# Joining Particle board sections for counter top



## RHolcomb (Mar 23, 2010)

I'm going to make laminate countertops and I need to make one 10' long. I can special order a piece but it would not be cost effective due to the shipping cost for the small amount I need. What would be the best way to butt joint two pieces together to get the correct length I need. I have a biscuit joiner and a kreg pocket hole jig. Would using either of these work or should I just double up two pieces and stagger the joint and face glue rather than messing around with a butt joint? Thanks in advance for your thoughts.


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

check out this video it shows how to use miter bolts to join two counter tops together.


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)




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## clin (Sep 3, 2015)

Since you effectively want one large piece that will have a single sheet of laminate on top, just butt them and double another piece of particle board at the joint. This compares to using hardware shown above which I believe is typically used when joining separate pieces at installation. For example where large pieces join forming an L-shape.

It's common to double 3/4" thick particle board to make typical countertop thickness. You can brute force this and just double the whole thing (heaviest) or you can just double it at the edges, at sink openings, and the places it contacts the cabinets.

So given the use of doublers, one of these can be used to join two smaller pieces to make a larger piece. Or in the case of a 10 ft section, you could put an 8 ft section together with a 2 ft section, then reverse another set on top of these so the two joints are not opposite each other.

Anyway, that's the way I did an 11 ft top in my shop.


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)




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## BlueRidgeDog (Jan 2, 2019)

Having worked in the kitchen trade in the 80's when everything was laminate, we always needed the specialty hardware to pull the parts perfectly together. At times we would have to put a double layer on then two cleats so that you could clamp to the cleats under the counter and do the same function, but most of the installations did not have that type of room or clearance under the top. We would typically use three of the hardware clamps per joint, adjust them until the line was perfect the glue and staple a block across the joint to make a permanent.


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