CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

ncc1701d · Joined: 08 Aug 2007 Posts: 187 Location: sweden

I got one of those wilsonart's now. The guy i ordered from said i would be very lucky to glue it myself, as it should be contactglued under high pressure.

Well i am not using it for a countertop so i wonder if its ok to glue it not all over (just a couple of places like middle, corners or such) with ordinary woodglue?

nuttall_chris · Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2008 9:03 pm Post subject:

I tried using wood glue and it didn't work. It did stick but I was not able to get it flat and it showed on the screen as ripples and large bubbles.

Chris.

Moose · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 788 Location: Minnesota

I am told that this stuff http://www.save-on-crafts.com/3m2.html works very well. That is, if you're glueing it to styrofoam, which is what I intend. I have some but haven't tried it yet.

wallace123456 · Joined: 14 Aug 2006 Posts: 2236 Location: Northwest VA area

Depnds on what you are glueing it to. I glued my Wilsonart to Melamine board. I used this stuff: 3M™ Hi-Strength Spray Adhesive 90, 24 oz.

The glue is very good.

wallace

ecrabb · Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2008 10:19 pm Post subject:

When you custom-build countertops, you use contact cement (applied on both laminate and substrate), and then flip and lay the laminate over furring strips, pull the strips out from center to edges, then roll it with a J-roller designed just for the task. Probably cost you $10 for a sheet of 1/2" MDF, $20 for the contact cement and $10-15 for a J-roller.

Here's a good article on how it's typically done:
http://www.extremehowto.com/xh/printpage.asp?article_id=60210

I don't think I'd try to glue any sort of spots. Either don't glue it at all and use a technique like Clarence did when he first got his Wilsonart (mirror hooks), or glue the whole thing.

I'd also be very afraid of warping if you applied the laminate (regardless of adhesive used) to a non-rigid substrate like styrofoam. I've painted styrofoam before (actually, XPS - extruded polystyrene - the pink 1" thick stuff) and it warped like CRAZY. What was originally as flat as a sheet of MDF became irreversibly warped I'd say 2-3" out of planar in the center of the sheet (very bad vertically - along the short side - and some horizontally, too).

SC

EDIT - I forgot - if you do use 3M spray adhesive, make sure you do it outside, well out of range of anything like a car, motorcycle, tools, etc. because the over-spray will coat everything in the immediate vicinity in thin difficult-to-remove sticky layer that will attract dust and dirt horribly.

Moose · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 788 Location: Minnesota

ncc1701d · Joined: 08 Aug 2007 Posts: 187 Location: sweden

Outside spraying is no option as i will never get the screen inside in that case. It is to be glued onto a large MDF that is already inside the room.

contact cement was what i meant with "contactglue". the type you put on both materials and then never can separate again Wink

From the link:
Do i understand correctly that the glue has to dry completly before attaching the laminate?? I didn't think contact glue would work when completely dried..

ecrabb · Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2008 10:53 pm Post subject:

Ah, you're building inside! OK, then you definitely don't want to use spray adhesive - over-spray would be on EVERYTHING.

Yes, you let contact adhesive dry to be 'tacky', but it's extremely light and volatile and therefore only takes 20 minutes or so to dry to full tackiness to be ready to apply. You'll definitely want a window open with a fan or something sucking the air out of the room because it's pretty nasty smelling stuff... unless you like killing some serious brain cells, that is.

Contact cement is funny... Once it's dry, you can touch the laminate or the substrate with your finger, and it's barely even sticky to the touch. You could probably put paper on it, and peel it back off. But, touch the two halves together and LOOK OUT - it ISN'T coming back apart.

SC

mike calcott · Joined: 18 May 2006 Posts: 307 Location: Australia

Take deep breaths for an instant high ooooooOOOOOOH

GEBrown · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 729 Location: Denver

JustGreg · Joined: 07 Mar 2006 Posts: 3098 Location: Kenosha, WI

ncc1701d · Joined: 08 Aug 2007 Posts: 187 Location: sweden

Using contactglue that is to be put together after 15minutes, how am i going to have time to both put glue on the laminate and the mdf in time? it takes some time... finishing applying on the laminate i guess would take atleast 10-15 minutes and to get it even..

or does contactglue stick even after say an hour?

I am using Plastic padding pattex contactglue.

nuttall_chris · Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2008 1:51 pm Post subject:

Contact cement can be rolled on with a foam roller. It should only take a few seconds to roll each piece.

Chris.

ncc1701d · Joined: 08 Aug 2007 Posts: 187 Location: sweden

ok, but i did a test now.. there is no problem waiting even an hour, it still sticks as hell..

mike calcott · Joined: 18 May 2006 Posts: 307 Location: Australia

The best way to apply a laminate to a backboard or surface is to first coat both surfaces evenly with either spray, roller, or scraper. Expect to use at least half a gallon or more so do not buy small packs. when both surfaces are coated and let to tack dry, get some wooden dowell rod which will go across the width of the backing board when lying flat, space the dowells at about 6-9 inches apart, ( you will need quite a few to go across the board. Now you can lay the Wilsonart laminate onto the dowells without fear of it sticking in the wrong position. When you have achieved the correct positioning, withdraw the first dowell and press down evenly to make contact of both surfaces, continue withdrawing each dowell and continue until both surfaces are in place. If you can get a small hand roller, roll over the entire surface, otherwise make a pad out of an old cloth and rub down firmly over the entire area. If there is any overhang, this can be taken off with a router. or a good file.

ncc1701d · Joined: 08 Aug 2007 Posts: 187 Location: sweden

This is how i am going to do it. Have got a bunch of wood sticks and lot of glue. Just waiting for a friend to help me out.

Did some test on drying times and also a test with the laminate piece i'm not going to use. I think this will go nicely.

ncc1701d · Joined: 08 Aug 2007 Posts: 187 Location: sweden

I am finished now and must say it was VERY easy to glue and get bubble free. I had one friend over helping me.

The result is awsome i think. So did my friend.

Very nice picture, no visible screentexture and very white image. Also no hotspotting to talk about (much less then my old 1.4 gain screen).

And i got the backing mdf with frame on the back to be completely flat, so no uneven brightness.

I am VERY satisfied.

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2008 11:01 pm Post subject:

ncc1701d · Joined: 08 Aug 2007 Posts: 187 Location: sweden

235x132 = 106" 16:9 format.

It was actually the largest i can have in this room.

Now i am going to find some velvet to create blackbars for it.
The mdf is 8cm bigger on all sides so they will be that.

Then i have to figure out how to attach it to the wall also ;9

I'll take a pic of when it's finished..[/img]

mike calcott · Joined: 18 May 2006 Posts: 307 Location: Australia

Glad to see it worked out well. Did you use the "stick" method? its easy that way