DIY Chatroom - DIY Home Improvement Forum - IKEA Cabinets and a good saw blade (my experience)

Hi everyone,
We have been remodeling our kitchen and here's what we used to cut some IKEA ABSTRAKT cover panels and an IKEA counter-top. Essentially the ABSTRAKT is a chip-board with melamine on one side, and a high gloss plastic on the other which makes it a bit tricky to make a clean cut.

I looked around and found the Freud had a blade that was specifically designed for the cover planels, the LU97. Unfortunately no dealers stocked this blade and they estimated it would take 1-2 weeks to get. When I contacted Freud directly, although they had a couple in stock, they wouldn't sell it to me.:mad:

I ended up purchasing a 10", 90 teeth RIDGID carbide saw blade (R1090C) and was very pleased with the outcome on BOTH the ABSTRAKT cover panels and the counter-top. Everywhere I read suggested to use masking tape to cover the cut line and cut upsidedown (that is, the good side down) at a very slow speed -- which is what we did. Presto, no chipping! :thumbsup: Also I can't stress enough that it's important to have the proper workhorses to support your large pieces.

Interestingly, when I went to Home Depot, the guy recommended an Oldham saw blade with 200 teeth. This was a big mistake, it chip the heck out of the countertop and the ABSTRAKT cover panels :furious:! So, save your money, and your grief -- don't use the Oldham saw blade for this application!