Glueing veneer over old Formica

[Tony Bilello]

I have an older boat. The bulkheads (walls) have a plastic laminate over a plywood substrate. From 100 yards away, it still looks like wood grained Formica. Get the picture? LOL
I want to cover these walls with a mahogany veneer. Can I just solvent wash and clean with acetone and lightly sand with 80 grit to just break the surface of the laminate and then glue up the veneer?
I will probably use contact cement to glue down the veneer. No guessing please. Has anyone here ever actually done this or do you know first hand of someone that has?
Removing and replacing the bulkheads is not an option.

Thanks in advance

Tony B

[Jamie Buxton]

I haven't done exactly the operation you envision, but I have used contact cement to glue conventional sliced veneer to wood, and it failed. The veneer bubbled when the varnish went on. I can't imagine the results would be any different when the substrate is formica.

[David DeCristoforo]

You cannot glue "raw" wood veneer to any substrate with contact cement, at least not if you want it to stay glued. You will have to use a backed veneer and considering that you are talking about a boat, I would want phenolic or foil backed material. As to gluing to formica, Not recommended unless you are willing to sand the "color coat" off so that you are applying the new veneer directly to the laminate's core. In a marine environment, even under the best of circumstances, contact might hold up for a while but not forever.