a set of bits with different length cutters, like in the TM link and change out the bit after each pass?

 

 

 

Thanks

 

dave

 

 

 

 


mdf

mdf
3512 posts

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  #3342799 14-Feb-2025 09:57
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The longest one in the TM link is 1.5 inches (so ~38mm). I think your stock was 35mm? You can get longer bearing bits, I think my longest is the caveman equivalent of 50mm. If you had to, you can take a pass then plunge the router a bit deeper, using your previous cut as the new guide. However I think the much better approach is to rough cut your hole with a jigsaw (or even circular saw for a big hole) ~3 mm inside your final line. Then just use the router + guide as a final pass to trim that 3mm edge, rather than trying to do the entire cut with a router plunging into solid stock. The bit will stay much cooler, you will get much better chip extraction, and IMO its much easier to control. 


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