Pro and Cons of using laminate

[vader]

The next panel I build is going to find it's way onto my cabinate so I want ti to look as professional as possible and now gauwdy ( is that a word ? )  I've decided to use laminate and was wondering what are the pros and cons and what I should look out for...the biggest thing I saw was fingerprints on dark colors from what others have said and I wanted black or a very dark blue .  I ordered the flush trim bit earlier.  Any words of wisdom ?

Thanks

Tim

PS. The rest of the cabinet will be laminate also

[neuromancer]

Work with the contact cement in a well ventilated area.

Use wooden dowel rods to keep the laminate from sticking before you want it to. That is, lay the rods on the plywood with the contact cement. Place the laminated (also with contact cement) on top of the rods. Position the laminate, and then remove the rods.

You need a J-roller to make the two parts stick together.

Bob

[DrewKaree]

The next panel I build is going to find it's way onto my cabinate so I want ti to look as professional as possible and now gauwdy ( is that a word ? )  I've decided to use laminate and was wondering what are the pros and cons and what I should look out for...the biggest thing I saw was fingerprints on dark colors from what others have said and I wanted black or a very dark blue .  I ordered the flush trim bit earlier.  Any words of wisdom ?

Thanks

Tim

PS. The rest of the cabinet will be laminate also

Drill the holes after attaching the laminate. 

If you're worried about fingerprints showing on your cabinet, then seriously think about why you're building a cabinet in the first place.  If you can't stand fingerprints, perhaps laminate isn't the problem 

If you're gonna use T-molding great, but if you don't like the look, a 45^o router bit will work just as well, and you may end up liking that look even better!

[stevejt]

If you have never used laminate here are some things that might help:

Definately yes on the well ventilated area.  The fumes are HIGHLY flamible and can cause a flash fire.  They can also make you very sick, from headaches to vomiting.  If you are lucky, it would only make you high, but every one is different.

Do a small practice piece.  Make sure the bit height is set right, (very important).  Personally I like a 22 degree bit better than a 45, but thats just personal preference.  The 90 degree bit leaves a sharp edge that needs to be finished with a file,(unless you like a sharp edge,lol).

Go SLOW with the router.    It is important to keep it FLAT. If you angle it accidentally you can "burn" the corner.  It will dig into the corner down to the wood, ruining both peices of laminate if it goes deep enough.

It might be better for you to set it a TINY bit too high.  Obviously too low can ruin the edge.  If you set it a tiny bit too high, you can finish with a file gently.

Any corners where the router bit leaves a "round", can be finished off with a file, GENTLY.  The file can remove too much laminate just like the bit.

Good Luck

Steve

[vader]

Thanks for the tips guys.  The bit I purchased is just a flush trim and I don't see anyway to set a angle on it so it looks like I will have to file down the edges.  I'll head over to MLCS to  see if they have what I need or if you could provide a link that would be useful.

Thanks

tim

[NIVO]

Bosch makes a 7 degree bit perfect for that edge of laminate, blends the edge well into the t-mold. I bought one from lowe's, cant recall how much it was by i seem to recall it was under $10

[thrash242]

It's spelled gaudy, and yes, it's a word.  But not gauwdy.

[DrewKaree]

Another thing I thought of while reading steve's post - I'll see if I have a speed chart I can post as well

Going slow may work, but if you experience burning on the edge (you'll understand what I mean if it happens) you'll need to move the router faster than that.

Remove any pitch/tar/gunk from your bit after use.  Not doing so will greatly aid you in the possible screwing up of your next project

DO NOT try to hog out all the material in one pass if the amount of material needed to be removed is more than ¹/₁₆".  Make a few SHALLOW cuts to get to your finished depth.  Not doing so will ALSO add to the possibility that you'll burn your routed edges.

If at all possible, try to use a router table.

If at all possible, try to use a carbide bit.  If you MUST use HSS bits on MDF, buy two.  The ragged edge soon to appear will tell you when it's time to change to the newer bit 

Oh, and on the degree bits, you should be able to easily find those at Home Depot.  They usually have 45^o, 30^o, and 20ish^o bits. 

[stevejt]

One more thing about the file.  In any corners, you will have to go the "long way" moving the file to remove any rounds.  That is obvious.  BUT if you are using a file on a long edge, like to remove a sharp edge, or some bumps,(due to  glue on the bit), you can burn the edge if you do it incorrectly.  Hold the file at a 45 degree angle, (or close, just as long as its closer to 45, than to 90).  Files have the grooves at angles, these angles should be touching the wood at an angle, NOT matching the direction.  Slide the file with the length of the board, NOT across it.  You might want to try this on the practice piece first. 

It is all REALLY simple, (especially if you have a little common sense, or any carpentry experience,)  it just sounds complicated when trying to be described with out any pictures.

Let us know how it works out.

Steve

[Wade]

Depending on how you build your panels, you can just use your flat/90 degree flush trim bit, and then add t-molding to cover the edge.  This is how I have always used laminate, it has never occurred to me to use an angle bit on an arcade game.  A kitchen counter, maybe.

I'd also not recommend using the water-based contact cement.  I've had better luck with the oil based stuff.  I'd also recommend following the instructions on the can, which suggests more than one coat of the glue, and letting it dry fully before attaching the pieces.

I have had a couple of problems with laminate sticking properly.  Usually this is because I didn't let the glue dry enough, or the surface I was gluing to wasn't scuffed up enough.  If you are gluing to plywood or MDF, you probably won't have that problem as the glue will soak into the wood a bit.

Hope this helps,
Wade

[vader]

Thanks for all the input guys, this is going to be really helpfull....I am using MDF and tmolding but if I'm correct...I will be using 3/4" MDF and I'm guessing laminate is about 1/16", so the molding laminate will show a slight bet, so I will use the angle bit like you guys suggested.  I'll post some pics as soon as I get the joysticks in......can't really lay any laminate down til I get those...

Tim