Replies

1. 
   eddiefromAustralia | Jan 18, 2004 10:26am | #1

   Jerry,

   I'll preface these comments assuming you've gotten a basic white melamine laminate used in the carcase.

   You can buy rolls of melamine edging that are pre-glued.  To apply the edging, you simply put the edging in place and heat with an iron, then apply pressure by rubbing it with a bit of wood as it cools.  To avoid scorching the edging, use a piece of white paper between the iron and the surface.

   I'd edge the panels prior to installation.

   To cut the laminate to length, score on the show face and snap by bending the laminate towards you with the score mark visible in the centre of the bend.  For the thin edging, just break it to length - you'll be trimming it later anyway.

   Do a google search for a 'laminate knife' used to score the laminate - they're common at any industrial tool supplier

   Trim it either with a card scraper (held flat on the surface and pushed onto the protruding edge) or with a plane blade held flat against the surface of the job  - Here's Lee Valley's version of a tool to hold the plane blade, but you don't really need the tool  (Sorry Rob Lee)

   Also a blade trimmer that is designed to hold the trimming blade in position (once again, unnecessary but a handy 'gadget').

   Just angle the blade, whichever you choose, so that the cutting pressure slightly pushes the laminate onto the edge as it's trimmed. 

   Practice on scrap first until you get the hang of it. 

   If the blade dips and hits the side of the cabinet, it could take the matt finish off the laminate top layer, or worse still, remove the laminate completely. Pressure away from the job results in blowout/chipping of the laminate surface or lifting of the self-edge off the job.

   Hope this helps,

   eddie

   Edit:  I'd do the edges of the doors first then the faces for appearance's sake.  You need to get the edges trimmed absolutely flat and smooth, flush with the door surface prior to putting the surface laminate down - commonly a lathe file (single cut flat profile 60 degree cut) is used in industry, but if you're not blessed enough to have one of these,  use any file at hand. 

   Ensure that the tip of the file is held flat against the face and then file across the laminate onto the face of the door until the edge is flat all the way around.  Don't drag the file backwards across the laminate and check that the file tip is flat on the door surface before commencing filing.

   This will have a minor disadvantage in that any water gathering on top of the door will enter the glue/MDF interface through the glue joint. 

   Putting the self edge on after the face laminate will avoid this at the expense of a black line visible around the face of the door. 

   Your call.

   eddie

   
   

   ---

   Edited 1/18/2004 2:43:41 AM ET by eddie (aust)

1. 
   oldjerry | Jan 18, 2004 10:55am | #2

   Eddie,

   Thanks for your comments, especially regarding the door lamination and filing technique.

   The boxes are grey melamine but I want the edgeband to match the face laminate (for which there is no matching edgebanding available). That is why I need to laminate the edges.

   So you prefer a laminate knife to a circular or table saw for cutting?

   Thanks,Jerry

1. 
   eddiefromAustralia | Jan 18, 2004 11:25am | #3

   I just use a laminate knife Jerry - to snap the egde band you could hold the laminate down with a bit of board to avoid snapping it in the wrong place.

   You could use a saw, but the laminate is too thin to support the force/speed of the saw and could easily vibrate/chip/break.  I've heard of it being done with the laminate being sandwiched between two sheets of scrap MDF to provide support, but it seems more like a recipe for disaster for mine.

   Cheers,

   eddie

   edit:  how do others cut narrow (25mm) strips of laminate - ideas???

   Edited 1/18/2004 3:26:59 AM ET by eddie (aust)

1. 
   rslatm | Jan 18, 2004 03:53pm | #4

   I've cut strips on the tablesaw for years with no problem. I've clamped a thin piece of aluminum angle so the laminate doesn't slide under the fence. Virutex makes a nice little slitter that I've used in previous work places but find the saw pretty simple to use.

2. 
   Sphere | Jan 18, 2004 05:20pm | #5

   Same as Rick, almost..I lay a scrap od 1/4 ply wood down on the saw, crank the blade up through it, clamp it and rip away..I use a fat pecil eraser ended dowel as a push stick and the blade high enough that the teeth are coming down on the lam.

   Maybe not as safe as some others will suggest, but with care, works flawlessly.

3. 
   jako17 | Jan 19, 2004 06:48am | #6

   As already posted ,a table saw works well,but for jobsite work I built a base for the laminate trimmer that works as a slitter.The cuts don't need to be precise as it is flush trimmed afterwards

1. 
   oldjerry | Jan 19, 2004 10:33am | #7

   Jako,

   Is the base you made adjustable? can you share some details?

   To All,

   How is the Porter-Cable 7310 laminate trimmer? How useful are the offset and angle bases ...in other words, is it worth it to buy the kit?

2. 
   IMERC | Jan 19, 2004 10:38am | #8

   Go the Bosch route. You won't regret it.... 

   Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....

3. 
   jako17 | Jan 19, 2004 05:41pm | #9

   All I did was screw a piece of plexi to the 310 instead of the regular base and screw another piece to that as a fence.It was done on site as I got fed up with futzing with straight edges and scoring tools.I was building a resturant/bar at the time .I don't know how much experience you have with laminate ,but it is a relatively cheap commodity so cut large and trim to size with sharp clean bits and I prefer to use 2 coats of spray solvent base contact.I have several 310's and like them .Though I still favour my 18 year old B+D for sheer power but the base is  small.The offset base I find very useful on the 310

4. 
   oldjerry | Jan 20, 2004 03:00pm | #10

   Jako,

   I guess I was thinking too hard ;-) The base you describe seems simple and should work great. I'll give it a try.

   Thanks to all for all the great comments, but I have one more question. Since the case are made of two sided melamine ther are a couple of situations where I'd have to cover the melamine with laminate. Any problems in doing this?

5. 
   jako17 | Jan 20, 2004 05:22pm | #11

   I have never had a problem with either MCP or HPL to HPL Abrade the surface of cabinet and clean off the dust.I only use solvent base contact cement.Ensure you get the coats on smooth, snots telegraph with reflected light and wear.Follow the directions re drying time before contact as you don't want to trap excess solvent between impervious layers.Have you considered the effect of the extra thickness on the euro hinges/ hardware?  

6. 
   oldjerry | Jan 20, 2004 10:34pm | #12

   It would only be on a couple of end panels so the hinges shouldn't be a problem.

2. 
   rhrasna | Jan 20, 2004 10:42pm | #13

   Jerry,

   I've just started thinking about putting a veneer on our kitchen cabinets. I'm not sure what they are faced with but it seems to be a roughed up melamine. My bride thought she could rough them up some more and then paint on them (she is a VERY talented Alpine folk artist) but we have been told the paint would  not stick for more than a few years, if that. So the next possibility we are looking at is veneering over the entire cabinet set.

   A few (just a few??) questions come to mind:

   1) Is the advice we received about painting correct?

   2) Other than the strips the faces of the doors, etc will require a fair amount of veneer. Where does one get some at reasonable prices? A few sites I looked at today seem to indicate prices starting at about $1/sq ft and going up (way up!!) from there.

   3) Don't I have the same problem with contact cement as I do with paint? that is, won't it start peeling after a few years?

   4) What is "HPL" that is in the title line of your original post? Is this another alternative to veneers?

   Thanks for the help

   Ron H

1. 
   oldjerry | Jan 21, 2004 08:08am | #14

   Ron,

   I wish I could answer all of you questions, but I'm asking the advice of experts here because I have very little experience laminating anything. In fact, the only question I can answer is about the HPL in the title. It stands for high pressure laminate (think Formica).

   Anyone should feel free to jump in here and help Ron out.

   Jerry

1. 
   rhrasna | Jan 21, 2004 03:40pm | #16

   Thanks for your reply Jerry. I think I'll post it as a new thread and see who salutes it.

   Ron H

3. 
   cowtown | Jan 21, 2004 10:18am | #15

   look at a virutex laminate slitter for cutting all the strips.

   faster, cheaper and safer than using table saw or carbide scoring knife.

   Solvent base glue is OK, but stinks. Maybe preferable for edges but for flats, water base is fine, just do a light sand to give some "tooth" to the surface, and clean off the dust.

   cost is bout 100ish us$ for the slitter, but once adjusted it will cut at least two strips in the time it takes you to even pick up a sheet of laminate, let alone worry about it slipping under the fence of the table saw and having to worry about how to get the edge straight again. Carbide scorring kife for cutting strips is strictly a masochismic thing. Go that way if you wish.

   Eric in cowtown