How to cut laminate benchtop that sits on brickwork?

[cpin]

We have a 1980's kitchen which we want to open up.

the bench is laminate and has a lip of about 10 cm which overhangs the brickwork

I want to cut the laminate to make a walkway through the area

I have had the plumbing and electric disconnected by can't figure out how to cut the laminate in order to demolish the brickwork below it. 

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @cpin. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about cutting a benchtop.

Are you planning on retaining the other section of the benchtop? Whatever method you use, I'd imagine there will be some damage to the adjacent area. Using a circular saw with a fine-toothed blade would do the best job. You'll need to set the blade depth correctly so that it doesn't contact the brickwork underneath. It's better to set it slightly shallow and clean up with a chisel.

If you want to get closer to the wall than what a circular saw will allow, you could do this cut with a handsaw. However, you'll need to set up a guide to keep youself on track.

Let me mention one of our knowledgeable members, @TedBear, to see if he has any other great ideas.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell
 

[TedBear]

Hi @cpin

in addition to @MitchellMc 's suggestions, I suggest for such fine work, using a multi-tool with a semi-circular blade fitted.

I would clamp a piece of straight timber, such as a pine strip, as a guide, along the cut line on the edge you are keeping to protect that edge.

Then I would use a sharp knife to lightly score the laminate, right up next to the guide. This will help prevent shattering of the edge by the saw blade.

(I suggest doing that even if you decide to use a regular circular saw.)

The multi-tool blade has very fine teeth, but they don't self clear of dust as a circular saw blade does, so you need to use a fan or keep blowing it clear of dust as you go.  Being a gentler tool than a circular saw, you can rest the blade right up against the guide, as long as you don't twist it into the timber strip guide it will be ok.

(If you haven't used one before, just practice in an area of the laminate that you will be discarding, before you start.  Again, I recommend doing that as a rehearsal even if you decide to just use a circular saw instead. If you have a fine enough blade, perhaps the circular saw will give you a clean enough cut for what you want...?  rehearsing the cut will let you find out.)

If the cut using a multi-tool blade isn't deep enough - and you will need a few sweeps with a multi-tool blade to get depth - you can finish cutting through the timber layer below the laminate with a circular saw, as per the suggestion by MitchelMc, once the laminate edge has been cut through gently. (Remove the timber guide strip.)

If you do this layered cut method, set the circular saw blade to about 2-3mm less than you need, then finish that final few mm with the multi-tool blade - they are cheaper to replace than a circular saw blade and less likely to damage the brickwork.

I hope all that makes sense.