phenolic plywood

[kooshball]

It has been a few months since anyone asked about phenolic plywood so I figured I would post this again to see if any new sources for this type of material have been found in the Raleigh area.

Ideally I need a full sheet of 3/4" phenolic plywood to make a table saw extension table and an out-feed table but 2 half-sheets might work as well.

Besides coble trench in Raleigh who else carries this material?

 

[zapdafish]

I think i've seen some in Klingspor's but not a full sheet. They may be able to get a full sheet of whatever it is they are carrying.

 

[farmerbw]

The Raleighwood Wood Craft had some 3/4'x2'x4' sheets in the store when I was there last week. I contacted Wurth lumber on Poole road and they don't carry it.

HTH,
Brian.

 

[Tarhead]

I don't think you'll do better than Coble Trench. Last year this time they were at $125 for a 4X8 3/4" sheet of Finnform. NC Hardwood was the only other source for full sheets close to RTP. White Cap may have added it. Worth checking. Form Tech doesn't have it.

 

[Mark Gottesman]

Is this what you are looking for?

http://winstonsalem.craigslist.org/mat/2290729815.html

http://winstonsalem.craigslist.org/mat/2290725858.html


I know it's a hike, but maybe a PE or something?

Maybe worth a look.

 

[rsaucedo]

I purchased some at White Cap construction supply here in Charlotte. I see they have a couple stores in the Raleigh area. I didn't like the sheets they had here so they brought in a few more sheets from Greenville, SC. They may bring some in if they don't have any in the store. It is not really the phenolic as seen on tool tables. The plywood layers seem pretty good but the phenolic layer is very thin but it may be what you need. But then again, it wasn't any more than reg plywood.

 

[KenOfCary]

I would bet that Capital City Lumber could special order it for you. - Ken.

 

[scsmith42]

I don't think you'll do better than Coble Trench. Last year this time they were at $125 for a 4X8 3/4" sheet of Finnform. NC Hardwood was the only other source for full sheets close to RTP. White Cap may have added it. Worth checking. Form Tech doesn't have it.

I stopped by Coble Trench last year to look at their inventory. The boards were of fairly poor quality in terms of something to make a benchtop from. Just about all of them had some type of warp to them, even the new ones.

Also, all had already had holes drilled in them for rope handles.

Bummer...

 

[kooshball]

Is it any easier to find melamine ply in full sheets?

 

[westisthebest]

you can get that stuff at lowes, not as good quality though

 

[SteveHall]

Just talked to the Panolam sales rep today. Can't tell if you are looking for something like their Pluswood Thermally Fused Melamine, Pionite solid core phenolic, or Quinella wood-faced on one side type of product. He said they don't do phenolic fused to plywood because of underlying stability issues associated with ply voids.

Their rep said Wurth Group in Raleigh carries their product line down to the basic Nevamar HPL.

 

[kooshball]

Just talked to the Panolam sales rep today. Can't tell if you are looking for something like their Pluswood Thermally Fused Melamine, Pionite solid core phenolic, or Quinella wood-faced on one side type of product. He said they don't do phenolic fused to plywood because of underlying stability issues associated with ply voids.

Their rep said Wurth Group in Raleigh carries their product line down to the basic Nevamar HPL.

This is good info. Thank you.

The first product would likely work well. I just need a good surface for an outfeed and extension table.

 

[Drew Roy]

David, having been in the cabinet making trade for 16 years and having used a LOT of different surfaces and materials for out feed tables, I would offer the following to you.
Find a 4x8 sheet of dove gray or similar color laminate that you like and usually the uglier the color the cheaper it is.
Buy a 3/4x4x8 sheet of Domestic plywood (Home depot carries such, Lowe's does not) along with whatever hardware you need to make it detachable if needed.
Cut up and fabricate your out feed table with a apron around it for rigidness along with the legs L shaped offers the most strenghth.
Cut and wrap the project to include the bottom of the legs to prevent moisture penetration.
If your saw is stationary check and level the saw then mount the out feed table level it also front and back, left and right.
Do that and your stock that you are cutting sheetsgoods or board lumber will travel straight and true :saw:which is the largest asset you will have when cuttingccasion1.
By tha way Laminate is acutauly cheaper at Lowes or Home Depot due to volume of material sold. Wurth is the WORST place you could go to buy...been there, done that, quitting them like cancer.

 

[SteveHall]

David, I made my outfeed table from regular ol' white melamine (thermally infused on particle board) available for cheap at the big box stores. The biggest problem with melamine on particle board is that the edges are very brittle. So I wrapped my exposed faces with thin strips of hardwood to solve that problem which also gave me the opportunity to put a 1/4" radius on them to soften transitions between segments a hair. (My outfeed can fold in the middle to save space.) Rather a traditional look, but it is cheap and works fine.

If I do it again for a higher end saw, I will probably adhere plastic laminate over plywood simply because the laminate is a much harder surface than melamine and also has slightly little less sliding friction. And I learned yesterday that you can buy "high wear" plastic laminate (top overlay layer contains microscopic aluminum oxide) which raises the wear resistance of standard plastic laminate from the typical NEMA Tabor Test 400 cycles up to 4000. Typically this grade is used for locations like restaurant cash register counters and bank teller stations. Sounds ideal for a woodworking table to me!

 

[kooshball]

I am probably about to over complicate things for my basic outfeed table but I have never done any laminate work; will I need a press or a vacuum pump to apply the laminate to the plywood?

Thanks

 

[SteveHall]

Plastic laminate is just adhered to a substrate, it's very easy to do. There are plenty of tricks for doing this, but primarily you want to use small stickers (sticks or dowels) between the substrate and laminate sheet to avoid the contact cement permanently gluing them together until the end of time before the top is correctly positioned. (If it sticks wrong, you'll likely ruin the laminate sheet before getting them apart.) You also want to make sure you get horizontal grade (0.048") laminate because the thinner vertical grade (0.028") won't hold up on a well-used surface. There is also a post-form grade (0.039") thin enough to bend over counter lips and up integral backsplashes that can work.

I use spray adhesive in a spray bomb to get an easy even coat. Some pros here might advise using a better quality roll-on contact cement though, especially for customer work.

If you are also putting HPL on edges, do them first and do the top last so it overlays the edges. Same principle applies to the edge banding itself: do the front last so it hides the ends of the side pieces. A high quality 1/4" flush trim router bit is a must for dead-on even trims. I also use a 15 degree chamfer bit with end bearing to "round over" the top piece although I know a pro who just uses a file to knock off the edge.

Laminate is very easy if you plan ahead. It makes a professional looking surface, so good you'll find reasons to laminate every surface in your shop.

 

[Henry W]

Re: Laminate?

I have a 12' piece (4' wide?) of laminate that I purchased at the Habitat ReStore for a project, but never used. It is a bit banged up now, having been rolled up and sitting outside for 6 months. So you won't get a perfect 48 sq feet out of it, but you'll certainly get enough for several outfeed tables (unless they are HUGE). It is a 'Cherry" look if that matters to you.

If you want it - it is yours. You can try lamination, and then still have left overs.

Let me know if you're interested.

Henry
hwynands@ieee.org

 

[pviser]

I bought three 8' X 4' X 3/4" sheets fo phenolic from the craigslist winston-salem link shown above. It is PURE phenolic and tough as nails. No wood at all. Weight is the only drawback, about 650 lbs/sheet.

 

[mike_wood]

I bought a sheet of phenolic plywood from Coble's at the Lee St exit off 85/40 @ Greensboro. I got it off a new stack and it was fine for an outfeed table. No holes. I paid $125. I have always laminated tops in the past but thought I would try this. I will be interested in how it wears compared to laminate. I does scratch more easily.

 

[Sal Buscemi]

I bought three 8' X 4' X 3/4" sheets fo phenolic from the craigslist winston-salem link shown above. It is PURE phenolic and tough as nails. No wood at all. Weight is the only drawback, about 650 lbs/sheet.

A 4'x8' sheet is 650lbs.? What did that run you?

Sal