phenolic plywood

[pviser]

I will get back to you tomorrow on the weight. I have been curious myself, so I will cut off a piece, weigh it, then do the simple calculation. Cost was about $90/sheet.

By the way, I agree with the statement above that it scratches more easily than laminate.

 

[zapdafish]

Why not use regular plywood or hardboard coated with poly or waxed? that would be pretty slick. There is also the melamine stuff from the borg used in shelves. Outfeed tables usually have miter grooves cut into them to match the tablesaw slots so depending on how long your outfeed table is going to be, you may not need to start out with full sheets for it.

 

[Canuck]

David.

Not sure if this would work for you but I built a combination outfeed, assembly table with ample tool storage about 2 years ago. The top of the table, I just laminated a piece of melamine laminate that I picked up at Lowes for about $25 (with a broken corner) to a piece of 3/4 plywood and dropped it in. When it wears out, I will just replace the top. Really nice and slick and glue just pops right off.

About a year ago, I added drawers for tool storage....

Just another option over phenolic products....

HTH

Wayne

 

[pviser]

I agree with zapdafish. The phenolic has not been worth the trouble and the added difficulty such as weight(see below) and it's unnecessarily indestructible toughness. No matter how slowly I go in tiny depth increments, my router bits tend to heat up much more so than with hardwood. My Skil saw labors under the burden and, again, I have to go very slowly. If I could have forseen these things, I would have gone with two thicknesses of 3/4" maple plywood, basic polyurethane, with sanding after each coat. But I have it now, and it will be my outfeed table (7' X 8') until I ride out into the sunset. My children can curse me then for the immovable object in my basement.

By the way, the weight comparison is as follows:

Pure phenolic 8 X 4 X 3/4" 170 lb.
Maple plywood (same dimensions) 69 lb.

My 8' X 7' table top, phenolic on a maple base, weighs in at about 430 lbs. That's not counting the four oak legs, apron, and the three 7" I-beams.

 

[kooshball]

Thank you to all who have replied and especially to those who offered materials (Henry W) and those who offered design ideas (Canuck and Steve). Since I am short on shop time I am going to go for the path of least resistance which in this case will likely be a sheet of phenolic ply from Coble's or a melamine faced MDF from the BORG.