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Melamine
shmokes:
Okay...well this will come in handy for my control panels which I plan to laminate (and will be made from regular plywood), but what about the sides of my cabinet which will already have a melamine laminate on both sides? I plan to laminate the outside, is the existing laminate on the inside enough, or should it be balanced?
And how about Wilsonart's metalaminates? Would the ones based on metals be prone to the same shrinkage as the others that are based on, um, some kind of plastic/formica?
OSCAR:
In response to the original post...
http://www.uniboard.com/en/index.html
Check for a Uniboard distributor near you. They actually specialize in melamine, and see if a distributor can get you just a couple of sheets of what you are looking for. They have some fantastic woodgrains. Here's a pic of a handbuilt cocktail made from Uniboard woodgrain melamine.
http://www.oscarcontrols.com/tmp/cocktail-midway.jpg
CitznFish:
i wonder if melamine if preferable to laminating your own MDF? cost wise or looks wise...
_Iz-:
The melamine would not be enough to balance the laminate. They have totally different properties. You could minimize some of the problem by letting the materials acclimate to your enviroment before contruction. (basically have everything sit inside your house for a week or 2 before building). The problem would also be minimized on the sides because you are screwing them to a rigid framework before laminating.
However, the ideal solution is to laminate both sides on all pieces or don't use laminate...
shmokes:
Thanks for your help...it's been very informative. I think I will follow your advice and laminate every piece on both sides if they are not srewed into the 2x4 framework. I'd do those ones too, but it's so expensive. Also I wouldn't want to add so much thickness that there was overhang past the T-molding.
In response to CitznFish, from a cost (and time)standpoint Melamine is MUCH preferable to laminating yourself (assuming that you have no plans to put a second laminate over the top of the melamine prelaminate as I will be doing ;) ). From a looks standpoint it would depend, but most likely the separate laminate wins if for no other reason, variety. Head over to www.wilsonart.com to get an idea of the vast array of choices you have (basically infinite if you include custom laminates -- and I don't know why you wouldn't). Melamine isn't offered in nearly as many varieties and colors as stand-alone laminates.