Laminating Cabinets

[bkmilsap]

Hello,
has anyone re-laminated the cabinets in their Westy? I have a 1976 Westy that I'm redoing. The laminate was coming off and a previous owner cut speaker holes in the closet and the cabinet above the rear seat. I have taking out the speakers and replacing the boards. So, currently I have the cabinets taken apart and the old laminate stripped off the other parts and sanded. I'm now at the stage of putting them all back together and re-laminating. The laminating process is what I'm most worried about. My question is has anyone done this before and what method do you recommend as far as actually cutting and gluing? How did you cut it? Should I precut before putting the cabinets back together? etc... Just walk me through the process.
Thanks in advance!!

[alman72]

this guy did some amazing work restoring his stuff
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0

[KentABQ]

And here's another one to check out...
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=536631&highlight=
_________________
-Kent-
1976 Riviera, 1.8l FI chrome yellow VAN - "Chloe"

"I must say, how can you be in a bad mood driving this vehicle full of vibrant color.
Cars of today are so bland in comparison. It's like driving a celebration!" ---WildIdea

Bus ownership via emoticons:
---williamM

[pioneer1]

The laminate is arborite like the kitchen counter top from the last century. Its pretty easy to get good results with a few tools. Search google "how to apply arborite".
_________________
"Always waiting for tomorrow ruined everything"

'85 Porsche 911 Targa

'76 Westfalia project

[alaskadan]

This is a broad question. Ok, first off get a 1/4 HP router. A small cheap one from harbor freight will do. A flush cutting bit with a bearing on it. A new 10 to 12" file. A laminate scoring tool for roughing the laminate to block sizes. Some contact cement, not the eco friendly crap. A stippler roller cover to apply said contact cement. Blue masking tape. A "J" roller, or laminate roller. Some lacquer thinner , denatured alcohol and rags. And some beer.

You will have to figure out what parts of the cabinets need to be assembled and then laminated or not. Lets say you have a piece to be laminated. Any lump bump or anomaly will transmit through the laminate so prep work is key. The edges of your pieces need to be clean and smooth, the small bearing on the flush cutting bit will dive into any holes or pits and show it in the cut edge. You may need to fill and sand any holes. Got it smooth? Ok now wipe it down with denatured alcohol and set aside.

Get your laminate and cut a block size piece an inch or two larger than the piece to be laminated. We usually cut block sizes on a cabinet grade table saw. You can use a straight edge an a scoring tool to get the job done. Keep scoring until almost through and then you can snap it. A jig saw and fine blade works too just keep it pinned down tight to the laminate and go slow. Wipe the back side down with the alcohol. Set aside.

Back the the plywood/ particle board. Mask off the edges with tape. Put some contact cement in a roller tray. Use the stippler roller to apply glue to it and the laminate. Peel the tape off. Let it dry until it is tacky not wet. We use 1/2" by 1/2" strips of old solid surface countertop as elevating strips for setting the laminate. You can use all sorts of things for this, small dowels work fine just wipe them down with the alcohol. Lay the elevating strips on top of the tacky glued surface every 8 inches or so. Lay the glued laminate down on top of those. Align it so you have overhanging laminate on all sides. Slide out the middle elevating strip and push down the laminate to stick it to the plywood. Remove the other strips in order on the way out from center. Use the j roller to firmly roll and press the laminate down. Careful when you get to the edges and don't flex down and break the overhanging edge of the laminate. If your piece has a slot in the edge for the "T" moulding set the bit height in the router so that the bearing rides above or below the slot. Flush cut the laminate off and clean up any contact cement balls with the laquer thinner. Dress up the edge with your new file. Have a beer before the contact cement wears off .

New T moulding should be just a little wider than necessary so you can flush cut it off with a flat style razor blade holder after its installed. There you go, you're a pro!. Have fun.

[Hoody]

Don’t have time to read responses right now. But do not use contact cement. When my dear friend Jon aka Echebus did his restoration on his cabinets...I did not have the heart to tell him he was making a HUGE mistake. Contact cement will FAIL!!! It will not hold up to heat,humidity, nor time. Westfalia did not use contact cement back in the 70’s. Do whatever you want....you will anyways. But you will be dealing with a complete clusterfuck down the road if you decide to use DAP whatever contact cement. VW used wood glue. Mine held for 35 years with minor edge peeling. If you want to do it correctly once use the water proof wood glue available readily at Lowes or Home Depot. I can’t even believe I am plugging either place. The brand eludes me. It’s permabond extreme 3 maybe? No sanding BS etc.

[Hoody]

So the website apparently will not allow you to edit your post....oh well...the product that I wanted to mention was Tite bond 3.

[alaskadan]

welcome to the internet.

[bigdaveb]

It would be better to use a PVA glue rather than contact cement. The PVA wood glues are specifically designed for this use since they remain somewhat flexible when they dry. This is important since the bus will experience temperature changes that will cause expansion and contraction of the panels. Over time, this will cause separation if the incorrect adhesive is used.

I'm doing the same thing right now - actually fabricating the entire interior. I'm using a pink PVA glue that is typically used for veneering. I'd recommend spending a little time doing some research and perhaps even visiting some woodworking forums.

Hope this helps.

[Mispeld]

[alaskadan]

The fact that you said you used syringes suggests you were fixing an existing peeling edge, yes? All rules go out the window on a repair of putting new glue over old glue. As for contact cement, I did a new westy interior in a bay twenty something years ago and no issues. Tire bond 3 can be used but you have to clamp everything down flat or use a vacuum press to keep it flattened until it dries. A big mistake made by novices is not wiping parts down with denatured alcohol first. I'm a cabinet maker and have done tons of laminate work, bank teller lines, gas stations, hospital cabinetry, boats, cars, countless countertops. I understand point regarding heat in a car. Usually a failure is the result of improper techniques.

[bkmilsap]

Do ya'll think that it would be better to use liquid nail or Tite Bond 3 to glue the laminate? I couldn't find anything that was hi temp at Home Depot or Lowes.