[Archived]

At another time in my life I used to make laminated products.

Working with laminates is not especially difficult but can be frustrating without good prep and a little practice.

My guess is the best adhesive is going to be contact adhesive. We usually applied the laminate and trimmed it using a router. But sometimes we had to cut to fit the laminate, at which point placement was the step that required additional care. When placing cut to fit laminates contact adhesive was applied to both mating surfaces. It was allowed to dry and a paper barrier was placed between the two surfaces to allow the laminate to be positioned. Then we slid the paper out and allowed the two surfaces to come into contact with one another. We used a roller (like your wife uses only with a rubber surface) to make the bond permanent.

Cutting to fit is very important. But controlling the placement of the cut pieces is vital and steps need to be taken to insure the two surfaces are separated until the relative positions are correct. At one time I was considered a professional and I can tell you that screwing up the placement involves a heat gun, lots of solvent and a few words not appropriate for mixed company. But when it works as planned life is good.

[Archived]

Thanks Jon, you certainly have had a varied career!

The standard for this type of veneer is indeed contact cement.

I was absolutely going to pre-cut everything as the only place to “trim” is to cut-out the window opening (I have removed the interior metal trip).

I was thinking about the idea of say butcher paper as a barrier to let me position the laminate. Double it back so I can pull it like release paper as I smooth the wood. Was wondering if you ever had it pinch the paper sp you couldn’t keep pulling it back?

Where I butt the 2 sheets above and below the window, is it as simple as how you do walpaper? (Overlap the two pieced and cut through both layers with a sharp knife or is there another trick?)

I also need to call the manufacturer. Now that I stripped the wallpaper, what I see underneath looks like pre-painted “masonite” to me. The datasheet lists that as “poor” for adhesion with contact cement.

[Archived]

Liam,

When you are a newlywed, and broke any job is great. That was my night job ( I also had a full daytime job and then a weekend job) so I had a chance to do things I would have never had an opportunity to do.

I am afraid of overlapping and cutting, but only in the context of certain laminates will tend to chip where cut. If you find through experimentation you can get a clean cut through both surfaces your installation could get much simpler.

Any kind of barrier between the two surfaces with contact adhesive will work. We used “butcher” paper (not the waxy kind), shelf paper, news paper, etc. Folding it as you describe was one of the methods we used to pull it from beneath layers once we had the mating edges perfectly placed. The type of paper or cardboard used is far less important that getting the first contact perfect so that we never had to reposition the laminate.

[Martin]

Liam,

Jon is right on butting laminates, but you aren’t using laminates. Take a look at a few YouTube videos on cabinet refacing. The challenge with butt seems with grainy hardwood veneers is putting them somewhere that won’t draw your eye to the break in the grain.

I want to do the same. Post progress pictures and leassons learned.

[jack]

Had the word Veneer in your first post registered in my brain I wouldn’t have alarmed you about overlapping and cutting both surfaces with a knife. That’s a good approach. Laminates chip. Veneers are real wood so I expect that will be OK.

[Archived]

what I have done on another project was to adhere the first piece EXACTLY wher it is going to stay. Let it dry and then come in with the next piece….no adhesive, just get it lined up perfectly (you’ll want some help for the next step) Then while holding the dry piece tape it temporaritly in place only on three sides, not the butted up side. When you are happy with the location, put a strip of really strong tape along the seam, then release the other 3 sides and fold it over to the adhered piece. At this point you will want to use a bit of tape spareingly along the top edge to keep it in place as a folded page. Now proceed with the application of contact cement and when tacky you can either “roll” the new piece away from the adhered piece, or use the butcher paper method. The extra strong tape at the new seam will act as a binder in a book.

[AL]

Thanks! Great idea. I will post pictures soon but I wound up buying walnut veneer wallpaper made in Japan and used in commercial buildings. Applies with one of two types of wallpaper paste. Went amazingly well, just a few air bubbles I have to fix as the vinyl-on-vinyl paste dried a little too fast in the low humidity.

[Jerry]

Liam

Do you have any pictures of the finished project? Pam and I are thinking of updating the walls in the living room area to a wood venier/laminate. We want to remove the ultrasuede. I really dislike suede portions that have the out dated sconces on them. Arts and crafts style sconces on a wood panel is the goal.

[Brian]

sorry, been crazy busy on a 1900s gut job Reno for my daughter and haven’t been on the site in a while. Do you still need the info? As it happens I am finally out in the bus up near lake george dry camping but could send some picks. I used 2 different techniques. Behind the sofa and dinette areas I used normal paper backed wood veneer and contact cement. Gets your heart pounding but it worked great and looks awesome. In the bedroom I used real wood wallpaper. Was not cheap but extremely flexible. Looks equally good but had issues with bubbles. I think it was installer error. End result is amazing