Cutting laminex.....alone

[Iain]

Needed to take a slice off a 1.8m x 800 sheet of laminex and wasn't sure how the table saw would handle it.
Set up the saw with the blade about 1/2" above the table, marked a line and stuck on masking tape, clamped a piece of ply to the fence so the panel would slide under the gap.
Laminex as you know is very thin and inclined to buckle and probably ride over the blade, quick fix as I was alone.
Two pieces of 4x2 pine about 1m long, set up laminex for cutting and layed the pine on the panel either side of the blade, about 6" from the blade, start saw and carefully push through, pretty side up, laminex went through beautifully and the weight of the 4x2 was enough to hold it flat, no tear out at all and I am one happy camper.
Could be on a promise when SWMBO see's it up on the kitchen wall behind the hot plates;)

[graemet]

Iain,
Just read your posting, for some reason, every time I tried to read it previously, the forum locked up and crashed.
Do you have any teeth left on your saw? I cut some Formica (same stuff) some time ago and wrote off a TCT saw blade, the teeth were still there but with rounded edges! I now cut oversize, scribing with a tile cutter and trimming with a laminate trimmer bit in the router.
Cheers
Graeme

[Iain]

What I was cutting was the benchtop laminate which is only about 1mm thick, and I only had to cut about 6m in total.
The teeth are fine and still have an edge.
I suspect you are describing the thick laminate which has the backing.

[graemet]

Yep.