retro “skin” finished side on cabinets
Fonzie
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
The sales lady forgot to include finished sides on 3 cabinets that should have been.
The cabinet company has sent the “skins”, which looks like 3/32 plywood, finished one side of course.
We are planning to use contact cement (the good stuff) unless somebody has a reason this might not work. I am a little concerned about getting it positioned exactly right. It’s kindof like a bloodletting – a beautiful thing if it goes right (I read that in a museum), but a disaster if it goes bad.
Replies
contact cement will work.
For best results in alignment...
Apply the cement as ussual then put small dowls or the plastic pieces from a vertical blind between the cupboard and the laminate. Align the two and pull the middle one out first. then work your way out to the edges.
"Sir, if you were my husband I would poison your tea"
"Madam, if I were your husband I would drink it." Sir Winston Churchhill
skinning cab's ... happens a million time a day all around the world.
contact cement is the old stand by.
I like to stick it then shoot it with either 18g staples into the dark grain ...
or best is to shoot it where the under cab light rail and upper cab crown will cover ...
or ... in a pinch ... 23g pin it.
I've had more than one skin lift ever so slightly over the years .... hence the additional "tacking" ...
used to work/sub for one guy that skinned every side where crown wrapped. Liked the nice smooth look ... always hated covering that real wood with a real finish with pretty much a picture of wood with a thin finish ... but ... I learned to skin with the best of them!
as with any chemicals and solvents ... the "safer" ... the less they actually work!
It it won't kill me as I work ... it probably ain't gonna stick for very long.
How big are cab sides? Just cut it to fit .. test fit ... then stick it on. No big deal.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry in Carpentry
Pgh, PA
Yep... contact cement
Don't let it intimidate ya... it's not that big a deal.
Just cut it exactly the size you want less 1/32 on the long side (to allow for rotation of piece into place). Align with the face and the edge that is most important (typically the bottom... angle in at about 25 degrees. Slide in place. Rotate down with pressure toward the face... press in place! A laminate roller will help a bunch to roll it all out even.
Sounds more complex than it really is. If ya want to practice... just mock up a piece of anything and laminate a piece of nothing to it.
Edited 3/18/2005 12:42 am ET by Rich from Columbus
contact cement is ok.
but if you can find a roll of VHB (very high bond) Double stick foam tape 1/32" thick, you good to go. EZ.
Ditto with the double stick tape.
Do you know that they make truck bodies with double stick tape?
In Chicago itl airport the 500 LBS mirror ceiling tiles ..nothing but VHB 3M foam tape.
Would the proponents of "double stick tape" expand on the idea of how you would use that to put retro skin on a cabinet side. Would you "double glue" - ie, just use the tape in a few spots to hold until the rest dried? Or are you talking about covering the whole back of the skin with the tape? I'm not familiar with the product.
Would you "double glue" - ie, just use the tape in a few spots to hold until the rest dried? Or are you talking about covering the whole back of the skin with the tape? I'm not familiar with the product.
The best way is to cover the perimeter of the panel.
But if you don't have enough you can use it in few spots and you don't need another glue. This thing is very strong.
Another way is to use hot melt glue in few spots and reg construction adhesive.
Let me know how many panels you got and I can send you the right stuff. I use this stuff every day and we get them in boxes.
I dittoed YCFriend having seen regular old carpet tape rip out wood fibers between two pieces of wood when used on temporary jigs.Didn't work holding shaped sanding blocks on the pad sander though.Too much shearing.
So I tried it on a similar situation to yours,in my house.Figured I'd "do it right" when it fell apart.Still waiting,coupla years now.
If you compared the glued area versus the taped area on a sample joint,i.e. they were the same amount,I wouldn't be surprised if they took the same load.
Lots easier putting on some tape,you could be reading the paper and not sniffing fumes.
Not saying use it for HPL installs.
I too have skinned a lot of cabinets with plywood ends. I have never used contact cement,too smelly and hard to work with. PL, Liquid Nails, any panel adhesive, works fine. Butter the back pretty good, brad pin it and fuggedaboudit.
John Svenson, builder, remodeler, NE Ohio
Some of the spray adhesives are good to use. Sometimes, depending on the brand, you can spray the backside of the skin outside and stick it on. Reduces mess/cleanup.
No product names come to mind, but most stores will have a wide selection. Might even be some waterbased that are real easy to work with.Quality, Craftsmanship, Detail
Thanks hook for mentioning the spray contact adhesive. Hybond makes one that has stood some test of time. Easy directional fan spray and when using the cardbd cab pkgs for the pc and a bit of mask up the face frame w/sheild, easy application. Thus far, found it to replicate the roll/brush on outta the can. Solvent based.Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
Just curious to know if this sales lady was from a "Big Box Company". Anticipating ordering from the Lowe's store & this is just one of my fears. Another fear is does the countertop moulding (Corian) include the backsplash all in one piece? I understand what is written on the order is what I will get. Any misunderstanding up front is negigible; order shipped based upon the written sales order. Wondering how can I be sure?
No, she wasn't big box. Two of the sides that weren't finished I could understand (they were hidden by the gas range, but customer thought they would be more vulnerable unfinished). The other unfinished side (side of cab at "step up" for fridge) was just a mistake. We had the counter top made up at a local shop.
while big boxes are less reliable ...
I believe it's physically impossible to get a good sized kitchen designed, ordered and delivered with out at least one "miscommunication" along the way.
when everything does show up in one piece, as ordered, and on time ....
That's when I start to worry.
just ain't natural ...
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry in Carpentry
Pgh, PA
Amen to that.
6 16 17 97 99
I don't like contact cement, you can't re-position if you need to. It's too messy and time consuming. I use construction adhesive. You can use a couple spring clamps on the top and bottom of most cabinets to hold the piece while the glue sets.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match