What adhesive – that shrinks when it sets – do you recommend for melamine laminate sheets?

[Donald MacDonald 1Participant @donaldmacdonald1]

Jason – Yes, like I said, I would definitely use strips.

Yes, the idea of using convex-to-convex to make camping easier, is brilliant thinking. Thank you. And how lucky that I have yet to apply any glue! The only weakness is that I will need to apply multiple clamps all around the edges, but I can probably find some strips of timber/thicker MDF to help spread the load at least a little.

You raise an important worry about CA swelling if it gets too much moisture. TBH, I had slightly forgotten just how much CA adhesive DOES swell over time if moisture ever manages creeps in… e.g. over the years.

How would you recommend I seal the edges? Using some kind of varnish? It slightly worries me just how thin the Melamine layer on MDF sheets is. Maybe moisture will get through it over a few months and my nice strips of CA would eventually product bumps no matter what?

So where did we get to with using a contact adhesive? (e.g. my All Purpose Welder). Thinking it though I guess one problem with contact adhesive is that it's difficult to get on nice and flat in the first place. So lumps & bumps may appear.

With all due respect I really don't want to buy any more panels. If glue fails then yes, but like I say, in the first instance I want to see how far I can get using some sort of adhesive.

Thought: Given how thin the MDF layers are… what about using a thin, solvent-based glue like Collall? (acetone/ethanol solvent) Or E6000 (perchloroethylene I think). Again applied in bead strips. It occurs to me that the melamine layers really are incredibly thin. So maybe after a few hours the enough solvent would work its way through the melamine to cause the glue to set? Particularly if I don't apply too much AND apply it in strips?

Dave – again thank you for your thoughts but I really don't want to spend the time & money to go out buying planks or screws etc. And I definitely don't want the boards to become significantly thicker, as the table top is already slightly too high. And I don't want to lower the table buy cutting the bottom of the legs off (for several reasons).

But you raise a good question as to where to lay the board down WHILE IT SETS. I very much doubt that any of my floors are flat enough. TBH, I had also thought about lying it on a soft bed, while it sets, but obviously I would need to measure what is going on in situ before applying any adhesive. If clamping around the outsides I had thought that I would just have it point vertically upwards…

[General comment: TBH, I am now deeply regretting the fact that I EVER described my application. The problem is that you helpful nice people have come up with all manner of wonderfully creative ideas, but each of which cause unwanted side effects, such significant extra cost (which I can't afford), losing the use one side of melamine to craters & fillings, adding unwanted weight (A0 boards are already hard enough to lift), extra thickness (my table is already slightly too high), paying to buy a different table (but which probably wouldn't fit into my house…)
==> And then everyone gets cross with me for either: not following their personal advice, or for failing to go into the details of exactly why their suggestion wouldn't be suitable for me or for not wanting to engage into a detailed discussion when they challenge my constraints or for not telling them at the start exactly what all my constraints were… or – if all else fails – folks get cross for my not taking action immediately.
So next time, remind me to NOT describe my application.

As that way, we can have a much simpler conversation that just focuses on my question, and do with less opportunity for frustrations & general crossness.]

Donald

Edited By Donald MacDonald 1 on 06/04/2022 01:07:25

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I did not say the CA would swell. It is the Cut raw edges of the MDF that can absorb moisture and cause it to swell or at the extremes of heat you mention it could even shrink.

Your easiest way is a few coats of varnish to the cut edges. You could use the iron on pre-glued edging but the varnish will do and you probably have something already, even paint would do.

Chances of the glue lines ghosting through 18mm thick board are zero as is any CA soaking through the Melamine

[Ramon WilsonParticipant @ramonwilson3]

And then everyone gets cross with me for either: not following their personal advice, or for failing to go into the details of exactly why their suggestion wouldn't be suitable for me or for not wanting to engage into a detailed discussion when they challenge my constraints or for not telling them at the start exactly what all my constraints were… or – if all else fails – folks get cross for my not taking action immediately.
So next time, remind me to NOT describe my application.

Oh I'm not cross with you Donald – just totally exhausted with your manner and your seeming inability to just get on with a simple task. If you can't get two pieces of board together by now it doesn't say much for what you intend to do on top of it. Like I said just get on with it and move on – you might actually enjoy yourself

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

There is an old joke …

An apocryphal tale with the punchline: “If I were you, I wouldn’t start from here”

… many a true word is spoken in jest.

MichaelG.

[Nick WheelerParticipant @nickwheeler]

Posted by Ramon Wilson on 06/04/2022 07:32:37:

And then everyone gets cross with me for either: not following their personal advice, or for failing to go into the details of exactly why their suggestion wouldn't be suitable for me or for not wanting to engage into a detailed discussion when they challenge my constraints or for not telling them at the start exactly what all my constraints were… or – if all else fails – folks get cross for my not taking action immediately.
So next time, remind me to NOT describe my application.

Oh I'm not cross with you Donald – just totally exhausted with your manner and your seeming inability to just get on with a simple task. If you can't get two pieces of board together by now it doesn't say much for what you intend to do on top of it. Like I said just get on with it and move on – you might actually enjoy yourself

That's the key. It's very easy to spend so much time thinking about something and getting advice from experts who have done similar jobs that it becomes an excellent excuse not to do it, while pretending that doing such 'research' is worthwhile. Isn't paralysis by analysis the technical term for this? The polite one anyway…

Complicating jobs by insisting that it's done with some scrap that you've been jealously hoarding for years is very common too.

[Ramon WilsonParticipant @ramonwilson3]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 06/04/2022 08:59:49:

There is an old joke …

An apocryphal tale with the punchline: “If I were you, I wouldn’t start from here”

… many a true word is spoken in jest.

MichaelG.

But then of course there are the old cliches too …

Leading horses to water etc

None so blind as those who do not want to see.

Etc Etc Etc.

At the last venue for the LOWMEX exhibition there is a slogan written on the wall – "Old proverb" – "Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are trying to do it".

Me thinks this thread is a perfect example of working in the opposing direction

Tug

[Robert ButlerParticipant @robertbutler92161]

Advertised on HomeWorkshop website marking out table 30" x 36" and benefits from stability thereby solving all the outstanding issues. Advert No. 41458 and reasonably priced!

Robert Butler

[Author]

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