Thread: Anyone know where I can source this melamine?

Try any of the local kitchen manufacturers

Originally Posted by rwbuild

Try any of the local kitchen manufacturers

And take a drawer with you to give them a hope of identifying it. I had to do this recently when installing a cupboard in what was previously a freezer space in a 3 year old kitchen. One of the guys I asked about it was able to identify it as an American import, so not one of the local Laminex/Formica products, which was the only thing that allowed me to track down a local supplier.

When cutting the material to size on your table saw if you don't have an appropriate fine tooth blade cut half way through the board on the first pass then flip it and complete the cut, you'll get a fine finish on both sides. A zero clearance insert is mandatory. Despite the fact that many people will tell you that you need an edge bander to edge these materials it is actually quite easy to do the old fashioned way, ie. contact cement, hammer and/or clamps, block plane and a fine toothed file.

I've experience with laminate.
2mm cut.
Flip
2mm cut
then cut thickness of material -2mm




Darn! Nevermind.

It's River RedGum from PolyTech.

They stopped making it 2 years ago but still list it as limited quantities available.

Bummer

I've still got the matching shelves so I can turn them into drawer fronts.
But the banding will be an issue.
I can leave the banding on the top and just leave or white band on the other three sides.
The shelves width won't cover the side walls. But in a pinch I think it will work.
No wait. The drawers fronts slip inside the frame.
Looks like its going to work out after all. Maybe.

You could get something contrasting and mix and match with the existing drawers. You see this type of thing in some kitchens these days. Just a thought.

Yeah its a closet drawer behind wardrobe doors.

The banding shouldn’t be a problem. Try consolidated veneers, they should have something very close in melamine edging.

If it is a Polytech product and they list it as discontinued but limited stocks available, any local cabinet maker, or someone like AllBoard in Bayswater should be able to access enough material for a small job, including the matching edging. However the local cabbies might not want to go to the hassle of chasing the stock etc just to supply raw stock for you to use, they would probably want to do the project and supply it finished.

Limited quantities available is basically a warning not to start a new kitchen or similar making extensive use of the product then get grumpy because someone miscut a sheet and there is no more available to replace it. There would have been at least one pack (20-40 sheets) available when the LQA flag was triggered, and accessing 2 or 3 sheets should be possible, if the job is worthwhile for someone. Same with the edging really, there would generally be some available, but you may have to compromise on thickness or pre glued or non glued.

All sorted.
Finished Saturday evening.

Asked original installers for a quote.
They didn't have any River Redgum melamine.
Nor did PolyTec. Stopped making it 2+ years ago.
Nor did they have matching pulls.

I asked the original installers to quote on just the 4 melamine drawers and installation.
They refused to retrofit their own install.
$300+ to build 4 melamine drawers.

My lady asked me to do it.
$52 for white melamine material for the drawers.
~$25 for the slides
~$14 for the pulls.
Used the existing shelves for the drawer faces.

Kept me busy for a while.

IMG_0329.jpg

Looks like it was always there, excellent!!!!!