Thread: WORKING with LAMINEX

Any help quickly will enable life to get bsck to normal as can be.

mate, you might do better in the renovation forum?

Laminex sheets just get butted together. Use a bearing guided bit and a good straight edge to trim the butting edges nice and straight and you're done.

Dried glue (I'm assuming contact cement) - if there is some on the chipboard - can be removed with acetone, a scraper and your choice of curse words.

To help align the sheets, apply contact cement as per the directions, and when it has stopped being tacky, you can use some thin sticks (or oxy welding rod if you have some handy) as spacers to keep the bench and laminate from touching till you are ready to bring them together.

Slowly push the butting edge down while checking alignment, when happy with alignment, start taking out the spacers* and pushing the laminex onto the bench surface.

*this process works best if you use your left and right hands to align and hold the sheet, while your third hand removes the first spacer or two.....

It can be tricky to get a seamless join. I laminate tops and cupboards for a living and even I dont always get it right. U really just need a straight edge on both pieces. Lay one piece, then try and line up the edge of the other piece. Ite hard to explain really lol. Good luck!

Originally Posted by Master Splinter

Laminex sheets just get butted together. Use a bearing guided bit and a good straight edge to trim the butting edges nice and straight and you're done.

Dried glue (I'm assuming contact cement) - if there is some on the chipboard - can be removed with acetone, a scraper and your choice of curse words.

To help align the sheets, apply contact cement as per the directions, and when it has stopped being tacky, you can use some thin sticks (or oxy welding rod if you have some handy) as spacers to keep the bench and laminate from touching till you are ready to bring them together.

Slowly push the butting edge down while checking alignment, when happy with alignment, start taking out the spacers* and pushing the laminex onto the bench surface.

*this process works best if you use your left and right hands to align and hold the sheet, while your third hand removes the first spacer or two.....

Good instructions! I can do the job with my eyes closed but for the life of me cant describe how to do it lol

U also might try dropping into a kitchen factory and ask for an off cut big enough for the job. We have walk ins some times and usually manage something for a couple of bucks or the other currency, a 6 pack

Many thanks for the clues everyone, the one problem is how do I trim the sheet that is glued down? the roller guide has nowhere to go as the sheet is glued down to the bench top! but I get the message.
Don ....

A PS to the last.
There are no kitchen makers within 100 + Km from here!
Don .....

Straight edge and a scoring knife should enable you to cut through the sheet; I used to have a nifty hook shaped blade that was only sharpened on one side which would have been the ideal tool for this!

See: Diplomat Blades Australia - Products - Blades - Knives - OLFA - Hand Tools - Safety Knives - HexArmor Safety Gloves

Olfa Laminate cutter.

Originally Posted by don282

My problem is how to join the extra laminex for the return with as invisible as possible join, the laminex has no pattern in it and is a light Grey in colour.
I have made the bench top (2.9M Long) and fitted the sink and the cupboards are ok. If it were steel I wouldn't have a problem Hi, but this wood working has to be my worst skill , but so far so good except for the Laminex. The return is 610mm wide (same a the main bench top) and 850mm long. How do I go about it? . I am a pensioner and have to do this all myself. My problem as I see it is the residual adhesive from the main benchtop and the new adhesive for the extra piece and making it square.
Can any one help with ideas. I hope I have posted this in the right forum, appologies if I have not.
Many thanks
don282

Hi Don
to get a near invisible join in laminex you need two mating edges which are straight and square
once your edges are ready, lay the laminex down on a flat surface (face up) and use masking tape to pull the joint tight.
Then lay the joined pieces as though they were a single piece.

others have covered how to keep the laminex sheet off the glue till it's aligned using batterns
and how to clean off the old glue

just a quick note which will help get a nicer join, once you have to nice straight edges to butt together turn them over and sand a light bevel of the edges to be joined.

I do this alot at work and its one of the best ways to get a clean joint

Originally Posted by don282

A PS to the last.
There are no kitchen makers within 100 + Km from here!
Don .....

Where are you located Don?

Originally Posted by don282

Many thanks for the clues everyone, the one problem is how do I trim the sheet that is glued down? the roller guide has nowhere to go as the sheet is glued down to the bench top! but I get the message.
Don ....

You said that one sheet is already glued down?
I would cut the new sheet the way I need it with a bit extra on the joining edge.
Lay the loose sheet in place on top of the glued on sheet.
Trim the top sheet and score the glued on sheet at the same time, then remove the loose sheet.
Cut through the glued on sheet, making sure it is trimmed all the way through, pry the offcut loose, remove all traces of old glue.
Then glue the new piece down.
Voila, the pieces are a perfect fit.
When you glue the new piece down, do not use dowels, they contort the perfect fitting.
Lay old newspaper on top of the bench with just a smidgen at the edge missing,
Fit the edges, then roll the newspaper back as you do with contac, using the hard roller on the piece as you go.
The newspaper won't stick as it does not have glue on it.
Hope this helps.
Cheers
Wolffie

Originally Posted by Tezza

Where are you located Don?

Hi Tezza, I am near the Grampians in The Western District right in the center of all the bigger towns Horsham, Warnambool, Ballarat. We have a couple of house builders in Ararat who sub out the kitchen work and thats where I managed to get the adjustable feet to fit to the old cupboards but they have limited expertise they let the subbies fix any problems.
I have got the answers I think for what to do now all I have to work out is how to get the Curl out of the sheets that have been rolled up for the last 6 months so that I can continue.
Many thanks to all who have helped and I am still learning.
Don ....

Originally Posted by don282

Hi Tezza, I am near the Grampians in The Western District right in the center of all the bigger towns Horsham, Warnambool, Ballarat. We have a couple of house builders in Ararat who sub out the kitchen work and thats where I managed to get the adjustable feet to fit to the old cupboards but they have limited expertise they let the subbies fix any problems.
I have got the answers I think for what to do now all I have to work out is how to get the Curl out of the sheets that have been rolled up for the last 6 months so that I can continue.
Many thanks to all who have helped and I am still learning.
Don ....

That is quite a distance, I was going to offer some assistance
Just put a long piece of timber on top of the sheet to hold it down and then cut it. The curl won't affect the end result once its glued down with contact adhesive. You can roll it the other way and use tape to hold it for a couple of days. Cut the laminate over size!

The purpose of using dowel or thin sticks while laminating is to get a tight join. Lay the laminate down in position, mark on the existing piece the edge of the new piece. Apply glue to both surfaces etc . You lay sticks every 400mm or so, remove the stick closest to the join first, rub the edge of the laminate along the join to remove excess glue on the laminate that's already there, (rub your finger on the edge of the laminate that you're about to join to remove excess glue before doing the above) when in position, gently stick the laminate down. Skip the next stick (leave it there), make sure the laminate is aligned with the top and remove the remaining sticks gently letting the lam stick on its own.
Remove the stick that you left (2nd from join), laminate should be raised, press this bubble so to speak towards the join and it will come closer. You have to push the whole bubble, use two hands, from the middle out. Then just use a cork block or even the palm of your hand and rub/push down on the laminate till your hand is warm, trim laminate, file etc and thats about it.
Make sense?