Howdy all,
Been away from the 'Wreck for a few months - busy with other stuff and lost my motivation to work in the shop. Well, I am back at it with a vengence. Started slowly a few weeks ago and now I can't wait to get home from work and down in the shop each night. I finished up a bookshelf that I started some months ago and now I have 2 kids stools, a mechanic's seat, and two storage boxes in the works.
Anyway, looking ahead to my next project...
We have a kitchen table that has a metal wrought iron type base (actually aluminum) and a Formica-type laminate top. The top is in pretty bad condition so I want to replace it. The design of the table and the decore does not warrent a finished wood look, and I am not sure how to go about getting a glass/plexiglass top (also there is a leaf so I don't know if glass is even feasible). I want to make a new laminate top. I have seen Norm and others use contact cemement to on similar jobs and I feel this is within my skill range. Also we have found a suitable pattern at the local Borg and is within the price range for this project. My question is regarding the substrate. Should I use particle board (same as the current top) or instead use a good grade plywood.
The present table is round. With the leaf it is an oval that slightly smaller than a 4x8 sheet. The new top will have the same length and width, but will be square/rectangle. This will extend the top in the corners and give it a bit more mass. The particle board is double-thickness around the edges - about 2.5" - I'll use similar construction on the new top regardless of which material I use.
I know the main advantage of particle board is that it is cheap, and the disadvantage is that it is very heavy. I think that plywood is lighter and would be less likely to warp than the particle board. Is this a correct assumption? Any other pros/cons of ply vs. particle board for this application?
Looking ahead further I plan on making a music box for my daughter for the holidays. Anyone know of a good source for the internal movement?
Thanks.
-CJ