Laminating a Torsion Box?

[Michael Lutz]

I know that the common rule of thumb when laminating for a router table is to laminate the top and the bottom to keep it flat. What do you do if you have a torsion box?

Do you just do the top face of the torsion box or top and bottom or the top and bottom of the top face of the torsion box?

I am considering building a torsion box for my router table and want it to stay flat for the forseeable future.

Thanks,

Mike

[Jamie Buxton]

A correctly-built torsion box will keep its initial shape. The faces can be high-pressure-laminate (this is what you're talking about, right?) or they can be other materials.

[Michael Lutz]

I was going to apply the high pressure laminate to a 1/2" BB Ply top skin.

Mike

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I put Formica on mine just on one the upper side and oil paint on the the bottom.
Then I painted all around with oil and sealed the holes with caulk. The idea was to prevent moisture from becoming a major factor from entering mostly from just one side.

[Jim O'Dell]

The two I built late last spring had plastic laminate on the top, and 3 sides. The other side and the bottom had either 2 or 3 coats of poly to seal them. So far so good, but I don't have a lot of time on them to know how it will last. Jim.