Cutting a Phenolic Sheet to Size

[Glenn Samuels]

I am building a small table extension for my bandsaw. I have a piece of Phenolic laminate. I plan on using contact cement which I hope is the best method. What is the best way to cut it to size as it is twice as big as I need? Can I use my router and a laminate bit to finish the edge?

[Ryan Baker]

That would work, but it will be really hard on the sharpness of the bit, and it will probably make the infamous noxious phenolic smoke if you can't cut it fast enough. Do it outside if you can.

If the cuts are straight, I would just do it on a table saw with a carbide-tipped blade that I didn't care too much about.

[Thomas Hotchkin]

Glenn
+ 1 on Ryan's advise, plus ware a good dust mast, that dust and smell will get to you. Tom

[Ole Anderson]

I have an old triple chip grind 8" blade I keep for just such an occasion for use in the TS. Used to use it to cut aluminum. Cut aluminum oxide coated laminate flooring with it all day and it will need sharpening at the end of the project for sure.

[Glenn Samuels]

On another thread, someone said to tap the phenolic and screw it to the plywood base instead of gluing. I am not familiar with the concept of taping. Is it like countersinking the screwhead?

[Ole Anderson]

If I understand correctly they are suggesting that you would drill full size and possibly countersink a machine screw in the plywood and drill the hole in the phenolic undersized and run a tap in the hole to create threads in the phenolic and then screw it from the bottom. Not sure why, seems it would be better to just drill a full size hole in the phenolic, countersink it and then a full size hole in the underlying ply and use a washer and nut on the bottom, or a tee nut on a flat head machine screw. I do think that would be more advisable than trying to glue it. Another way to do the same thing is to use a Kreg step bit instead of a countersink and go with a pan head machine screw.