Replies

1. 
   jgaiennie | Jan 13, 2003 08:55pm | #1

   Janet,

   For UHMW plastic, check your local yellow pages under "plastics".  Any city with any industrial market should have this available.  If you can't find it, I can be more specific as to suppliers in my area - Louisiana.

   I've also seen UHMW plastic advertised in some of the more popular woodworking catalogs as random sample packs for jigs and fixtures.  I'd think you would pay premium price like that though and not have control over what size pieces you're getting.  For many uses, you don't need UHMW when a less expensive material may work, such as PVC or HDPE - high density polyethylene.

   Laminate?  I'm not sure what you're talking about.  Plastic Laminate?  such as Formica or Wilsonart?  Home Centers generally carry a watered down selection of a few basic colors.  For a full line selection, call a cabinet shop in your area and ask them to point you to their source.

   Good luck,

   jdg

2. 
   ownersrep | Jan 13, 2003 10:52pm | #2

   Janet,

   As jdg said go to your local plastic suppliers.  You can buy their "shorts" (all kinds of sizes) by the pound.  It comes out to about a tenth of what it will cost you at your local woodwoker store.

   Jim 

3. 
   Elcoholic | Jan 14, 2003 12:32am | #3

   Be advised that UHMW Polyethelyne is so slippery that it's darn near impossible to glue it to anything.  So I'm not sure how viable it would be as a laminate.

   John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking

   Life is tough.  It's tougher if you're stupid - John Wayne

1. 
   AlanTurner | Jan 14, 2003 12:47am | #4

   I was told by a friend that uses this stuff in the packaging machinery industry that there is a glue for it, available, I think he sd., from McMaster Carr.  I didn't look yet.

1. 
   Elcoholic | Jan 14, 2003 06:49pm | #5

   Let me know if you find it.  It would probably be able to stick teflon to pig poop:)John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking

   Life is tough.  It's tougher if you're stupid - John Wayne

1. 
   AlanTurner | Jan 14, 2003 06:58pm | #6

   In light of your creative turn of phrase (or is it just one of many regionalisms?), I am inspired to look for it.

1. 
   Jamie_Buxton | Jan 14, 2003 07:56pm | #7

   Like John says, gluing UHMW is darn difficult.   However, double-sided carpet tape sticks to it well.

2. 
   Elcoholic | Jan 14, 2003 11:43pm | #10

   I should have said stick pig poop to 'Slick Willy' but I didn't want to politicize the issue.  These being the two slipperiest substances known to man.John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking

   Life is tough.  It's tougher if you're stupid - John Wayne

2. 
   DWRead | Jan 14, 2003 08:39pm | #8

   What would you use for a router table?

   Janet

1. 
   Elcoholic | Jan 14, 2003 11:41pm | #9

   What I used was a Herman Miller 30" x 48" modular furniture (read cubicle) work surface.  The installers where I worked a few years ago were throwing a few out because they were slightly damaged.  They're 1 1/2" thick particle board, laminated top and bottom, radiused corners, complete with vinyl t-mold edging.  I added an aluminum T-slot and viola router table top.  Used a 1/2 of the otherone one for a nice drill press table to boot.

   My Jet Exacta fence (Beismeyer clone) is faced with UHMW PE which is attached with 5 or 6 countersunk machine screws and it works great.  It did have a slight ripple that was throwing off my shoulder cuts which was easily smoothed out with a sharp #7.John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking

   Life is tough.  It's tougher if you're stupid - John Wayne