Paint Vs. Laminate

[the3eyedblindman]

I was either going to paint my cabinet glossy black like 5 times, or use glossy black  laminate, what would look better?

[REBIRTH]

I would guess laminate would look better if you did it right.  I painted mine and it came out very good.  I put on one coat of a great primer and 2 coats of paint.  Laminate people could answer this I am sure, in fact there is probably the answer already on these boards if you searched - but I question the thickness of the wood & laminate, if the t-molding would cover both.  My t-molding covers the wood exactly, if there was a sheet of lamiate over the wood that wouldn't be covered by the t-molding I think.

[zaphod]

Done properly, a painted cabinet can look fantastic.  A large number of the examples on this site were painted.  Conversely, laminate, done properly, can look very impressive, too.  It is extremely consistent and durable, but can be tough to touch up if someone accidentally gouges it (I know, don't play with sharp objects near the cab).

Really it is personal preference.  You will have die hards from both camps explaining the virtues of their approach over the other but my opinion is either method can yield very nice results.

Decide which you prefer, then read up on this board as how to successfully accomplish your finish.

[Rawker]

use melamine paint and you'll have the best of both worlds.

[the3eyedblindman]

I really like how these two cabinets look....

1. http://www.ultramame.com/

2. http://netbox.home.mindspring.com/arcade/

I dont wanna spend all the money on the oak ply wood tho, could i get laminate that looks like that, and would the t molding cover both the wood and laminate?

[zaphod]

Laminate over MDF or particle board combined actually costs more than cabinet grade oak plywood in my area.  The 'wood grained' laminate on surfaces that large might also look a little fake, in my opinion.

However, to answer your question, yes, the T-molding will work nicely with the ply and laminate combination.  95+% of the laminated cab examples on this site use that method.

[Sprucemoose]

Laminate will look better or I should say more professional.  I think it comes down to money.  If you have the cash to spend then do laminate, if not paint looks very very good and is a fraction of the cost.

 

[mp2526]

Laminate will look better or I should say more professional.  I think it comes down to money.  If you have the cash to spend then do laminate, if not paint looks very very good and is a fraction of the cost.

 

Well, I don't know if it's more professional, many a cab were painted (ie. Williams games).  Laminate has it's pros and cons as well as paint.  Laminate can be prone to coming off over time especially if you don't do a well enough job glueing it originally.  The corners tend to break off when coming un-glued and getting snagged on stuff when moving around, which makes it difficult to fix and still look original.  Painting can be more difficult to do and get a professional look, but it is easier to touch up as it gets older and as stated it is cheaper.

[Stingray]

Laminate will look better or I should say more professional.  

I strongly disagree. While I do agree that laminate looks very professional, painting can too if done in a professional manner. I painted mine using a compressor and a professional paint gun. It looks fantastic to me and I get a lot of compliments on the finish.

-S

[vputz]

Paint can look great, although by its nature it's more finicky about underlayment (for example, good MDF can get a nice clean finish, but if you had to paint particleboard, I imagine surface prep would get a lot more tiresome).

I went with laminate (sorta) on my CP just because I had some old Pergo flooring laying around, but the big sheets of formica-style laminate I could find around here were more expensive than I wanted to pay.  Of course, I then got the disadvantage of working with 1/4" laminate which turned out to be just a wee bit more than 1/4", so my T-molding isn't quiiiite going to cover the 1/2" particleboard+1/4" laminate.  Can't have everything.

The way I see the choice, laminate is less finicky, more expensive, arguably more durable, and harder to repair.  Paint is more finicky (for a really good finish), less expensive, less durable, but easier to repair.

I'd go with laminate if I did it again, but then I just have horrible memories of endless sanding and repainting when trying to get my Corvair looking decent...

-->Stitch

[hulkster]

well my one opinion on this is that although laminate looks good...everybody knows how to paint something, and if they dont, they know somebody that does.  not everybody knows how to apply laminate.  

[SNAAAKE]

not everybody knows how to apply laminate.  

WHy not  
All you do is apply contact cement on both wood and laminte.Wait like 30 minutes,glue em together and trim using router+laminate trimming bit.

There done,its been almost over a year with my cab.Everything still looks great.Nothing chipped or peeled or anything.

So...laminate > paint
(my opinion of course)  

[pocketbikez]

when i build a cabinet i like to use wood putty to fill in all the seams and edges. this hides any imperfections and tiny gaps that might show and it gives a good base for the paint. after painting you cant see a single seam and every corner melts into one another.

paint should be easier to use on a cabinet with lots of complex corners and edges. laminate is probably hard to make seamless except on the sides. i also dont remember seeing any laminated arcade cabinets back in the early eighties.

[hunky_artist]

I don't suppose anyone reading this in the UK knows where you can buy sheets of laminate do they? can't seem to find any