Being willing to take on most anything, I laminated my own countertop. I was able to make my own counter without any seams, and with a nice hardwood edge.
I was pretty pleased, until a good portion of the counter surface started to de-laminate. Probably 25% is no longer bonded. My wife is unimpressed with the way that wine glasses topple over if placed on a bubble.
I’m interested in finding out what I did wrong. I did:
– spread a layer of contact cement, let it dry, and then added a second layer
– use particleboard from a countertop shop, to get the right substrate
– use a series of dowels to suspend the laminate, removing one at a time and smoothing from the middle to the outside edge.
I did not:
– take too much care to clean dust off the substrate
– apply that much pressure to the laminate. The last time I laminated something, I walked on it, and it seemed to work. This time, I used a kitchen rolling pin, so I was probably exerting less pressure.
So, I think I’ll have a try at uninstalling the counter, releasing the laminate with an iron, and re-laminating it with a fresh piece of Formica. Any thoughts on how to do it properly this time?
Replies
Did you put the cement on both surfaces?
No. That could help explain it.
Edited 8/18/2007 9:30 am ET by Biff_Loman
Should be easy to get off, then<G> Someone's got it in for me, they're planting stories in the press
Whoever it is I wish they'd cut it out but when they will I can only guess.
They say I shot a man named Gray and took his wife to Italy,
She inherited a million bucks and when she died it came to me.
I can't help it if I'm lucky.
Should I be worried about the old contact cement on the particleboard, or should the new contact cement stick to it OK?
No. That could help explain it.
Probably consensus that that expains it 100%
Surprised anything stuck at all, the cc probably was not fully dry or nothing would have stuck at all, at least you didnt have any problem positioning the lamintate <ugh> . .
You cant tell how much of a mess you are in until you pull the laminate off and start over.
"Should I be worried about the old contact cement on the particleboard, or should the new contact cement stick to it OK?"
Coat the laminate. Coat the particle board again. Let dry and join. (rolling pin is ok to use) buic
I disagree, a rolling pin is too wide to get enough ummmph, that is why J rollers are made only 4" wide or so.
You need to get the surface smooth. May require some scraping or possibly scrubbing with solvent in spots to remove high spots where the glue has globbed up.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
Right, spray the old glue with solvent then recoat just fer certain.
Sphere is right- the roller was too big. It's "low pressure laminate" but only when compared to the 10,000 psi used for "high pressure laminate". Both sides need cement, which can be applied with a thin foam roller, and it needs to be as smooth as possible to prevent lumps from telegraphing through. The smaller roller gives more psi with any amount of force and that pressure provides the 'contact' for contact cement and makes the two sides grab each other. The surfaces need to be spotless, with no dust or chunks of anything that will leave a bump when it's rolled out. A small speck of particle board will be very obvious, once it's done.
The laminate manufacturer has installation instructions on their website and the instructions on the contact cement can should be followed to the letter.
Since the piece has been trimmed and the edge is in place, it may be hard to line it up perfectly this time. Removing the edge and cutting the particle board back 1/4" will give you some wiggle room and a fresh trimmed edge on the laminate but you'll need to either scarf in some hardwood edge or knock the corners off to compensate for the loss of length.
If you end up with small lumps near the front or side edges, where you can get to them, creating a hook on the end of a hacksaw blade and grinding the teeth off makes it possible to heat the area with an iron and slide the blade in, so the chunk can be removed.
Also, once the laminate is removed, let it dry completely and you should be able to use your orbital sander to remove most of the glue. Just don't camp out on one place for too long and create a low spot.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Edited 8/18/2007 11:29 am by highfigh
This is my way.
Lots of air flow, cause of the stink and fumes.
Make sure both surfaces are clean. Lumps under look like crap.
If using out of a can, Pour in to a paint tray and use a 9" roller (low nap) to roll onto BOTH surfaces an even thin coat of glue. I often use the substright to support the laminate when applying the glue.
Give it five mins and test the glue "dryness" I like it a little tackie but set. While waiting return the glue to the can and close the lid.
Spread around the "sticks" flip over the laminate and place in position.
Working from the middle remove the sticks and touch the glued surfaces together (no going back now) use a 4" hard roller to press the glued surfaces together.
Trim the edges with a router bit with guide bearing.
Without applying glue to both surfaces it will not stick.
I leave a 3" brush inside the contact cement can for convienience, and brush both surfaces, usually 2 coats on any pourous substrate.
Have never had a problem with lumps, as instead of a roller I use a 6" long chunk of 2x4 and a 4# hand sledge to assure contact and flatness....wham/slide/wham/slide across the entire surface...... did I say I missed the block with the hammer once - dont do that!
Edited 8/18/2007 11:49 am ET by junkhound
Being as were sharing tips..(G)
I either use a CC roller ( yup, they make one JUST for that, who'd a thunk it?) or in a pinch I just dump a puddle and schmear it round with a scrap of the P-lam. It ain't art work after all.
I do two coats on the subsrtate, one on the lam. If it is self edge, I do that first, then the top. J roller, cuz I have one.
Wood edge I do the top then biscut the edge on, unless it is one wher the lam is overthe wood and then rout a bevel reveal, but only if it is color core, I hate the phenolic line showing on a bevel, it gets too wide for my likes.
Hey, didn't we go to different schools together?
Sounds like my method. I like the CC roler covers, no fuzzies from nap being pulled off a paint roller.
Small window squeegy works for spreading cc also. Easy to clean up and re-use on the next job.
Dave