I am building a router table top and had planned on using Formica for
surfacing the top and bottom. That is until I saw the $43 price tag on a
sheet of Formica! That's a lot to pay for a sheet of material I only need
about of a third of for my project. The only thing I found close at Lowes
was some wall board that appears to be hardboard with a white plastic
coating. 1/8" thick. Will I regret trying to substitue this for Formica? I
didn't see any other types of laminate. I plan to attach this stuff with
contact cement and flush trim the edges.
Thanks for any input.
-Walter
On Feb 12, 9:07 am, Walter <[email protected]> wrote:
> I am building a router table top and had planned on using Formica for
> surfacing the top and bottom. That is until I saw the $43 price tag on a
> sheet of Formica! That's a lot to pay for a sheet of material I only need
> about of a third of for my project. The only thing I found close at Lowes
> was some wall board that appears to be hardboard with a white plastic
> coating. 1/8" thick. Will I regret trying to substitue this for Formica? I
> didn't see any other types of laminate. I plan to attach this stuff with
> contact cement and flush trim the edges.
>
> Thanks for any input.
>
> -Walter
I would be concerned about the exposed edges where you make the cutout
for the insert. Won't take long before it starts to get fuzzy and
swell up.
On Feb 12, 9:31 am, "Charlie M. 1958" <[email protected]>
wrote:
> Walter wrote:
> > I am building a router table top and had planned on using Formica for
> > surfacing the top and bottom. That is until I saw the $43 price tag on a
> > sheet of Formica! That's a lot to pay for a sheet of material I only need
> > about of a third of for my project. The only thing I found close at Lowes
> > was some wall board that appears to be hardboard with a white plastic
> > coating. 1/8" thick. Will I regret trying to substitue this for Formica? I
> > didn't see any other types of laminate. I plan to attach this stuff with
> > contact cement and flush trim the edges.
>
> > Thanks for any input.
>
> > -Walter
>
> I don't think that will hold up well long-term. Keep looking around....
> some places sell partial sheets of formica. You might also check with a
> countertop fabricator in your area. They should be able to sell you a
> piece left over from a job.
I think Home Depot sells 1/2 or 1/4 sheets. I remember buying some
for a project and didn't have to buy a 4x8 sheet.
On Feb 12, 10:10 am, "Leon" <[email protected]> wrote:
> "Walter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> news:[email protected]...
>
> >I am building a router table top and had planned on using Formica for
> > surfacing the top and bottom. That is until I saw the $43 price tag on a
> > sheet of Formica! That's a lot to pay for a sheet of material I only need
> > about of a third of for my project. The only thing I found close at Lowes
> > was some wall board that appears to be hardboard with a white plastic
> > coating. 1/8" thick. Will I regret trying to substitue this for Formica? I
> > didn't see any other types of laminate. I plan to attach this stuff with
> > contact cement and flush trim the edges.
>
> > Thanks for any input.
>
> > -Walter
>
> Check with a Formica/ plastic laminate supplier and ask if they have any
> damaged pieces. I have paid as little as 35 cents per sq. foot for a full
> sheet with a chipped corner.
That is a good suggestion. Make sure you ask for GP, not the post-form
grade.
A few years ago, I bought 100 sheets at $8.00ea. Many of the
discontinued colours were fugly. Many were nice enough to sell at a
healthy profit. All the fuglies were used as backer sheets. In
retrospect, that was a gloat.
Colours are discontinued all the time. Call your local distributor of
Arborite, Wilsonart, Formica, Nevamar.
On Feb 12, 9:07 am, Walter <[email protected]> wrote:
> I am building a router table top and had planned on using Formica for
> surfacing the top and bottom. That is until I saw the $43 price tag on a
> sheet of Formica! That's a lot to pay for a sheet of material I only need
> about of a third of for my project. The only thing I found close at Lowes
> was some wall board that appears to be hardboard with a white plastic
> coating. 1/8" thick. Will I regret trying to substitue this for Formica? I
> didn't see any other types of laminate. I plan to attach this stuff with
> contact cement and flush trim the edges.
>
> Thanks for any input.
>
> -Walter
I used 3/4 mdf for my top without anything else. Work's fine. I did
put a little wax on it.
Walter wrote:
> I am building a router table top and had planned on using Formica for
> surfacing the top and bottom. That is until I saw the $43 price tag on a
> sheet of Formica! That's a lot to pay for a sheet of material I only need
> about of a third of for my project. The only thing I found close at Lowes
> was some wall board that appears to be hardboard with a white plastic
> coating. 1/8" thick. Will I regret trying to substitue this for Formica? I
> didn't see any other types of laminate. I plan to attach this stuff with
> contact cement and flush trim the edges.
>
> Thanks for any input.
>
> -Walter
I don't think that will hold up well long-term. Keep looking around....
some places sell partial sheets of formica. You might also check with a
countertop fabricator in your area. They should be able to sell you a
piece left over from a job.
Walter wrote:
> I am building a router table top and had planned on using Formica for
> surfacing the top and bottom. That is until I saw the $43 price tag on a
> sheet of Formica!
Try going to a shop that makes counters. I went to one and they gave me
some old pieces with out-of-date patterns on them that nobody wanted.
Chris
RayV wrote:
> I would be concerned about the exposed edges where you make the cutout
> for the insert. Won't take long before it starts to get fuzzy and
> swell up.
I made my router table top two years ago with laminated MDF and plywood.
While it is true that the MDF is a bit fuzzy, it hasn't swollen up yet.
I do live in a fairly dry area, so maybe if you're in somewhere a bit
more humid it could be a problem.
Chris
"Walter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I am building a router table top and had planned on using Formica for
> surfacing the top and bottom. That is until I saw the $43 price tag on a
> sheet of Formica! That's a lot to pay for a sheet of material I only need
> about of a third of for my project. The only thing I found close at Lowes
> was some wall board that appears to be hardboard with a white plastic
> coating. 1/8" thick. Will I regret trying to substitue this for Formica? I
> didn't see any other types of laminate. I plan to attach this stuff with
> contact cement and flush trim the edges.
>
> Thanks for any input.
>
> -Walter
Call a couple counter top installers and see if you can get a hold of a
couple kitchen sink cut outs. That is what my router table top is made out
of. The best part, cost to me, nothing!
Greg
On Thu, 15 Feb 2007 00:17:01 -0600, [email protected] (Ron Truitt) wrote:
>IF the table you are building is of the right size, you might consider
>building it out of pieces of an old countertop that is being ditched in
>a remodel job. I've reused some of these that were still in great
>shape.
>
>Ron T
He might try to find a suitable Onyx's counter top or rectangular top slab at
Habitat stores. Before we moved last year I bought a new unused slab at Kansas
City's Habitat stores for $10 and sold it for $15 at a moving sale. I was
planning to use it for a new router's table, but decide that it was too much a
hassle to bring it along.
.
"RayV" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> I think Home Depot sells 1/2 or 1/4 sheets. I remember buying some
> for a project and didn't have to buy a 4x8 sheet.
>.
Or check somewhere else. 4x8 is not "the" standard size for Formica. I
have bought it in 26" widths 10' long. It is available in a lot of standard
sizes.
On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 14:07:15 GMT, Walter <[email protected]>
wrote:
>I am building a router table top and had planned on using Formica for
>surfacing the top and bottom. That is until I saw the $43 price tag on a
>sheet of Formica! That's a lot to pay for a sheet of material I only need
>about of a third of for my project. The only thing I found close at Lowes
>was some wall board that appears to be hardboard with a white plastic
>coating. 1/8" thick. Will I regret trying to substitue this for Formica? I
>didn't see any other types of laminate. I plan to attach this stuff with
>contact cement and flush trim the edges.
Home Despot uset to carry cut sheets of laminate for a reasonable
price, but they seem to have discontinued this for some reason, at
least locally. Might want to check.
Beyond that there are a couple of online options.
McMaster has a whole range of laminates intended for industrial use--I
doubt you'll save much over buying a sheet of Formica though. They've
got a sampler (5331K3) for $18.52.
Woodcraft carries 3/4 inch phenolic-faced plywood in 2'x4' sheets for
about 40 bucks. Rockler uses the same stuff for their $600 router
table tops. The stuff is known as "PSF" and is intended for use as
concrete forms--you can probably find it locally but getting it in
single-sheet quantities might be problematical.
What I did was go to a local cabinet shop and they gave me some scrap pieces
of formica. Had more then enough for the router table top.
Mike
"Walter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I am building a router table top and had planned on using Formica for
> surfacing the top and bottom. That is until I saw the $43 price tag on a
> sheet of Formica! That's a lot to pay for a sheet of material I only need
> about of a third of for my project. The only thing I found close at Lowes
> was some wall board that appears to be hardboard with a white plastic
> coating. 1/8" thick. Will I regret trying to substitue this for Formica? I
> didn't see any other types of laminate. I plan to attach this stuff with
> contact cement and flush trim the edges.
>
> Thanks for any input.
>
> -Walter
"Walter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I am building a router table top and had planned on using Formica for
> surfacing the top and bottom. That is until I saw the $43 price tag on a
> sheet of Formica! That's a lot to pay for a sheet of material I only need
> about of a third of for my project. The only thing I found close at Lowes
> was some wall board that appears to be hardboard with a white plastic
> coating. 1/8" thick. Will I regret trying to substitue this for Formica? I
> didn't see any other types of laminate. I plan to attach this stuff with
> contact cement and flush trim the edges.
>
> Thanks for any input.
>
> -Walter
Check with a Formica/ plastic laminate supplier and ask if they have any
damaged pieces. I have paid as little as 35 cents per sq. foot for a full
sheet with a chipped corner.
"Greg O" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
>
> "Walter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>>I am building a router table top and had planned on using Formica for
>> surfacing the top and bottom. That is until I saw the $43 price tag
>> on a sheet of Formica! That's a lot to pay for a sheet of material I
>> only need about of a third of for my project. The only thing I found
>> close at Lowes was some wall board that appears to be hardboard with
>> a white plastic coating. 1/8" thick. Will I regret trying to
>> substitue this for Formica? I didn't see any other types of laminate.
>> I plan to attach this stuff with contact cement and flush trim the
>> edges.
>>
>> Thanks for any input.
>>
>> -Walter
>
>
> Call a couple counter top installers and see if you can get a hold of
> a couple kitchen sink cut outs. That is what my router table top is
> made out of. The best part, cost to me, nothing!
> Greg
Thanks all you guys for the suggestions! What a helpful group!
I think I will try to find some scraps somewhere, even if they are fugly.
If that doesn't work out,I will try some of the online suggestions.
Thanks again!
-Walter (wood butcher in training)
On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 10:37:30 -0500, J. Clarke <[email protected]>
wrote:
>On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 14:07:15 GMT, Walter <[email protected]>
>wrote:
>
>>I am building a router table top and had planned on using Formica for
>>surfacing the top and bottom. That is until I saw the $43 price tag on a
>>sheet of Formica! That's a lot to pay for a sheet of material I only need
>>about of a third of for my project. The only thing I found close at Lowes
>>was some wall board that appears to be hardboard with a white plastic
>>coating. 1/8" thick. Will I regret trying to substitue this for Formica? I
>>didn't see any other types of laminate. I plan to attach this stuff with
>>contact cement and flush trim the edges.
>
>Home Despot uset to carry cut sheets of laminate for a reasonable
>price, but they seem to have discontinued this for some reason, at
>least locally. Might want to check.
>
>Beyond that there are a couple of online options.
>
>McMaster has a whole range of laminates intended for industrial use--I
>doubt you'll save much over buying a sheet of Formica though. They've
>got a sampler (5331K3) for $18.52.
I just got in my mcmaster order a few minutes ago. I got some of the
Garolite XX, in 24"x36"x1/32" sheets for about 10 bucks a sheet. It's
pretty shiny on both sides so I'm not sure how gluing is going to go,
I plan to rough it up first. It's a medium reddish brown color.
Depending on the size of your top, probably not worth it unless you
are ordering other stuff from them. They have a really good price on
link belts and I picked up some 8 oz press fit cans for transfering
finishes to, among other stuff.
-Leuf