how do i fix lifted laminex?

[trub73]

Hi everyone, I need some advice on fixing the lifted laminex on the table in my 1950 homemade, the laminex is 3 seperate sheets joined (in great condition so I dont want to replace them) but they are lifted across the centre of the table at the sheeting joins, and if I try to push them back into place (to reglue) they resist quite loudly, im frightened they may crack or break, what is my best option, do you use slight heat somehow? any help or suggestions would be much appreciated. thanks nicole

[Franklin1]

Hi Nicole,

Are you able to post a picture showing the problem? I'm having a little bit of difficulty trying to clearly picture what you've described. You're saying the table top has been made from three sheets of Laminex, so they must have been off-cuts?? Seems odd that someone would not use a full-size piece to cover the table. Does it look like an "original job"?

Laminex made in the old days is quite thicker than the product made today, so it will put up with a fair bit more rough-and-tumble handling than today's thinner stuff.

When you say "they resist quite loudly", what does that mean? ("Oww, Nicole...not so hard!" ) Won't the sheets sit back down again beside each other neatly?

It's a bit hard for me to give you "expert advice" without understanding the problem a bit more clearly, but repairs to lifting laminex are usually a matter of forcing laminex adhesive into the gap and clamping the joint until it dries. Usually laminex is glued by coating both surfaces with adhesive and waiting until they go tacky and then bring the surfaces together. However, for a problem like yours, a "wet bond" repair is done, where the glue is forced into the gap, and the two surfaces are clamped for a couple of days until the required strength is achieved.

Does this help?
cheers,
Al.

[Surf Tragic]

Hi trub73.

What Franklin1 says is correct & may be the best way in your case.

First you could just heat the lifted portions with a hot iron which melts the glue, then quickly clamp the loose portions down for an hour, see how that goes, it does work sometimes if there's enough old glue there. The clamping process needs to be well sorted before you start.

I have to lift the laminex off the table top on my Don 140 as the ply underlay is badly cupped & I want to save the rare Laminex but renew the ply. The reason the ply cups & twists is because it has a laminate on one surface only, I will be laminating both sides to counteract this, that's why all sheets are laminated both sides these days.

The way I will go about it is to use heat, & move a hot iron on the surface of the Laminex, first cover it with a sheet & make sure you don't burn the surface, this will melt the glue & I would imagine using a thin blade, even a saw blade to help with the de-laminating, don't attempt pulling the sheet up. It would be time consuming & a lot of care needed. If you do this you can then clean both surfaces & reglue successfully

Hot pans taken off the stove & placed on Laminex can separate it from its base quite easily, melting the glue. Edge strips are ofter applied using an iron & can be taken off by reheating & then reapplied, I have done lots of this.

In saying all this, I have never attempted big areas but will be doing so in the future & feel confident of success.

good luck.

Surf Tragic