This melamine looks like thin paint?

[Brian Runau]

Bought this at a regional borg, Menards. Used hot glue to hold down shims for planer sled. The glue from the hot glue glue pulled the coating off. Look how thin this is, it looks like paint to me vs a true coating.

Am I being unreasonable to expect this not to happen? Thanks. Brian

500086

[Dave Sabo]

Not unreasonable - that stuff is garbage.

Just like plywood, there are different grades of melamine and you just got one that is low grade.

[Rich Engelhardt]

There is a lot of "stuff" out there that's called "melamine".
If you see it at a lower price than someplace else, its probably a paper backed material that will come off just like your picture shows.
The low end bathroom vanities and cabinets are made of that stuff.
When you put tape on them and paint the walls, they tape will tear off whatever finish they have, down to the paper just like you show, when you remove the masking tape - even when using the blue painter's tape.

I've found that the Lowe's precut melamine shelves use a much thicker thermofoil, that will hold up to a lot more abuse.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Mr. Menard is a very savvy businessman. He is creating quite an empire. Some of the store brand product lines at Menards are extremely poor quality. I shop there often. I avoid many items that are a Menards exclusive brand. There are some good deals on good items. Sometimes they have hardwood plywood with fairly thick face veneer and advertise it as such. I spent a day struggling with Thru-Bolt brand lock and door knob sets that a client had bought at Menards. I ended up taking them all back and getting Schalage.

[Richard Coers]

Mr. Menard is a very savvy businessman. He is creating quite an empire.
I completely agree. It's a great business man that makes you walk through the entire store just to get the M&Ms isle! LOL

[Brian Runau]

Mr. Menard is a very savvy businessman. He is creating quite an empire. Some of the store brand product lines at Menards are extremely poor quality. I shop there often. I avoid many items that are a Menards exclusive brand. There are some good deals on good items. Sometimes they have hardwood plywood with fairly thick face veneer and advertise it as such. I spent a day struggling with Thru-Bolt brand lock and door knob sets that a client had bought at Menards. I ended up taking them all back and getting Schalage.

I don't shop there much, but Lowes inventory is all screwed up. They show stock, but it's on the receiving dock or in overhead bins not put away. What they did have was crap, edges not adhered correctly and falling off, corners beat up etc.. even went to two different Lowes stores. menards was the last gasp so to speak. I am done with them now. Brian

[Jeff Roltgen]

I'm with Rich, and not that they need defending, but, in all fairness, the way your sample board is showing more of a fiber vs particle core, and the rippled, lumpy look of the remaining surface, sure looks like their 1/8" painted sheet stock. There is a distinct difference between Menard's "melamine" vs. "pre-finished" sheet goods. What did you actually buy in terms of the store's description and thickness?

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I completely agree. It's a great business man that makes you walk through the entire store just to get the M&Ms isle! LOL

Peanut clusters usually make it into my cart, sometimes along with milk. The man has made many millions of dollars. I saw a childhood friend in Menards recently. One of two brothers who inherited their dads old fashioned lumberyard. He looked unhappy, gave me the stink eye, and did not say hello. I felt bad.

[Bradley Gray]

I avoid big box stores. I find the true cost of dealing with an old school lumber yard a better deal. Better for my blood pressure too.

[Darrell Bade]

Menards does carry different grades of stuff. I have 3 Menards melamine top workbenches from 4 to 10 years old. They have had glue and poly scrapped off them, much work done on them and they are fine for their age. Of the big 3 borgs I have had way better luck with their sheet goods.

[roger wiegand]

How do you identify the "good stuff" when inspecting a pile of "melamine" at the store or lumberyard? I thought it was a brand name, so anything sold by that name should be OK, but I've discovered that's not so. Help me avoid future problems like the OPs. I've got a table saw extension table that's failing similarly. It's not obvious from looking at it which will hold up. Is there a grading system and stamps one should look for?

My local "old school lumber yard" was run by a bunch of cheapskates who'd sell anything that would make them a buck. They went out of business.

[Edwin Santos]

How do you identify the "good stuff" when inspecting a pile of "melamine" at the store or lumberyard? I thought it was a brand name, so anything sold by that name should be OK, but I've discovered that's not so. Help me avoid future problems like the OPs. I've got a table saw extension table that's failing similarly. It's not obvious from looking at it which will hold up. Is there a grading system and stamps one should look for?

My local "old school lumber yard" was run by a bunch of cheapskates who'd sell anything that would make them a buck. They went out of business.

The low quality melamine is called "cold rolled" and the better quality is thermofused. Thermofused will be thicker coating and usually a denser particle core. If you saw a piece of each side by side, the difference would be apparent. Unfortunately home centers usually stock only the cold rolled stuff.

[Edwin Santos]

Bought this at a regional borg, Menards. Used hot glue to hold down shims for planer sled. The glue from the hot glue glue pulled the coating off. Look how thin this is, it looks like paint to me vs a true coating.

Am I being unreasonable to expect this not to happen? Thanks. Brian

500086

If possible don't use a blob of hot glue between the two faces of what you're gluing. I use it like a tack welder and attach items with beads where they meet, such that the glue beads are always visible. Then when you're done, dab on a little dentatured alcohol to remove the hot glue and it will peel off cleanly.

[Brian Runau]

If possible don't use a blob of hot glue between the two faces of what you're gluing. I use it like a tack welder and attach items with beads where they meet, such that the glue beads are always visible. Then when you're done, dab on a little dentatured alcohol to remove the hot glue and it will peel off cleanly.

That's what I did. A bead on each corner of the shim, to hold the shim to the melamine like board. Brian

[Jonathan Pace]

Like @DaveSabo said, you may have got hold of a 'lower grade' product.