How to Cut an Obtuse Angle for a Countertop

Set the countertop across two sawhorses, face up for stone countertops and facedown for solid surface or laminates with the area that you wish to cut free of the supports. Mark your desired angle onto the countertop with a pencil, using a straightedge keeping the lines straight across the counter surface.

Cover the markings with clear masking tape when cutting a laminate or solid-surface countertop.

Drill a five-eighths inch hole through the countertop at the angle’s center where the two lines comprising the angle meet, placed on the counter’s side that you’re discarding after making your angled cut. Place the hole so that it touches the angle’s apex, creating a space that you can use for altering the saw blade’s direction.

Attach the appropriate blade to your jigsaw for cutting through the countertop. For a laminate or solid-surface countertop, use a fine-toothed, carbide blade. For a stone countertop, such as marble or granite, attach a diamond-edged blade to the saw.

Place the saw base onto the countertop at the edge with the blade aligned with the marked pencil line of one of the angle lengths.

Press the saw’s trigger and make your cut. Move the saw along the angle’s first line following the marked line until you reach the drilled hole in the angle’s center. Stop the saw, and then realign the blade so that it points down the second line of the angle. Press the trigger and cut along the second line through the end of the countertop. Wipe the counter clean with a damp cloth.