I am building a router table top and had planned on using Formica for
surfacing the top and bottom. That is until I saw the $43 price tag on a
sheet of Formica! That's a lot to pay for a sheet of material I only need
about of a third of for my project. The only thing I found close at Lowes
was some wall board that appears to be hardboard with a white plastic
coating. 1/8" thick. Will I regret trying to substitue this for Formica? I
didn't see any other types of laminate. I plan to attach this stuff with
contact cement and flush trim the edges.

Thanks for any input.

-Walter

On Feb 12, 9:07 am, Walter wrote:
I am building a router table top and had planned on using Formica for
surfacing the top and bottom. That is until I saw the $43 price tag on a
sheet of Formica! That's a lot to pay for a sheet of material I only need
about of a third of for my project. The only thing I found close at Lowes
was some wall board that appears to be hardboard with a white plastic
coating. 1/8" thick. Will I regret trying to substitue this for Formica? I
didn't see any other types of laminate. I plan to attach this stuff with
contact cement and flush trim the edges.

Thanks for any input.

-Walter

I would be concerned about the exposed edges where you make the cutout
for the insert. Won't take long before it starts to get fuzzy and
swell up.

Walter wrote:
I am building a router table top and had planned on using Formica for
surfacing the top and bottom. That is until I saw the $43 price tag on a
sheet of Formica! That's a lot to pay for a sheet of material I only need
about of a third of for my project. The only thing I found close at Lowes
was some wall board that appears to be hardboard with a white plastic
coating. 1/8" thick. Will I regret trying to substitue this for Formica? I
didn't see any other types of laminate. I plan to attach this stuff with
contact cement and flush trim the edges.

Thanks for any input.

-Walter

I don't think that will hold up well long-term. Keep looking around....
some places sell partial sheets of formica. You might also check with a
countertop fabricator in your area. They should be able to sell you a
piece left over from a job.

On Feb 12, 9:31 am, "Charlie M. 1958"
wrote:
Walter wrote:
I am building a router table top and had planned on using Formica for
surfacing the top and bottom. That is until I saw the $43 price tag on a
sheet of Formica! That's a lot to pay for a sheet of material I only need
about of a third of for my project. The only thing I found close at Lowes
was some wall board that appears to be hardboard with a white plastic
coating. 1/8" thick. Will I regret trying to substitue this for Formica? I
didn't see any other types of laminate. I plan to attach this stuff with
contact cement and flush trim the edges.

Thanks for any input.

-Walter

I don't think that will hold up well long-term. Keep looking around....
some places sell partial sheets of formica. You might also check with a
countertop fabricator in your area. They should be able to sell you a
piece left over from a job.

I think Home Depot sells 1/2 or 1/4 sheets. I remember buying some
for a project and didn't have to buy a 4x8 sheet.

"Walter" wrote in message
.120...
I am building a router table top and had planned on using Formica for
surfacing the top and bottom. That is until I saw the $43 price tag on a
sheet of Formica! That's a lot to pay for a sheet of material I only need
about of a third of for my project. The only thing I found close at Lowes
was some wall board that appears to be hardboard with a white plastic
coating. 1/8" thick. Will I regret trying to substitue this for Formica? I
didn't see any other types of laminate. I plan to attach this stuff with
contact cement and flush trim the edges.

Thanks for any input.

-Walter

Check with a Formica/ plastic laminate supplier and ask if they have any
damaged pieces. I have paid as little as 35 cents per sq. foot for a full
sheet with a chipped corner.

"RayV" wrote in message
oups.com...


I think Home Depot sells 1/2 or 1/4 sheets. I remember buying some
for a project and didn't have to buy a 4x8 sheet.
.

Or check somewhere else. 4x8 is not "the" standard size for Formica. I
have bought it in 26" widths 10' long. It is available in a lot of standard
sizes.

Walter wrote:
I am building a router table top and had planned on using Formica for
surfacing the top and bottom. That is until I saw the $43 price tag on a
sheet of Formica!

Try going to a shop that makes counters. I went to one and they gave me
some old pieces with out-of-date patterns on them that nobody wanted.

Chris

On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 14:07:15 GMT, Walter
wrote:

I am building a router table top and had planned on using Formica for
surfacing the top and bottom. That is until I saw the $43 price tag on a
sheet of Formica! That's a lot to pay for a sheet of material I only need
about of a third of for my project. The only thing I found close at Lowes
was some wall board that appears to be hardboard with a white plastic
coating. 1/8" thick. Will I regret trying to substitue this for Formica? I
didn't see any other types of laminate. I plan to attach this stuff with
contact cement and flush trim the edges.

Home Despot uset to carry cut sheets of laminate for a reasonable
price, but they seem to have discontinued this for some reason, at
least locally. Might want to check.

Beyond that there are a couple of online options.

McMaster has a whole range of laminates intended for industrial use--I
doubt you'll save much over buying a sheet of Formica though. They've
got a sampler (5331K3) for $18.52.

Woodcraft carries 3/4 inch phenolic-faced plywood in 2'x4' sheets for
about 40 bucks. Rockler uses the same stuff for their $600 router
table tops. The stuff is known as "PSF" and is intended for use as
concrete forms--you can probably find it locally but getting it in
single-sheet quantities might be problematical.

RayV wrote:

I would be concerned about the exposed edges where you make the cutout
for the insert. Won't take long before it starts to get fuzzy and
swell up.

I made my router table top two years ago with laminated MDF and plywood.
While it is true that the MDF is a bit fuzzy, it hasn't swollen up yet.

I do live in a fairly dry area, so maybe if you're in somewhere a bit
more humid it could be a problem.

Chris

On Feb 12, 10:10 am, "Leon" wrote:
"Walter" wrote in message

.120...

I am building a router table top and had planned on using Formica for
surfacing the top and bottom. That is until I saw the $43 price tag on a
sheet of Formica! That's a lot to pay for a sheet of material I only need
about of a third of for my project. The only thing I found close at Lowes
was some wall board that appears to be hardboard with a white plastic
coating. 1/8" thick. Will I regret trying to substitue this for Formica? I
didn't see any other types of laminate. I plan to attach this stuff with
contact cement and flush trim the edges.

Thanks for any input.

-Walter

Check with a Formica/ plastic laminate supplier and ask if they have any
damaged pieces. I have paid as little as 35 cents per sq. foot for a full
sheet with a chipped corner.

That is a good suggestion. Make sure you ask for GP, not the post-form
grade.
A few years ago, I bought 100 sheets at $8.00ea. Many of the
discontinued colours were fugly. Many were nice enough to sell at a
healthy profit. All the fuglies were used as backer sheets. In
retrospect, that was a gloat.
Colours are discontinued all the time. Call your local distributor of
Arborite, Wilsonart, Formica, Nevamar.

What I did was go to a local cabinet shop and they gave me some scrap pieces
of formica. Had more then enough for the router table top.
Mike

"Walter" wrote in message
.120...
I am building a router table top and had planned on using Formica for
surfacing the top and bottom. That is until I saw the $43 price tag on a
sheet of Formica! That's a lot to pay for a sheet of material I only need
about of a third of for my project. The only thing I found close at Lowes
was some wall board that appears to be hardboard with a white plastic
coating. 1/8" thick. Will I regret trying to substitue this for Formica? I
didn't see any other types of laminate. I plan to attach this stuff with
contact cement and flush trim the edges.

Thanks for any input.

-Walter

On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 10:37:30 -0500, J. Clarke
wrote:

On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 14:07:15 GMT, Walter
wrote:

I am building a router table top and had planned on using Formica for
surfacing the top and bottom. That is until I saw the $43 price tag on a
sheet of Formica! That's a lot to pay for a sheet of material I only need
about of a third of for my project. The only thing I found close at Lowes
was some wall board that appears to be hardboard with a white plastic
coating. 1/8" thick. Will I regret trying to substitue this for Formica? I
didn't see any other types of laminate. I plan to attach this stuff with
contact cement and flush trim the edges.

Home Despot uset to carry cut sheets of laminate for a reasonable
price, but they seem to have discontinued this for some reason, at
least locally. Might want to check.

Beyond that there are a couple of online options.

McMaster has a whole range of laminates intended for industrial use--I
doubt you'll save much over buying a sheet of Formica though. They've
got a sampler (5331K3) for $18.52.

I just got in my mcmaster order a few minutes ago. I got some of the
Garolite XX, in 24"x36"x1/32" sheets for about 10 bucks a sheet. It's
pretty shiny on both sides so I'm not sure how gluing is going to go,
I plan to rough it up first. It's a medium reddish brown color.

Depending on the size of your top, probably not worth it unless you
are ordering other stuff from them. They have a really good price on
link belts and I picked up some 8 oz press fit cans for transfering
finishes to, among other stuff.


-Leuf

"Walter" wrote in message
.120...
I am building a router table top and had planned on using Formica for
surfacing the top and bottom. That is until I saw the $43 price tag on a
sheet of Formica! That's a lot to pay for a sheet of material I only need
about of a third of for my project. The only thing I found close at Lowes
was some wall board that appears to be hardboard with a white plastic
coating. 1/8" thick. Will I regret trying to substitue this for Formica? I
didn't see any other types of laminate. I plan to attach this stuff with
contact cement and flush trim the edges.

Thanks for any input.

-Walter


Call a couple counter top installers and see if you can get a hold of a
couple kitchen sink cut outs. That is what my router table top is made out
of. The best part, cost to me, nothing!
Greg

Find a Habitat for Humanity store and get a used piece of counter top
for a couple of bucks
Lou

"Greg O" wrote in
:


"Walter" wrote in message
.120...
I am building a router table top and had planned on using Formica for
surfacing the top and bottom. That is until I saw the $43 price tag
on a sheet of Formica! That's a lot to pay for a sheet of material I
only need about of a third of for my project. The only thing I found
close at Lowes was some wall board that appears to be hardboard with
a white plastic coating. 1/8" thick. Will I regret trying to
substitue this for Formica? I didn't see any other types of laminate.
I plan to attach this stuff with contact cement and flush trim the
edges.

Thanks for any input.

-Walter


Call a couple counter top installers and see if you can get a hold of
a couple kitchen sink cut outs. That is what my router table top is
made out of. The best part, cost to me, nothing!
Greg


Thanks all you guys for the suggestions! What a helpful group!

I think I will try to find some scraps somewhere, even if they are fugly.
If that doesn't work out,I will try some of the online suggestions.

Thanks again!

-Walter (wood butcher in training)

IF the table you are building is of the right size, you might consider
building it out of pieces of an old countertop that is being ditched in
a remodel job. I've reused some of these that were still in great
shape.

Ron T

On Feb 12, 9:07 am, Walter wrote:
I am building a router table top and had planned on using Formica for
surfacing the top and bottom. That is until I saw the $43 price tag on a
sheet of Formica! That's a lot to pay for a sheet of material I only need
about of a third of for my project. The only thing I found close at Lowes
was some wall board that appears to be hardboard with a white plastic
coating. 1/8" thick. Will I regret trying to substitue this for Formica? I
didn't see any other types of laminate. I plan to attach this stuff with
contact cement and flush trim the edges.

Thanks for any input.

-Walter

I used 3/4 mdf for my top without anything else. Work's fine. I did
put a little wax on it.