Con-Tact Paper durability

[SNAAAKE]

again keith,

very very bad idea(contact paper)trust me...

if you hate lexan or plexi so much..you can go laminate.

laminate is pretty cool and super easy to cut and install.

look for counter top onces..they look very cool.

[SirPoonga]

I'm wrapping my control panel in Con-Tact paper and don't forsee a plexi/lexan top.

What's the feeling on the long term durability of the paper for those who have done it and left the covering exposed?  Does the sun fade it, does it handle oil from your hands/ sweat etc?  Thanks -

There is a nice benefit with plexi.  You can put graphics under it and change them if you need to.  I plan on putting graphics under my shelf and cp.

[kgriffin]

Hey Keith...is your CP metal? I think the reason mine is sticking so well is because my cp is metal. I applied the paper in my garage after leaving the contact paper there for a couple of days. It was about 100 degrees when I finally covered mine and the adhesive on the paper was VERY gooey. My first try didn't go so well and it took forever to pull off.

If you CP is wood, you will have a hard time getting it to adhere good because it is pourous. You might try sealing the wood first.

[Keith O]

Yeah, my CP is metal. It's 16 guage steel that is carriage bolted to the wood. If I go with lexan on top of the metal, my leaf switch buttons will have a hard time making contact so I'm trying to stay thin. My situation is that I do have a custom printed CP and would like to cover it with something clear that will protect it. I've done many experiments and I'm getting closer to finding an ideal solution. The last one I have yet to try is going to a sign shop and seeing if they have adhesive laminate that has a permanent bond (this was recomended from a fellow byoac member). This is probably the best solution. The next best thing would be to use cheapo clear contact paper and use a coat of spray glue to make it stick better. If I use a light enough coat, you won't be able to see the glue through the clear contact paper.

I'm not really anti plexi/lexan - it's just a personal preference and also a necessity in this case.