Removing Glue from Formica?

[OPJ]

Hi guys,

I picked up a 10'x4' sheet of white Formica from Bristol Decorative Surfaces last week (only £34 including! - thanks, Andy :wink and, I've been able to work on the top for my new router table this weekend.

It was time using contact adhesive and, it went pretty well. But, as with most things I do, I've managed to glue all over the Formica on the face side. I reckon I could carefully scrape this away but does anyone have any other suggestions?

I have some Goo Gone from Axminster somewhere - will that work? There must be at least one person out there who's as messy as me...!

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Secondly. After routing the recess for my router table plate, despite going to the effort of making the jig, it's about 2mm wider than the actual plate! :shock: Aside from making a new top :roll:, does anyone have any thoughts on how I can solve this?

This is the Tilgear aluminium plate, where the grub screws in each corner attract to magnets set in to the recess below. Even with the router in place, I can shift the plate with my hand. It may be that it would stay still anyway... I suppose the easiest answer is to fit scraps of Formica around the edges?

Thanks for all your help,

Olly.

 

[Derek Willis.]

Olly,
Remove contact adhesive with Evo-stick cleaner, or as I do, Cellulose thinners, as for your plate aperture being oversize, why don't you formica a piece of board, cut it into strips, and then rout out the aperture a bit more to take the strips, that'd be my way.
Derek.

 

[OPJ]

Thanks Derek, I'll have a look for that later.

I like your idea on cutting strips too, thanks.

 

[CNC Paul]

White spirit

 

[Derek Willis.]

Olly,
A thought crossed my mind whilst I was busy just now, you will never be happy altering things, take off the formica, biscuit on new pieces of table, and redo do top.
Did you know that you should always do the edges first, so that the top covers the joint, over 40 years ago we used to build kitchens on site and used blockboard worktops covered with formica.
Derek.

 

[OPJ]

White spirit did the job in the end so, thanks for that.

Derek, I've managed to "wedge" the plate in place with some narrow scraps of Formica for the time being, kind of like you first suggested. It doesn't look neat but, it works for now. De-laminating and having to redo everything is just too much hassle for me, right now!

This is only a small benchtop model so, at some point in the future, I will probably replace it with a larger version - you could almost say it is a "practice piece"... :? :wink:

Yep, I biscuit-jointed on all the lippings to the MR MDF edges before laminating both faces with Formica.

Now, I need to get on with the rest of the unit - thanks again for your help!

 

[tsb]

I have just fitted the same router plate and have the same problem, with a 1 to 2mm gap larger than the plate. I've seemed to have solved the problem by putting the plate in place, with router attached, and filling the gap with a decent wood filler. I've left it over night and now there's no movement at all

 

[OPJ]

Thanks, I'll bear that in mind.

I've noticed one main problem with this plate so far - you can't quickly push the router upwards unless there's a great weight on the top of the plate. Fine adjustment works best.

 

[Derek Willis.]

May I just say, if I was cutting the recess for a plate(as I have done), I would lay the plate on the top in position, stick with hot melt glue, battens all round the plate, and cut the rebate to depth with a C.M.T. 12mm. milling cutter, with a top bearing of 12mm, this will give an accurate reproduction of size, the surplus can be removed later. Done this way it is impossible to over cut the recess.
Derek.

 

[OPJ]

Hi Derek. I did something quite similar, making a jig in the same way and fixing it on to a sheet of MDF so it can be used again. I used a guide bush and 1/2" cutter though and used scraps of laminate to get the offset.

Trouble is, not only did I slip a few times when routing the recess but, instead of halving the gap on each side I did it 2mm all round! :shock: :roll: To prevent the router from tipping inwards, as I jigsawed out the centre first, I now realise I should have stuck that back in place temporarily.

Oh well, we learn from our mistakes - I won't be making the same ones next time! :wink:

 

[Derek Willis.]

Olly,
That's the best about the milling cutter, you don't need an offset or bush.
derek.