Joining worktop. No room underneath

[Electric_Andy]

Hi all. Father and I are fitting a new kitchen. The worktop join in the corner is a corner of 3m x 3m. Normally would use the supplied countersunk joining brackets underneath, but their position is directly above the corner of a carcass.

Can we join them up first, tighten them and the lay the worktop? Only other thing I can think of is join them with dowels and glue. Dad wants to use one of those metal joining strips but I think they look awful in a 7 grand kitchen.

TIA

 

[Tim Bennet.]

Yes you can join them before pushing into place. Often you can simply slide them a little to one side whilst staying on the carcases to ensure they stay flat.

I use dowels or biscuits in the joint as well as it seems to make the vertical alignment more predictable, but others prefer to have the ability to hammer them in to perfect vertical alignment whilst being tightened.

Your Dad is clearly a philistine.

 

[Electric_Andy]

Your Dad is clearly a philistine

Thanks. Bless him, he's very clever but lacks finesse sometimes. I can't complain though he's doing it all for free. 7 straight days so far

 

[CXRAndy]

Get a Trend router worktop jig. A few 50mm long 12mm shank router bits.

Cut the joining surfaces to match, biscuit and glue the joints. You can elevate both panels to allow the biscuits to slot in both sides then lower carefully to align the top surfaces.

It looks so easy when you have a confident joiner working with you

 

[Jameshow]

Suggest he uses building band screwed into the worktop surface!!

 

[Electric_Andy]

Thanks all, think we're able to do it up with the brackets whilst hoisted in the air and then lower onto carcasses.

 

[rogerzilla]

If these are proper mitred joints with a dogbone routed on the underside, they are very hard to do unless you've had a lot of practice.