Bending formica and Templac/tempil stick
| Hi again everyone, I’m in the process now of making a cabinet/kneel hole/counter top desk to support the HO’s laptop computer. Trouble is they want the counter top for this thing to match the existing countertop, post form and all. Back when I worked in a laminate shop, we used either a Templac paint or a tempil stick crayon to mark the face of the laminate. Then we used a large heating element to heat up the formica. When the Templac paint changed color, we knew it was safe to bend. So my questions are: Where do I find this Templac paint? What temperature range am I looking for in order to successfully bend laminate? Do I need this large heating element to bend or can I get by with a heat gun? Will it be able to take a sharp radius like the ones on the original post formed counters? Am I better off just going to a counter top shop and having them make this little 2ft X 2ft counter and backsplash vs. buying the laminate, particle board, contact cement, and heat gun or element? Thanks for your input! I posted this on Breaktime too. | |
Replies
How much will you have in this pidly counter top? I would probably try to find a fabricator who could make it for me. You can probably earn several times as much in the time it takes to make it, as you will pay for it. Do what you do best. sub the rest!
It's been a long time since I used the heat crayons. They were available through wholesale distributors of laminates. The laminate that we used for postform construction is different than sheet laminate. It's thinner and made for forming. Heating regular laminate with a heat gun is very difficult to control. It's easy to overheat and spoil the face, and hard to get even heat over a surface.
This is definitely a job for specialized equipment. If I understand your post, you are looking for a postform countertop. These are the pre-made type with a rounded, raised front edge and a bent corner that progresses up the rounded top backsplash. If you also need a cutout that is finished with the bull nose edge, I think you will have a challenge finding that. If you just need a straight length of postform, check with the industrial distributors for Formica, Wilsonart, etc.. If you can find the color in a sheet, chances are there may be a postformed version available.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
Edited 5/22/2005 9:24 am ET by Hammer
thanks guys appreciate your input.
probably go around to some counter shops this week to get some prices.
Chills
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