www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk

hi

im fitting a kitchen in the next week or so.

ive fitted a fair few kitchens. but as of yet i dont own a biscuit jointer.

is it a good idea if a joint is needed in a cornice (or lighting pelmet) to use a biscuit jointer? i have so far just used mitre bond but it tends to break apart after a short while.

also whilst im on. when you guys join worktops together do you use biscuits as an aid to joining them together aswell as using the standard work top bolts?

just thinking of stuff that may make my job easier

i have never used biscuits on cornice or pelmet, just mitre mate never had any call backs

worktop use bolts and biscuits it makes lining up alot easyer

-- Wed Jul 28, 2010 10:21 pm --

you can get a biscuit cutter for about £15 that fits on the router, or spend £180+ on a biscuit jointer.

i went for the jointer option as it can be used for other jobs,

well i might give it a bash. they seem to come apart eventually. like after maybe a year. i know one has on the kitchen in my parents house that i fitted. its not noticeable. but it bugs me.

yeah i thought biscuits in worktops would be a good thing.

can buy a biscuit jointer for just over hundred quid for a decent one.

they would come in handy for other stuff to i have no doubt.

I can't think of a reason why mitre fix would fail on a cornice or pelmet? Well if I was to take a stab I would say your chop saw is not cutting a true 45 and when you fix the cornice/pelment to the carcase you are having to bend it to align maybe

fin, did you spray one side and glue the other ?

you know thinking about it. i dont think i mitre bonded that particular join as id ran out of either glue or activator. i looked tonight and it has some of the colour match silicone type stuff in instead.

yes when i do use it i spray one side and glue the other.

I have only ever used mitre fix once and that was borrowed to glue something.

Never had the need to use mitre fix on cornice or pelmet. If the cuts are spot on and they are secured correctly then that is all it takes.

royaloakcarpentry wrote:I have only ever used mitre fix once and that was borrowed to glue something.

Never had the need to use mitre fix on cornice or pelmet. If the cuts are spot on and they are secured correctly then that is all it takes.

Really!!! You must like making life very hard for yourself or you only really install hand built kitchens.

I can't remember the last time I saw a carcase where all the panels lined up perfectly, the top panel is nearly alway 0.5mm lower than the sides. I'm not saying your meathod can't be done but I don't see any problem with using mitre fix as it just speeds up the installation giving the same results

I didn't say there was anything wrong in using it.................

I don't only do handmade bespoke kitchens. However with over 20 years under my belt, I have other ways of doing cornice and pelmet without the need for mitre mate and life is no harder for not using it.

royaloakcarpentry wrote:I didn't say there was anything wrong in using it.................

I don't only do handmade bespoke kitchens. However with over 20 years under my belt, I have other ways of doing cornice and pelmet without the need for mitre mate and life is no harder for not using it.

I wasn't having a go at all mate, please don't get me wrong

It just seemed that people might get the impression that it's not a professional thing to use. I find it speeds things up as I can offer the whole section pre-assembled and aligned in to postion, then fix.

We all have our ways I suppose

There was no offence taken.

I should think the vast majority of carpenters or kitchen fitters will use it.

i always do use it. as i said earlier maybe for some reason the activater spray wasnt used on that occasion.

ive been all over the kitchen in my house and the joins are all still spot on apart from that one.

royaloak,

you say if fixed correctly. how do you go about fixing them? i normally just pilot and screw into the top of the unit. the mitre fix i find helps to just hold it in the right position.

also i guess the tops of the units are never ever exactly flush with the gables (if you know what i mean) so it makes it just that bit easier to set them together and then fix the whole thing up as one piece.

each to their own i guess.

Hi,

I've always used Mitre Bond and then a steel strap on the backside of a 45º splice. A 45º mitre gets a dribble extra on the reverse with a quick blast of activator. I wouldn't like to be trying to biscuit the damn things. Plus for me its one extra bit of kit to be lugging about on site. I've a trend biscuit bit for my router that I use for worktop mitres as standard jointer kit, but its just not accurate enough compared to a jointer!

Royal Oak Carpentry, I'd love to have the confidence to do similar. But the standard of material of most modern kitchens means paper veneered low grade MDF cornice and pelmet is the norm for me. Ohh how Id love to see a bit of real wood that isn't fast grown pine!!!! Sadly a rare sight for a commercial Chip these days!

carhhart............even the off shelf kitchens, I don't use mitre mate. I get the mitres spot on by how much I screw the cornice down. If it is a fraction out then having a screw a fraction tighter on one length compared to the other will pull it in. Plus as you say, a plate is also very good.

However, I am doing a kitchen at present and Howdens have kindly delivered mitre mate with it and so will give it a whirl.

royaloakcarpentry wrote:carhhart............even the off shelf kitchens, I don't use mitre mate. I get the mitres spot on by how much I screw the cornice down. If it is a fraction out then having a screw a fraction tighter on one length compared to the other will pull it in. Plus as you say, a plate is also very good.

However, I am doing a kitchen at present and Howdens have kindly delivered mitre mate with it and so will give it a whirl.

how did you get on with the mitre mate royal oak?

ill give your method a bash as im fitting a kitchen sometime in the next week or so.