# Laminate Flooring



## berry (Oct 17, 2005)

I wondered if anyone has experience routing laminate flooring. I have a DuPont flooring I wanted to route with an 1/4" upcut spiral bit. The client wants me to make a grill to cover an air return on his home HVAC system. He wants the grill to match the flooring. 

Thanks in advance. 

If I haven't provided enough detail please post and I'll try to provide answers to questions you have.

Thanks from St. Paul


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Berry

It can be done but it will nail (dull ) your bits,,it's full of hard glue and tons of other junk..

Watch the heat build up on the bit, make one pass and then let the bit cool down..if turns blue that's ,new bit needed..

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## SE18 (Apr 6, 2009)

That stuff is nasty, I'm currently laying a hardwood floor 3/4" with nailer, table saw, chop saw and so on. Sometimes sparks come out of the wood:shout:


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## Charles M (Apr 10, 2006)

berry said:


> I wondered if anyone has experience routing laminate flooring. I have a DuPont flooring I wanted to route with an 1/4" upcut spiral bit. The client wants me to make a grill to cover an air return on his home HVAC system. He wants the grill to match the flooring.
> 
> Thanks in advance.
> 
> ...


I would recommend passing on that project. Find a solid wood that matches and use that. Laminate flooring will dull the bit so quickly that you will be in shock.


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## Ghidrah (Oct 21, 2008)

Mark the floor off for the size of the hole you need and bore holes large enough inside the lines at the 4 corners to accept the blade of a jigsaw. Cut the lines.
Make a template large enough to work with whatever template guide and throwaway router bits you need to complete the rabbit.
Use double sided tape to stick the template to the floor and route the rabbit.
The rabbit should only be about a 1/4 to 3/8" deep


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## ldykeman (Mar 14, 2009)

I have done this myself, but I used a RotoZip (I guess you could look at a RotoZip as a really little router ). I cut from the good side with the RotoZip because it is a down spiral bit. If you are using an up spiral I would think it would be best to cut from the back side. In either case, I would practice on a piece of scrap first.
Larry


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## ldykeman (Mar 14, 2009)

I just reread your post and now realize you are making a grille, not cutting out for one. I have not done that, I have only cut out for one. For making the slots, I would try first drilling a hole and routing the slot from there, but I still think an up spiral might cause some chipping if used from the good side. Again, I would try some experimenting on scrap first. 
Larry


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## berry (Oct 17, 2005)

Thanks for everyone's feedback. The consensus is I'll ruin a bit - not me - I try to keep tools forever. I'll use regular cabinet grade 1/4" plywood and work at matching the finish. Thanks again for reading and replying to my question.


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## ldykeman (Mar 14, 2009)

I don't know about ruining a bit... but curiosity got the best of me tonight. I have a bunch of ends and full boards of Armstrong laminate flooring laying around. I think it's the same stuff you are talking about. Very dense masonite-like backing with a woodgrain photo finish and a clear wear layer on top. About 1/4 inch thick, and the boards have an interlocking joint (no gluing required). I drilled a 1/2" hole in it and used a 1/2" straight carbide bit to make a slot in it, out from the hole. It came out very nice... crisp and clean edges. A few of those slots would make a fine grille. The carbide bit looked just like new after cutting the slot. I wouldn't hesitate to make one.
Larry


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## westend (Mar 31, 2009)

A lot depends on what type of laminate flooring is being used for the grill. I install various brands and types but try to keep to the major brands. The laminates that are made from composites with photofinish and a woodfiber backerboard are the toughest, IMO. The other type of laminates that have a true wood veneer layer on top of fiberboard or engineered backer are more tool-friendly. If you can get finish plywood to stain to the same hue as the laminate, it will be the easiest route. Good luck.


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