# Reccomended glue for attaching Arborite to mdf router table top



## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Guys I call it arborite but maybe others refer to it as Formica or laminate , but does anyone have a preference for glue ? 
I am going to glue some white arborite to mdf and years ago when I did it I used this yellow contact cement . Not very forgiving as you had to get it right the first time as it was instantly stuck when the two surfaces touched . Never thought of using dowels as I seen in a video . 
What got me wondering is I seen this guy spread glue on with a roller and it looked thinner than contact cement . When I used contact cement I used a brush and that has me concerned about consistency height wise as we all know we want a flat table when it's done . Although maybe the roller helps it , hard to say . 
I was just talking to an employee at Home Depot and he mentioned there's latex glue , which gives you more working time .

So is there any past experiences you could share


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

The Waterborne glue is really expensive, Rick. But on the bright side you aren't going to have a flash fire/explosion from the solvent based type. Better for you all around.
There's some confusion, _certainly on my part_, as to whether the waterborne is truly 'contact' or whether it needs to be clamped. I think the waterborne is more fussy temperature wise.
Calling it 'latex' is really misleading as the solvent based stuff is basically rubber cement, rubber being latex.
Everything that's water based is not necessarily 'latex'. Waterborne Urethane for example.


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## Al B Thayer (Jun 2, 2014)

3M spray on. Spray both sides pick your nose and scratch your butt. Lay it roll it trim it forget it.

Al


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## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

Both the solvent and water-base are true contact cements giving instant bond on contact. The solvent base seems to set-up a little quicker, particularly when it's humid. The water-base is easier on the user as the fumes are not quite as overpowering, although some people are allergic. For a small area such as a router table, I would buy a quart of water-base and go with that - apply a nice even coat to both surfaces, let dry (some brands change color when dry, but you want it to have just gone from slightly tacky to being able to touch without it sticking to your finger), use dowels between the two surfaces to keep them apart until you have the laminate positioned correctly and slide the dowels out one at a time - I always used to start from the center and work towards the ends. Once you have the dowels out, rub all over with the edge of a soft wooden block to make sure that the laminate is down tight (being careful to not let the block run over the edge and crack the laminate).

For a small area like your project, I would just use a 3" throw-away brush - they make "laminate" roller covers but it really doesn't make sense for one small project.

Tom


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

"you aren't going to have a flash fire/explosion from the solvent based type."

Oops, my bad! That reads exactly the _opposite_ of what I meant. I was trying to say that the solvent based ones are notoriously risky for fume combustion ...ie pilot lights in the general area. Or smokers.


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Thanks for the replies Guys . Fumes are not a concern but I thought there was a glue that wasn't instant bonding and gave you a little bit of setup time .
Not that it matters as wood pieces in the middle gives you control of the area . I was more concerned with the consistency of the glue keeping it all the same thickness.
I'm probably overthinking this though. But in my defence I only want to do it once lol


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Al B Thayer said:


> 3M spray on. Spray both sides pick your nose and scratch your butt. Lay it roll it trim it forget it.
> 
> Al


Thought about the spray but unsure


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

GLUE APPLICATIONS

This to That (Glue Advice)


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## Gaffboat (Mar 11, 2012)

RainMan1 said:


> Thought about the spray but unsure


I always use a throwaway paint roller. You can get small 4" wide foam rollers that work just fine and give you an even coat on both surfaces. Dowels aren't a necessity. I've been using 1/4" x 3/4" strips cut off of a wider board. I space the strips about 6" apart all across the project. It's easy to lay your top surface on top of them to get it in position (it should be oversize) and then begin removing strips one-by-one as you work your way across the surface.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

*Sticky Topic*



Gaffboat said:


> I always use a throwaway paint roller. You can get small 4" wide foam rollers that work just fine and give you an even coat on both surfaces. Dowels aren't a necessity. I've been using 1/4" x 3/4" strips cut off of a wider board. I space the strips about 6" apart all across the project. It's easy to lay your top surface on top of them to get it in position (it should be oversize) and then begin removing strips one-by-one as you work your way across the surface.


Oliver; do you use the waterborne or the solvent based?
If the latter, doesn't the solvent attack the foam, or the glue holding the foam to the sleeve? 
I seem to remember _trying_ a roller sleeve and it being a disaster...


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

I like the waterbased, over the years the fumes really got to me, nothing serious, but even with fans and ventilation you are still breathing them. When The waterbased first came out it didn't work as well as the solvent based, but they have improved it and it does just as good now. 
I haven't used the spray on to glue down laminate, I always thought of it as for wall panelling and cloth/paper.

Herb


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## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

Gaffboat said:


> I always use a throwaway paint roller. You can get small 4" wide foam rollers that work just fine and give you an even coat on both surfaces. Dowels aren't a necessity. I've been using 1/4" x 3/4" strips cut off of a wider board. I space the strips about 6" apart all across the project. It's easy to lay your top surface on top of them to get it in position (it should be oversize) and then begin removing strips one-by-one as you work your way across the surface.


I've never used the foam rollers, will have to try that next time. Always used the ones that looked like Berber carpet almost - we used to leave Varsol (cheaper than the manufacturer's solvent) in a paint tray with the roller submerged and a piece of plywood on the top to minimize evaporation. Squeeze the majority of the solvent out, roll it a couple of times on a scrap of plywood and you were ready to go. Whether you use a brush or roller, the secret is to get a nice uniform coat without lumps or heavy areas so that it dries evenly. As far as the dowels - to be honest, I've always used ratchet strips (the slotted metal strips for shelves), still have a stack of them in the corner of the shop.

Tom


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Thank you all for the replies . I'm learning a lot here and you guys are definitely giving me the confidence to move forward . Looking very forward to this build .I may not get it right the first time , but I'm going to have enough material to do it 6 times anyways


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

RainMan1 said:


> Thank you all for the replies . I'm learning a lot here and you guys are definitely giving me the confidence to move forward . Looking very forward to this build .I may not get it right the first time , but I'm going to have enough material to do it 6 times anyways


You can remove the laminate it all fails on you. A little work, but you take a really hot clothes iron and iron along the edge until you can get a thin putty knife or drywall scraper under the laminate and start to ease it loose Just keep doing that accross the piece until you can remove it. The laminate might be stretched and warp and be unusable, but you can save to the substrate. A little solvent to soften the glue and scrape it off. I have removed many a counter top this way. 

Don't use a propane torch to do this ,I have seen it done, but risky busseness.

Herb


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I used LePage's water based for my own countertops and it worked great. I used on my daughters and it didn't stick. I was able to lift it off without damaging the laminate and reuse it after I cleaned it off (bad job to say the least). 

I have always used wax paper to position my laminate. The cement won't stick to it. Don't press down too close to the remains sheets as you go or they will be hard to pull out.


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## vindaloo (May 30, 2009)

Rick,


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## waynecochran (Aug 2, 2011)

If you go with the spray I recommend 3M high strength 90. It is very strong.


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## Garyk (Dec 29, 2011)

The pro's use the "contact" type glues and the dowels or flat wood pieces to separate the substrate and laminate. It doesn't matter because the wood is not going to stick to the glue. The two glued surfaces are what bonds together. You might also want to get a "J" roller. A rubber roller with a metal handle to roll the top of the laminate to squeeze out any air bubbles to insure complete contact. Start on one end and after you pull the first dowel clamp it in place then start removing the dowels one by one to keep everything in place. I normally let the laminate overhang the substrate slightly to insure complete coverage. The excess is removed and an edge formed by using a laminate bit. When using the bit use a lubricant (WD 40) on the top of the laminate to insure that there will be no burning or catches on the laminate edge. It wipes off easily and does not effect the surface. Good luck.


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