Melamine table top question

[Tony Kennick]

I am making a knock down table for a friend based on one I came across awhile back. The original design was based on a full sheet of plywood being used for the table. It used 4 piano hinges (30" long each). The legs (2 of them) are solid and fold down. Once that is done, two supports fold down and then attach to the legs making this a very sturdy table. Anyways, on to my question...
My friend wants the top to be made from melamine with the rest of the table made as the original. Do I need to use anything special other than some #8 wood screws and glue to affix 3/4" x 2" oak to the ends of the top? That is what the hinges get attached to. Thanks for your help as this is my first time using melamine.

Tony

[David Giles]

You might consider pocket hole screws and plenty of yellow glue. The PB substrate will easily pull apart without the glue.

Or use Confirmat screws into the melamine. Not sure how you would do that and hide the screws.

[Jamie Buxton]

Melamine-covered particle board is a lousy table material. It is used for the cheapest furniture because it is cheap. However, if you're going to hand-build this table, it deserves better material.

Here are some drawbacks to melamine-covered particle board. First, it sags. It is nowhere near as stiff as plywood of the same thickness. Second, screws don't hold in it as well as in plywood. Third, the show surface is so thin that covering the edges is difficult; it is difficult to exactly trim the edgebanding flush, and if you use veneer edgebanding, the corner is very easy to ding. Fourth, most glues don't bond well to it, and if you do find a glue which bonds to melamine, the melamine easily peels off the particle board.

The one good thing about melamine is that it is very easily cleaned. Perhaps that's what your friend is after. If so, I suggest formica over plywood. That gets you the same easy cleaning, but none of the structural defects of melamine particle board.

[Greg Hines, MD]

My router table top is made of Melamine. It is about 30x36, and I reinforced it with the table frame and some cleats glued and screwed to the underside of the top. It does well for something small like this, and it is pretty rigid with the bracing.

I also made my wife a cutting table for her quilting with a Melamine top, banded with oak, held on with glue and screws that I hid behind buttons. She does not have nearly the weight on it that I suspect you would have, and I still glued cleats across the underside to stiffen it.

I think you could probably do it, but you will need plenty of strongbacks or other support under it. If I had to build a worktable or something that will have to support much of a load, I would use plywood and laminate instead.

Doc

[glenn bradley]

I think you would do better for your friend by making the table out of appropriate material and covering it with whatever melamine material he finds so desirable. Your PB will not hold together very long, especially if this will be folded and unfolded much.