# cutter to match Comm. Laminate flooring



## stantheman1955 (Oct 25, 2011)

Hello to the Forum,
My name is Stan and I am a retired firefighter and have been wood working since high school shop class (early 1970’s) I am currently installing a Home Legend brand Solid Bamboo wood floor that I am gluing down to concrete. As you know when installing these floors you end up with various lengths after cutting. I am looking for a router bit set that is the exact size of the tongue and grove that this manufacturer uses so that I may recut and use the smaller pieces as necessary. I looked at ¼ inch bits but they are just a tad to wide, does any one make bits to the exact dimensions of the flooring I am using thanks in advance for any and all help and suggestions……Stan


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

stantheman1955 said:


> Hello to the Forum,
> My name is Stan and I am a retired firefighter and have been wood working since high school shop class (early 1970’s) I am currently installing a Home Legend brand Solid Bamboo wood floor that I am gluing down to concrete. As you know when installing these floors you end up with various lengths after cutting. I am looking for a router bit set that is the exact size of the tongue and grove that this manufacturer uses so that I may recut and use the smaller pieces as necessary. I looked at ¼ inch bits but they are just a tad to wide, does any one make bits to the exact dimensions of the flooring I am using thanks in advance for any and all help and suggestions……Stan


Hi Stan,

I would hazard a guess that the manufacturer uses a shaper cutter to his own specifications rather than a standard router bit to cut the profiles.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I'm not sure why you need to do that. I installed a bamboo floor also. The end of the last piece makes the beginning of the next row. The only waste I had was where I cut across the transition between two rooms at an angle.


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## stantheman1955 (Oct 25, 2011)

I suspect you are correct how ever I figured out that by using a 1/4 inch cutter I can form the grove I want close enough as well as the tongue by making two passes. because the tongue and groove on the long sides are factory they will keep it all in place properly. Sometimes a little more thought to a problem yields it's own answers. Thanks for all the in put from the great folks on this forum.....Stan


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## stantheman1955 (Oct 25, 2011)

Hi thanks for your thoughts, I started at the transition point also. When I got to the other end of the room and trimmed the last piece I had almost half a piece left over. I did use that piece to start the next row. How ever because I am fitting around and in a closet some of the pieces lengths changed and I have started accumulating several pieces of length that changed the pattern where the floor butts together. I am trying to keep the butt ends uniform across the floor. The first boxes of flooring purchased in o6 had random lengths so the floor in the living room has a random pattern to where the butt ends fall. 5 years later the new boxes of flooring for the bedroom are all uniform length throughout the box. As I lay them down the butt ends form a uniform brick pattern across the floor. I wish to continue this pattern if at all possible and use what shorter pieces I have in the closet where they will not be seen. I hope this explains why I wish to have the ends re-cut. I want it all to lock in so there is no chance o any cupping due to possible expansion here in Florida during the summer when we have the most humidity. Again thank you for taking the time to write good luck with all your projects. ....Stan K.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

stantheman1955 said:


> Hi thanks for your thoughts, I started at the transition point also. When I got to the other end of the room and trimmed the last piece I had almost half a piece left over. I did use that piece to start the next row. How ever because I am fitting around and in a closet some of the pieces lengths changed and I have started accumulating several pieces of length that changed the pattern where the floor butts together. I am trying to keep the butt ends uniform across the floor. The first boxes of flooring purchased in o6 had random lengths so the floor in the living room has a random pattern to where the butt ends fall. 5 years later the new boxes of flooring for the bedroom are all uniform length throughout the box. As I lay them down the butt ends form a uniform brick pattern across the floor. I wish to continue this pattern if at all possible and use what shorter pieces I have in the closet where they will not be seen. I hope this explains why I wish to have the ends re-cut. I want it all to lock in so there is no chance o any cupping due to possible expansion here in Florida during the summer when we have the most humidity. Again thank you for taking the time to write good luck with all your projects. ....Stan K.


I purposely took mine and made the pattern random. I.E., I took the first piece for the second row and cut it in half, and the first piece for the third row and cut it to about 1/3 and 2/3, etc. A stacked slotting cutter set on an arbor can be set to cut a tongue on one pass and a groove on another pass after resetting the height or changing cutters, but for what you are doing, it would be better to have 2 sets and 2 routers. A table saw can also make the tongues and grooves.


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## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

stantheman1955 said:


> Hello to the Forum,
> My name is Stan and I am a retired firefighter and have been wood working since high school shop class (early 1970’s) I am currently installing a Home Legend brand Solid Bamboo wood floor that I am gluing down to concrete. As you know when installing these floors you end up with various lengths after cutting. I am looking for a router bit set that is the exact size of the tongue and grove that this manufacturer uses so that I may recut and use the smaller pieces as necessary. I looked at ¼ inch bits but they are just a tad to wide, does any one make bits to the exact dimensions of the flooring I am using thanks in advance for any and all help and suggestions……Stan


Hi Stan - Not going to comment on the flooring, I know nothing about it. You didn't say what the dimensions are you need but here is a adjustable tongue and groove bit that may help you out:

Freud Tools - Adjustable Tongue & Groove Bit Set

If interested, you can buy one here:

Amazon.com: Freud 99-036 Adjustable Tongue and Groove Bit Set, 1/2-Inch Shank: Home Improvement


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## stantheman1955 (Oct 25, 2011)

Hi thanks for your reply. I wish i had thought to cut random lengths before the job got started, this was a case of start the job before thinking it through. Oh well too late now. Going to try to stick with the original plan, anything I have left over will be used to create some other project out of the left overs. I understand garbage pails, pencil holders and utility containers for holding kitchen utensils made of bamboo are in vogue now here in the states.


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## stantheman1955 (Oct 25, 2011)

Hi John, I looked up the cutters and was interested till I read the reviews I always go to the 1 and 2 star reviews to see what their complaints were. Seems that these cutters arrive chipped to to poor pkg. from the manufacturer and that this problem has been going on for some time. Thanks for the idea ill just use my single cutter and make due, I don't have that many to cut, it would be different if I did this for a living, I don't just this one job for my home. Thanks for writing.


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