Discuss IMPERATIV PANELS - CUTTING - COMMENTS on IKEAFANS.com. We're Personalizing the IKEA Experience. IMPERATIV PANELS - CUTTING - COMMENTS - Choosing a backsplash is like taking a ride in a Dr. Seuss-like Backsplooziesplat! All who enter here are sure to leave with more ideas than thought possible..
The panels consist of the steel skin and the fill material. So cutting holes for plugs and switches requires cutting through both these materials. Here's a key difference:
The 30" x 15" panels have a different backing than the 37" panels. The 30" panels have a plastic cellular fill material that can easily be cut out with a utilty knife and then the cut out piece removed with an old butter knife.
The 37" long panels have a fiberboard filler that's soundly glued in place.
Therefore, I think you'll find working with the 30" panels much easier.
Here's the tools I've used to cut, and the results:
Metal Snips - works quickly. Distorts the plane of the metal, giving you a wobbly wave along the seam of the cut. Snipping all the way to the tips, makes a more jagged edge, but less of the bending of the steel.
Dremel Tool - Fiber reinforced cut-off wheel. Slow, but doesn't give the metal a bent/wavy look along the cut. This is where the 30" panels are much nicer, because you can just cut out that plastic filler and you don't have fiber board smoking/nearly burning as you make your cuts, which you would have with the 37" panels.
Hack Saw - For me, more difficult to keep a straight cut, but working with the 37" panels for long cuts for sizing, this is the way to go I'd think.
Summary - use the 30" panels, it will be a lot easier.
Disclaimer - They mave have changed the fabrication of the 30" panels and started using the fiberboard...
Finally most walls aren't perfect square, or planar. The rails aren't very flexible. Washers can be used as spacers behind the thing-a-majigs that attach to the wall to bring them into the same plane if needed.
The panels are cool, but takes a lot of customization, and it's hard to get them perfect.
thanks for the info. I had bought two thinking they were 36 inches x 15 inches-- and I'd stack two to make my 36inch wide x 30 inch high backsplash between the range and the venthood... i got nervous about cutting and finishing them since they are in fact 37 plus inches...
As it turns out I need some metal work done for the venthood itself and I'm reconsidering the backsplash altogether... perhaps I'll tile back there instead.
Welcome to the forums, wallywallykun! Can we just call you wally?
Thanks for the in-depth tips! I know that there have been a number of people thinking of using this as a backsplash, and you make a good point about the outlets and switches. I'm sure your experience will make for a better one for someone down the line. So, thank you!
So....you got pictures of this? (As you can see, we're not shy!)
A note on cutting the panels: I'm not sure if the Imperativ panels are the same construction as Mossby shelves (stainless steel over particleboard), but if so, a jig saw will cut them. I didn't get any "crinkling" on the edges, but the shelves did eat up saw blades pretty quickly. It was worth it though since I didn't have a lot of cuts to do.
Thanks for the kind words. Small photos from a distance conceal some oopsies.
On the Imperativ panels, I think you're right on the construction. But I'd strongly recommend the 30" with the polycarbonate cell fill, you can cut that out, and remove the fill before you start cutting the metal.
On the jigsaw, I'd tried to use that for my long cuts on the filler pieces for the cabinets.
I don't know, I'm like a drunk driver with that thing, my blade is going all over the place.
The one advantage of the particle board however, is it does reinforce the metal as your cutting, so you do get a cleaner cut.
Anyways, thanks again, one more panel to finish then floors...
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(As you can see, we're not shy!)
(Yes, I'm salivating.)
