Question about black contact paper

[Alienreb]

I have recently stumbled across a roll of black contact paper that is about 45 feet long and 25 inches wide.  My question is what is the best way to cover the sides of my cabinet without the little black line dividing the two pieces of contact paper when I put them together? THX  

[darkmanx]

its not possible with contact paper, unless you can find someone that has it wide enough. i had a perfectly cut piece and i lined it up until it was just right..and the seam still shows. i think i am going to use laminate for the sides.....i just think having a big seam is ugly. only problem is finding somewhere that sells it to non-business customers.  :-/

[planetjay]

I got my black laminate at Home Depot.

[darkmanx]

thanks for the tip. i usually only go to home depot when i have to because its really far. so i get stuck going to menards which SUCKS. did they have any variety of laminate there? and how much did you pay?

[Thenasty]

I looked at some laminate in Home depot and to my surprise, its expensive. I think the size was 4x8 and it was $45.00. I'll go with that contact paper but I've not seen it bigger than 15'x18" here in Home depot. It's be nice if they have it 4x8. That would be perfect for the sides on the cabinet. Mine shows that line...Anyway to get rid of it ? How about this idea...I have been thinking about Wall Papers. Sometimes they have a nice Wall paper for the kids room (Superman, Buzz Lighter, Bugs etc...). Anyone out here used a wall paper on the side of thier cabinet ?

[tubuku01]

ugh, after going with laminate on my cab, there is no way i would use contact paper(that's just me, though).

i, too bought mine at home depo for $45, and needed two sheets to cover all of my cab. if you ask me, it was well worth it. they also sell smaller pieces for about 12 bucks, i think.  either, way, if you want that durable, professional look, then laminate is the way to go.

[daywane]

I have seen a cab on the internet that had the moon's landscape wall paper on it. I thought it was sharp.

[darkmanx]

for people who laminate...do you usually just do the sides and then contact paper or paint the rest? thats what im thinking about doing. laminating the whole thing would cost a ton..

[lightspeed]

Haven't priced it, but regarding wallpaper, there are companies that will custom-design and digital print it.

For one:

http://www.unusuwalls.com/

[lusid]

Laminate really is the best looking finish.

But as far as the contact paper seams go, I really don't notice them.  And I did mine in horizontal strips, not vertical, so there are a few seems on each side.  each strip overlaps by about 1/4".  There is a slight grain to the contact paper, so as long as the grain is going the same way on each strip it blends together pretty well.

ymmv.

[Davestar]

I used laminate on the sides of my machine, and contact paper for the rest.  One thing I didn't know about laminate since I never worked with it before is that it isn't the easiest material to work with.  It is very brittle, and requires special sheers/router if you want the best results.     :-/
I think it is worth it though especially if you want a smooth finish, as my side boards had divots from the previous user.  I got mine at Home depot as well, and there was a decent selection.  Also, they are able to order special colors should you wish to get a red, blue, etc finish.

---Dave

[darkmanx]

AGH i am so pissed!!!! the roll of contact paper i have is 1/2" less wide than i need it to be without having a seam. i have the plain black kind and there is no grain to it or anything, the seem is SO visible. im thinking im gonna have to use laminate for the coin door as well as the side panels now. damn it!!

[Alienreb]

Just finished adding the black contact paper to my cabinet.  I must tell you that I was worried when I got it that it wouldn't look very professional because of the possibility of the little black line showing up.  I decided to line my cabinet vertically with the adhesive and here is how my cabinet looks.....
_____
|       |
|     _|   <---------Top if fully covered
|    \
|     \
|      \__!_     <--------Control panel is fully covered
|       |    |      
|       | <-------  Seam occurs where control panel starts
|       |    |  
| ___|__|


I made the seam very large in the picture above but it is very small on my cabinet.  I decided to go a different route by lining up the two pieces until a tiny line was visible, and then took a carpenter's black marker and drew a line straight down the middle seam to match the two pieces of contact paper.  The black line bridged the gap between the two pieces perfectly, and even a keen up from up close has trouble detecting it.  I thought about overlapping the two pieces, but I like to do things right, and the two overlapped pieces of contact paper just didn't look right.   Now, if I had a choice, I would have gone with the laminate finish, but I don't have the carpenter skills needed to do that job.  It would have taken me a year (hypothetically speaking) to do the job, not to mention that my wallet would have taken a hit.  I wanted to make my cabinet look professional, but not be a big chore to do that would take the fun out of it.   Since I've gone the contact paper route, I've discovered that this stuff is very durable as well.  I sprayed it down with some Windex and then added a harsh abrasive known as "Polymer's Jelly" to a piece to see how well it would hold up.  Everything held up in the end and the contact paper retained its glossy finish despite the vigorous rubbing with the caustic solution.  I was very surprised at the results.