Laminate Questions

[Demon-Seed]

Hey Guys
I have been reading and searching the forums in regards to laminate and now I am confused. Can someone explain? What type of laminate is used? what size? what is the best way to attach?  Do you attach it to wood first then cut?  Do you fold it over the pieces and into the inside or is it exactly the same size as the panels ?

In the past I used a product that came rolled and was stick on.. I think Vinyl? it worked pretty well... any suggestions? Can someone point me in the right direction on where to buy this stuff?

thanks
Jim

[wp34]

I'm not sure what you mean by type but I used a laminate that was rated for vertical use.  My understanding is that the horizontal laminate is thicker and rated for counter-tops.   I used a roll-on adhesive initially but then my brother in-law turned me on to this gluing trick which is much easier.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,116519.msg1253352.html#msg1253352

I applied the laminate to the wood both before and after my cuts depending upon what I was making at the time.  It is easier/safer to apply the laminate after though.  I cut out the back door of my cabinet after the laminate was applied and I really wish I would have done it first.

[Demon-Seed]

Where do u buy this product?

[Demon-Seed]

The laminate.... What size is it? Price ?

[shponglefan]

I've always used Formica, which is counter-top laminate.  I tend to buy it in either 8x4 or 12x5 sized sheets from Home Depot.

My process for applying it is as follows:

1) Cut a rough size panel using heavy-duty shears.  I usually try to leave at least a 1-2 inch overlap since it has the tendancy to chip.
2) Glue to the surface using contact cement.
3) Trim the edge flush with the laminate trimmer/mini router and a flush-trim bit.

The only tricky part is deciding in which order to apply the laminate to the surfaces of whatever you are attaching it to.  For example if I was applying it a standard CP box, I would typically do the bottom first, then the front and back, then the sides.

Btw, here is a photo of the laminating process.  In this pic, I've glued and trimmed a piece already to the base of the CP.  And you can see the rough cut pieces being glued to the front and back.

[wp34]

Where do u buy this product?

I bought mine off eBay.  The seller had stopped providing this for a while but it looks like he is back now.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/savinmoneytwo/m.html?item=321085243659&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562

I bought 5 sheets which was a lot cheaper due to the shipping.