[Tony B]

@Rebelwork
I regards to one of your earlier posts, you mentioned 'not to buy Melamine from Home Depot'. If I go to a local lumber yard about 1/4 mile away, how would I know if it is a better quality?
I'm sure that leaves this question open to a flood of laughter.

 

[DrRobert]

I'm gonna go with a white top. Makes it easier to see black markings. LOL
I don't know if a standard marker would remove easily from Melamine. If not, I also have dry erase markers which I assume would come off melamine. Maybe?

I'm pretty sure a Sharpie wouldn't completely come off with DNA. I'll check that later on and let you know ha ha. Mine was white and got pretty messed up with stains, dyes, etc. That's why I suggested black.

Curious what's the thing with writing on your benchtop, Tony? Gotta think about that. I write things down on paper and spend a considerable amount of time looking for the pad . Shut up, Tom -- you youngsters are going to get there one day.

Re: black melamine, they do make white markers, you know.................as well as white grease pencils!!

 

[Rebelwork]

@Rebelwork
I regards to one of your earlier posts, you mentioned 'not to buy Melamine from Home Depot'. If I go to a local lumber yard about 1/4 mile away, how would I know if it is a better quality?
I'm sure that leaves this question open to a flood of laughter.

HD , etc us3 cold rolled. Suppliers to shops use Thermally fused. This is why when you go to the big box you often see melamine with half torn off sheets. peels like self stick shelf paper..

 

[Tony B]

I'm pretty sure a Sharpie wouldn't completely come off with DNA..... I normally use Lacquer Thinner - Tony B

Curious what's the thing with writing on your benchtop, Tony? ..... I write things down on paper and spend a considerable amount of time looking for the pad ...... Notes that I really want to see before I pick up where I left off yesterday. Notes like, "Dont forget to do A first , before doing B". I want that info to hit me like a sledge hammer before I even look at my notes on my work books - Tony B

Sometimes I even sketch on my assemble table while in the design stage - right now I do some of it on butcher paper on the Assy Table. It's nice to see some things in full scale especially when angles are involved. When It looks good to me. I just lay my parts right on the butcher paper. BTW, I keep a roll of Butcher paper on a pipe under the top and just pull it over the table top and tape it down. The underside of a plywood top does not hold packaging tape real well and so the tape comes loose. Hey, that just gave me a great idea........just get two 6" wide strips of Formica and cement them to the underside with the sole purpose of holding the tape to keep the paper in place.
But, the paper still has a greater propensity to moving than a full sheet of Formica on the top side. The Formica top will almost completely eliminate the need for butcher paper - almost.
I guess we all have our own little quirks.

I forgot to add, glue drips come right off Formica.

 

[Tony B]

As a plus, lately HD's 2x4's are looking pretty good.

 

[DrRobert]

Didn’t have any lacquer thinner but DNA took it off still a trace of the marker.

Tony I don’t know how much you’ve messed with melamine, and I didn’t mention it, but melamine from Home Depot is not very good. The stuff at a commercial supplier is far better, and the quality of particle board is much better, too.

Also be sure to wear gloves it the edges cut like a razor.

 

[Tony B]

Dr Robert
I have never messed with melamine that is why I am asking. I have only used Formica and Wilsonart in the past. I think @Rebelwork also mentioned Melamine from HD with same response as yours.
I just thought that Melamine would be a cheap alternative to Formica. Now I am having my doubts.
Currently, I have a roll of butcher paper hanging on the rear end of my outfeed/assembly table. It's a pain in the neck taping it down with packaging tape and the tape dont like sticking to plywood. My Outfeed/Assy Table is used for exactly what it is called. I cant afford to have hardened glue bumps and other trash imbedded in the plywood. My actual workbench is where I do most of the rough stuff. It is off to the side and along a wall. The Outfeed/Assy table lives and thrives in the middle of the floor and is mobile - 2 stationary wheels and 2 retractable swiveling wheels.

 

[DrRobert]

You can’t get it though a supplier? FWIW, my miter saw bench, outfeed and assembly table are bare MDF. I seal them with a mixture of BLO, Naphtha, and polyU. I sprayed a few coats of marine varnish just on my outfeed, which also doubles as an assembly table. Glue pops right off. I suppose you could write on it if you had too 😁

The assembly table just has the BLO mixture. Once or twice a year I give it a sanding and recoat. I know this wouldn’t work for someone writing all over their tables, but maybe an old dog can learn a new trick to save a few bucks 😁.

Besides cost I wouldn’t use melamine or Formica on an assembly table because stuff slides around. But that’s me. Not trying to change your mind, just giving another option.

 

[Rebelwork]

I think ai have two sheets of melamine in the shop, but they’re in the back Of the rack And didn’t want to get them out for my miter station. The white the shop the brighter.

Tony if you have never used it, you wouldn’t understand the advantages.

“I wouldn’t use melamine or Formica on an assembly table because stuff slides around. But that’s me. Not trying to change your mind, just giving another option”

And it’s the exactly why we Like it. You don’t have to finish it, it’s ready to go…

Melamine isn’t like walking on ice…

 

[BigCountry79]

The little bench that could...I made this in 2000 with 1/2" mdf and polyurethane finish. It was meant to be replaceable but it's held up really well.

 

[BigCountry79]

The dark stain us transtint dye, and that will not come off

 

[Rebelwork]

Just laminate it…

Your
#1 choice is laminate
#2…Melamine
#3.. anything else

 

[Rebelwork]

I’m really starting to get the impression some don’t really understand the products out there.

My shop table was Particle Board for almost 20 years with nothing more than wax…

 

[DrRobert]

The dark stain us transtint dye, and that will not come off

 

[Tony B]

There is only I reason that I am considering Melamine and is because it is substantially less expensive than Formica.
I'm just wondering if it will hold up to the abuse I will put it through.
You can spill just about anything on plastic laminate including lacquer thinner and acetone and just wipe it right up. No wax required nor to be cleaned up. Plastic laminate is pretty much no bother. After all, it lasted on many 20 and 30 year old countertops and kitchen tables in days gone by.

 

[Rebelwork]

My MDO had been on for 20+years. My work bench has has a PB top for the same.,

Im not going to try and convince you of what to put in your own shop, but I’m not going spend a lot of money to put laminate on when I have cheaper sources…

My shop gets used a lot, but I don’t abuse it..

Im 58… I’m not about to spend a lot of money upgrading my work surfaces when they have worked this long. I do I’d change my shop bench to Hickory only because I got it free at work.

 

[Rebelwork]

Nothing special but gets the job done. When it needs it, I’ll ROS it and rewax..

You can’t buy that vintage look

 

[Tony B]

I noticed that Melamine seems to be factory applied to Particle Board. So that would mean I can just use any wood glue to glue the particle board side to the plywood assy table top. So if the table top should die an unexpected death, I can just sand the remaining surface and glue whatever on top and not be out any substantial amount of money.

 

[Rebelwork]

you want 2 sided melamine.

 

[Tony B]

How Come? Just to flip it over for a new surface?