Where, what and how to buy laminate for a router table top?

Mark Rios

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797
Location
Central CA
I went looking for "laminate" at my local HD and as I'm walking the aisles I realize that I really don't know what I"m looking for (...sig line). I couldn't find any material that would be like Formica and I didn't really think that the very thin and flimsy (less than 1/16") plastic sheets in the paneling section would work.

Any advice on what to buy and where to get it?


Thanks very much.
 
Mark, I have found the laminate back beyond the cabinet set ups or in that general area. Lowes and Menards (midwest) usually have a large supply of laminates to choose from. I would go with a white myself for a router table and I am sure that is what you are looking for. Just tell them you need the glue used to glue laminate for counter tops. You will need a flush trim bit for the router or laminate trimmer. Wilsonart is one of the bigger manufacturers of the stuff. http://www.wilsonart.com


corey
 
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I've been in 6 or 8 different Home Depots and the laminate is always on the back wall, somewhere between the "40-yard lines" if you get my drift. (But the samples are next to the cabinet displays, not near the laminate.)

The store layouts have some odd quirks but they seem to be the same odd quirks in every store. (E.g. wood glue is over by the paint...at the opposite end of the store from all the wood. Don't ask.)
 
Mark, check with some of the local cabinet shops in your area, as they usually have some larger cutoffs they will sell cheaper than in the stores, and what I've bought from a cabinet shop here is thicker than what our big box stores carry. Since you won't need a full sheet anyway, you might do like I did when I made one for my friend, I found two pieces of a different color, which didn't matter since the one on the bottom wouldn't be seen anyhow and total cost was $10. (Sure beat $86 for a full sheet of thinner stuff at the big box, and I didn't need nearly that much).;) There are several brands, but I still like the Formica brand the best. I don't know why, but the Wilsonart I have used seems to have more tendency to chip at the edges than the Formica I have used. Maybe I've been getting "seconds" and they just don't tell you.
 
mark, you`ve allready got good advice on finding laminate.......for another perspective why not just use plain ol` mdf? wax `er down and use it. you can screw or shoot jigs right to the top and when it gets chewed up just change it out for a coupla bucks.....or flip it over....tod
 
mark, you`ve allready got good advice on finding laminate.......for another perspective why not just use plain ol` mdf? wax `er down and use it. you can screw or shoot jigs right to the top and when it gets chewed up just change it out for a coupla bucks.....or flip it over....tod

Yes. One of my dual router tables for rail and stiles is just mdf
Has held up for 8-9 years now
 
Mark. If you were closer, you could come pick through my laminate scraps.
My pile is getting kinda big. Going to have to haul some of it to the dump out back.
 
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