Cutting melamine for DIY miter fence and rip fence extensio fit bt3000

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  • ballard770
    Established Member
    • Jan 2016
    • 140
    • Washington State
    • Ryobi BT3000

    Cutting melamine for DIY miter fence and rip fence extensio fit bt3000

    I’m planning on making miter and rip fence extensions from melamine. What I have is currently buried in my garage but I think it is 1” plywood with melamine on both sides. My question is what is the best blade for cutting 24” and 36” strips to fasten to the miter and rip fences?

    I plan to attach the extensions with 1/4-20 square head bolts (automotive battery clamp bolts) which is what Ryobi suggests for attaching a DIY out feed table.
  • leehljp
    Just me
    • Dec 2002
    • 8429
    • Tunica, MS
    • BT3000/3100

    #2
    I would cut with a cross cut blade on a table saw carefully and with the blade up about 2 1/2 to 3 inches so that it would be cutting on the down cut. Of course, face up on the melamine board and painters tape over the line for additional protection on chipping.

    Some people do not like the blade to be sticking up so high, but some outcomes require it. As always, be aware of the dangers and safety first.
    Hank Lee

    Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

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    • LCHIEN
      Internet Fact Checker
      • Dec 2002
      • 20914
      • Katy, TX, USA.
      • BT3000 vintage 1999

      #3
      Laminate blades are recomended for melamine to prevent chipping along the cut down side, but blades are expensive. Put some masking tape over the cut on the bottom of the board to prevent chip out.
      When making melamine fixtures, I usually route a small chamfer on the exposed edges as they will be sharp and ugly. Then chip-out doesn't matter anymore, too.
      Last edited by LCHIEN; 05-06-2019, 03:48 AM.
      Loring in Katy, TX USA
      If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
      BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

      Comment

      • atgcpaul
        Veteran Member
        • Aug 2003
        • 4055
        • Maryland
        • Grizzly 1023SLX

        #4
        I was making a lot of cabinets with melamine and bought a dedicated blade for it:

        Freud LU80R010 10-Inch 80 Tooth Hi-ATB Ultimate Plywood and Melamine

        It gave me perfect cuts on the show side and the back side was pretty good, too. I found a tight ZCTP to be important to prevent blowout on the back side.

        Paul

        Comment

        • Carlos
          Veteran Member
          • Jan 2004
          • 1893
          • Phoenix, AZ, USA.

          #5
          I also have that blade, and also use a dedicated ZCTP for that blade. I can confirm it makes absolutely perfect cuts.

          Comment

          • ballard770
            Established Member
            • Jan 2016
            • 140
            • Washington State
            • Ryobi BT3000

            #6
            Thanks guys,

            As I only have a few cuts I will possible use my Forrest chopmastrr thst has about 100 teeth but I hesitate to use such an expensive blade for a possible one time use.

            i also have a couple of other blades, one is another cros#cut blade also with 100 teeth or,
            I could use a thin kerf non-ferrous blade (fairly cheep, used for cutting bt3k rails to make half rail kits.

            Comment

            • billwmeyer
              Veteran Member
              • Feb 2003
              • 1858
              • Weir, Ks, USA.
              • BT3000

              #7
              Is this one of the times that a light scoring cut before the actual complete cut will minimise chip out? I've never had to cut melamine.
              "I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in."-Kenny Rogers

              Comment

              • Carlos
                Veteran Member
                • Jan 2004
                • 1893
                • Phoenix, AZ, USA.

                #8
                It's absolutely worth a try, but I didn't score mine, since I was using a blade that promised clean cuts.

                Comment

                • LCHIEN
                  Internet Fact Checker
                  • Dec 2002
                  • 20914
                  • Katy, TX, USA.
                  • BT3000 vintage 1999

                  #9
                  Gents the issue is tear out on the bottom of the board on a table saw. Minor splintering.
                  You can minimize it by making a scoring cut on the bottom, then flipping over and making the full depth cut on the top.
                  Loring in Katy, TX USA
                  If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
                  BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

                  Comment

                  • jabe
                    Senior Member
                    • Apr 2006
                    • 566
                    • Hilo, Hawaii
                    • Ryobi BT3000 & Delta Milwaukee 10" tilting Table circular saw

                    #10
                    In my cabinet business I've used many different brands of blades to cut melamine faced plywd. I found TENRYU Mel-Pro 10" x 100T to be my go to blade but, still got some chipping on the back side of the melamine if the blade wasn't sharp or clean. Now that blade sells for $130.+ each and I go through 3 blades a job which got costly. Recently I found a TENRYU 7 1/4" x 60 T Silencer blade SL-18560C thin Kerf about $43.99 each. YES it's 7 1/4" but it's the BEST Blade I've used on 2 sided melamine and yes I use it on my BT/Sears table saw & 8" panel saw. i got no chipping or maybe 1 or 2 small chips on the back side which would be caused if you feed the board too fast or the blade is gunked/dirty or dull. i clean my blades 1 or 2 times a week and I've been through 18 sheets now with no problems. No need to raise the blade high, I just set it 1 tooth higher than the stock I'm cutting. You'll notice how QUIET this blade runs, cut through the melamine like butter. Tenryu has a 6" x 52 T Silencer blade I use on my Milwaukee cordless circular saw, I use for jobsite cutting and get the same results clean smooth cuts. Both blades are thin kerf and with a black teflon coating. Tenryu is a Japanese Co., blades are made in China but, the Japanese trained/supervise the production and their quality control is 2nd to none. The steel Tenryu use don't rust, I have Forrest blades and they rust cannot compare to Tenryu's steel. Try it you won't regret it.

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