Bonding Dissimilar Materials

[David Perata]

I need to bond the shiny good side of plastic laminate to a planed but raw wood substrate. Why you may wonder? Because most of the laminate surface will be hidden from view and buried under succeeding layers of the wood. In other words, it's a pyramid stair kind of pattern where each stair has been covered in laminate but only 1/2" of the laminate actually shows on each stair when assembled.

Anyway, I am going to use a nail gun to secure each stair piece onto the previous but I need an adhesive to make sure it never moves.

I suppose I could use contact cement just as I did to apply the laminate to the wood substrate, but I'd prefer something I could put in a caulk gun. I have a lot of gluing to do.

Any suggestions? Liquid Nails I think would be a bit too thick even if spread out. Epoxy would be perfect but I'd prefer something the same consistency of epoxy without the two part aspect.

Thanks.

[Chip Lindley]

Use the new formaldehyde wood glue (I like Elmer's better'n Roo) very sparingly to bond the slick laminate to wood. It expands and foams out of the edge of joints, so verrrry sparingly, to avoid cleanup.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Get some advice here: http://www.thistothat.com/

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,
Loctite Power Grab.
Works great.

I used some just last week to glue some composite shims to drywall.
If you've ever used those shims, they are curled like crazy. A dab of PG spread on the back held them flat.

[Peter Pedisich]

Roo Glue, or Titebond melamine glue will do it.