Thread: What does IKEA use ? (Melamine Gloss / White finish)?

I don't know what Ikea use at the moment as I don't keep catalogues and haven't been to one in years. However at one stage they were using a lot of 'foils', basicly a printed plastic backed coating. One way to tell a foil is to look at a 3D item and see if you can find a definite edging on it. If you can't, it is most likely a continuously wrapped foil item.

Locally, Bunnings stock textured white melamine coated chipboard in a range of sizes, including strips with predrilled shelf pin holes for cupboard sides. Tex white is the most basic product in the range and generally used for cabinet carcases etc. It can be used for doors, drawer fronts and panels, but is very prone to chipping around the edges due to the chipboard core.

If you look up panel suppliers like Polytec, Laminex etc you will find a very extensive range of MDF based gloss and textured whites, other plain colours, grains, ultra gloss sheets (a gloss colour or grain with a couple of coats of clearcoat over it, shines like a new car).

The MDF based products are a lot dearer than carcass whiteboard (5x for general gloss to 15x for the ultra gloss grains) but are the ducks guts for presentation provided that you can handle them properly. Don't expect to work them with a circular saw or similar, although you can cut oversize that way and trim the last couple of mil with a router and a very good compression it. Edging is also critical and a good commercial edger is a godsend. I spent about 40hrs a week cutting this stuff on a CNC router, edging and cleaning the finished pieces.

If you can select a panel to suit your needs and develop a list of components, some distributors and some cabinet makers offer a cut to size and edge service. This typically includes hinge socket holes, handle mounting holes etc if you can specify them in your list.

Interesting Question Mossy.

I just ran my only functioning eye, and all my phunkshunning phingers over the IKEA stuphph I have and compared it with the quality of melamine coating from the cabinetmakers.

They are definitely different! The material from the cabinetmakers is smoother, thicker, shinier and seems to be more robust. It is also more costly.

Might I make a Suggestion? IKEA has a coner in their store - Bargain corner - where yoeu can pick up all sorts of goodies at really good prices. They often have "melamine " coated boards. If you gathered enough of these you will get a very inexpensive office, even if you have more than the normal amount of waste.

Thanks for the info! that was helpful. I'm gonna contact Laminex tommoz and see about getting a quote for my office fit-out.

I figure it might be easier to get them to cut the sheets for me and then i can assemble them myself (via my festool domino! w00t ). I plan on just getting Laminex sheets for exposed areas only but then just use MDF white melamine for non-exposed (carcass) etc.

I've attached a 3D render I did tonight on my ideal fit-out, there's some more tweaking need to made around structure of the shelves / cabinets.. but this may give you an idea of why i want the polished look and am hoping Laminex + Polar White finish is what i need (hopefully its not too expensive)

Originally Posted by artme

Interesting Question Mossy.

I just ran my only functioning eye, and all my phunkshunning phingers over the IKEA stuphph I have and compared it with the quality of melamine coaring from the cabinetmakers.

They are definitely different! The material from the cabinetmakers is smoother, thicker, shinier and seems to be more robust. It is also more costly.

Might I make a Suggestion? IKEA has a coner in their store - Bargain corner - where yoeu can pick up all sorts of goodies at really good prices. They often have "melamine " coated boards. If you gathered enough of these you will get a very inexpensive office, even if you have more than the normal amount of waste.

hehehe i have OCD when it comes to furniture design.. i'm a cabinet makers worst nightmare as i'll pick on the smallest thing and reject it (meanwhile I can't make stuff to the perfection i want..so its a constant torment! heehhe).

I had a look today but couldn't see anything particular but thats good idea, as i often am in the need to for some of their material. I at times find their furniture expensive and over-priced? - more importantly when I lived in the US the same furniture was 50% compared to Australia? so that just sux given its the same exact furniture???

Originally Posted by mossyblog

I've been looking at some of the IKEA finishes compared to some melamine i recently bought form Bunnings (cheap shoe rack i made).

I'm thinking of building my entire office out of this kind of material to give it a pure white finish, but i think IKEA uses a different finish to the ones you see in places like Bunnings? it appears they have a more of a white gloss - low sheen color to their white where as the typical bunnings style ones just have a dense white?

Maybe i'm not making sense - hell i find it difficult to describe, but what specifically does IKEA use in terms of melamine does anyone know?

sorry mate.. i mean no offence but ikea is "beeeeeeeeppp" no matter what they use

Originally Posted by danmade

sorry mate.. i mean no offence but ikea is "beeeeeeeeppp" no matter what they use

heheh no doubt but in the end they serv a purpose.. i mean mediocrity still sells and IKEA sell very well..

its all really a matter of perspective.. do I buy furniture designed by industrial artists at around $2k a piece or do i buy IKEA and then spend $1.9k on power tools!!!!!!

maybe!!!!! but as the world seems to be falling apart due to buying throw away items such as ikea makes and every other big business err i think buying one thing that is priced at a higher level is better than having to buy a piece of beeeeeeep 3 or 4 times... so anyway mate you no what im saying thanks.... join me and support the say no to ikea campaign HA