Is it better to paint or to laminate?

[rmusick]

Hey everyone can you give me your opinion.  If you are building a MEGA all in 1 cabinet would paint it or laminate it?

[walker_tr9]

Painting has to be done repeatedly to get a nice finish (from what I hear).  My feeling is that, unless you have a nice spray paint station setup, then laminating is probably faster and easier.  I'm planning on laminating mine.  Laminate is also more resistant to damage, I think.  Of course, it is probably more expensive than painting.

If you are going to paint, get some good rollers.  I've never had much luck with brushes, but I'm probably not that skilled.

[rmusick]

yes, that is my quandary,  I want it to look good but I don't want to break the bank.  I hear you can paint it and make it look like glass,, not sure how that goes..

[GregD]

Either is fine.  laminate probably looks a little better but it can be expensive.  You can get a nice painted finish as well.  When you scratch laminate you can't fix it.  Paint can be touched up or repainted.  There are methods to produce a very high quality painted finish (See Ond's project).  It is a lot of work though.  A painted finish on a properly prepared surface using a foam roller will give a very nice finish as well.

[Malenko]

yes, that is my quandary,  I want it to look good but I don't want to break the bank.  I hear you can paint it and make it look like glass,, not sure how that goes..

tons of sanding between coats

[Mental]

+1 for laminate. Unless you already know you can do a really sexy paint job, don't paint. Laminate is also much more durable.

[rmusick]

There are methods to produce a very high quality painted finish (See Ond's project).

Thanks, I found his step by step method.  Says use bondo, is there a spray kind of bondo out there? or are we talking about the kind where you mix and you got like 2 minutes to apply it before it is no longer pliable?

[yotsuya]

You planning on chopping vegetables on the side of your cabinet?  Laminate belongs in the kitchen.

 

[walker_tr9]

If you want something good for chopping vegetables, why not go for GRANITE!  Yeah, turn those granite countertops into arcade madness!

[Woodshop Flunky]

I've painted plenty of furniture, and I have a decent paint setup.  But for me, I'll laminate every time.

Laminate is simple, quick, and looks great (subjective I know ).  There were are more choices for laminate than I thought when I went looking... nice colors, and textures.

That said... if I were going to try and recreate a specific cab from history... I'd do whatever they did originally.

Also, laminate isn't cheap.  It took 1 1/2 sheets (4'x8') to cover my small cab.

[wp34]

Laminate is simple, quick, and looks great (subjective I know ).  There were are more choices for laminate than I thought when I went looking... nice colors, and textures.

+1

My only caveat would be it is easier to repair a bad spot with paint.

[DaveMMR]

I love the look of laminate on the cabinets I've seen...

...but I also think it's a bit of overkill that adds to the cost of the construction that can be better spent elsewhere.  (YMMV depending on your budget and how much laminate would cost you.)

Painting is not that hard if you follow the tips on the board, take your time and do it right.

[eds1275]

I am planning on building a small project this summer using pre-laminated particle board after making mdf templates. It's super cheap at my home depot [$22 for a 5/8x4x8 I think] so if it ends up being a waste of money at least it's not a huge waste. I will post my findings of course. I'll try a few joinery methods, dowels and biscuits. I understand the laminated particle board is not the same stuff as real countertop laminate but it looks pretty good and the price is right!

[quintinbiker]

I'm playing on and off with a bartop that I'm building now, i actually had old white laminated board lying around, and playd with it, cab came out pritty good, and guess what, i didn't keep it white in the end i gave it a matt black finish, and it looks quit neet.

[nickbuol]

I've painted my first cab, helped someone put some thick vinyl on their cab (never have seen that before or since), and I laminated my 2nd, and current cab. 

The paint was the cheapest, but easiest to scratch and took FOREVER with the coat, dry, sand, tack, coat, dry, sand, tack...  Oh, don't forget the perfect surface you need to start with.

The vinyl went quick with two people (contact cement and then stick the vinyl on.  Stretched nicely around edges, etc.  It was a little more forgiving against bumps, but if you got a tear, you were screwed.  It wasn't terribly pricey, but I wouldn't do it.

The laminate was the most expensive, but not too terrible for something that would be the most durable.  I can't imagine what someone would have to do to it to chip it, cut it, ding it, or whatever.  I mean, it isn't going into a demolition derby or something.  Mine has ZERO imperfections or damage after 7 years of use so far and that includes a move to a different city, going into storage for a year where things were stacked in it, on it, and all around it.  It looks clean and crisp to this day, just like I finished building it yesterday.

I agree with the other post though that if I was looking to replicate a particular cabinet, I would use whatever they used to make sure that the "look" was correct.  If I ever build one again, I would laminate it for sure. It is easy and the most durable.  The only downfall is cost or the above mentioned "emulation of a cab style" thing.

PS.  I never chopped veggies on my cabinet, but knowing that I could vs. someone's painted cab is a bonus. LOL (just kidding of course)

[alfonzotan]

The laminate was the most expensive, but not too terrible for something that would be the most durable.  I can't imagine what someone would have to do to it to chip it, cut it, ding it, or whatever.  I mean, it isn't going into a demolition derby or something.  Mine has ZERO imperfections or damage after 7 years of use so far and that includes a move to a different city, going into storage for a year where things were stacked in it, on it, and all around it.  It looks clean and crisp to this day, just like I finished building it yesterday.

I agree with the other post though that if I was looking to replicate a particular cabinet, I would use whatever they used to make sure that the "look" was correct.  If I ever build one again, I would laminate it for sure. It is easy and the most durable.  The only downfall is cost or the above mentioned "emulation of a cab style" thing.

PS.  I never chopped veggies on my cabinet, but knowing that I could vs. someone's painted cab is a bonus. LOL (just kidding of course)

 

[shponglefan]

Having done both, to me it's six of one, half-dozen of the other.  To do painting properly means putting on multiple thin coats and sanding between them.  The end result can look really good, if the underlying surface is properly prepared and you're willing to be patient building up the paint layers.

OTOH, laminate is easier to apply in that you only need to apply it one and then route the rough edges to make it flush with the panel.  However, you have the repeat the process for each edge/surface you want to apply the laminate to.

End results can look different.  Laminate (at the least the kind I used) has a plastic looking finish to it.  OTOH, when I painted a controller, it ended up with nice semi-gloss sheen.  More reflective and smoother looking than the laminate.  But it really comes down to personal preference.

[nickbuol]

Cheap laminate can look like plastic.  I went with solid black but with a semigloss, dimpled finish.  It looks really sharp.