Get matched with top woodworkers in Collins, MS

There are two ways you can cut trim for doorways: with a miter saw or a table saw. Mitered joints need a 45-degree angle. If you’re unfamiliar with a miter saw, you might want to consider buying extra trim pieces or choosing butted joints instead. One wrong cut, and you’ll need to power up the saw again with a new piece. 

Butted joints—also called shaker style—don’t need a 45-degree angle. Instead, your side pieces attach perpendicularly to the header trim and only require a straight cut.

Yes, Corian® and other solid surface materials can be cut with standard woodworking tools, such as a circular saw or a jigsaw. However, it is crucial to use the correct type of blade to avoid damaging the material.

For a circular saw, a tungsten carbide-tipped blade is required; a triple chip grind blade is highly recommended. For a jigsaw, you should use a fine-tooth down-cutting blade. Do not use blades designed for cutting wood, as they can cause microfractures that weaken the edges of the countertop. A diamond blade is also unnecessary, as those are designed for harder materials like natural stone, which Corian is not.

After cutting, the edge will be rough. It is essential to sand and smooth the cut edge to prevent microfractures, which can eventually compromise the integrity of the countertop.

If you don’t have a power saw with a blade where you can adjust the angle, you could use a miter box and hand saw to make the cuts. The miter box contains wide slots to support the piece of baseboard and other narrow slots to accommodate the blade of the hand saw. However, it’s tough to make non-standard cuts beyond 30 or 45 degrees when using a miter box.

General contractors use subcontractors to complete specific parts of a construction project. For example, a general contractor might have construction experience but need a subcontractor to install plumbing lines in a new home.