Can you glue two 1/2 inch sheets of melamine together?

Thank you.

KR

Most of the "glue" companies make a special glue for gluing up Melamine but I guess that I would be concerned about it's adhesive power. Am I guessing correctly that you want to double-up the two pieces to make a thick table top? Good old Formica contact cement might be a better choice.

Yes, I was thinking of a router table top out of two 1/2 inch peices of melamine. You think they could be glued up with formica contact cement?

KR

Basically, yes. As Ray says the glue companies probably won't guarantee the joints..... If you use PVA (poly vinyl acetate)/yellow glue or PU (polyurethane) glue you will get a better mechanical bond if you scuff the surfaces to be glued with coarse sandpaper (P60 or P80 grit). If you try to glue two layest of melamine together with anything other than contact adhesive you may find that the sheets "squirm" about when you start to apply cramping pressure so it mmay be best to fix two guide strips to two of the edges to prevent this - always assuming that you have two raw particle board edges to play with.

Phil

contact adhesive it will be then.

Thansk

KR

Why don't you just glue it to a piece of plywood? The melamine probably has particle board or MDF for a substrate, you would get more strength from the ply and still have the smooth melamine surface.

I was at a woodworking show a few years back and came across a rep from Franklin Adhesives (Elmer's) who was selling melamine glue among others. I had a good talk about it and bought some. One of the most versatile glues I have ever used. It will glue melamine to just about anything else. The kicker is that one side must be porous so that the water base can "flash off" although it will glue small pieces of melamine to melamine because the water can eventually escape sideways. It is odd from other glues in that it is recommended that you do NOT clamp joints together. Brad nails are the best recommended practice, loose clamping next. I put some 1/2" birch sides on 5/8" melamine bottoms for sliding shelves and realized that I had made a measuring error and needed to take them apart. I split some of the birch doing it. It is a very rubbery bond. The biggest downside of using this glue is that NOTHING will take it off your hands. I've tried everything but toluene which I draw the line at.
If you are glueing the top sheet to plywood, etc., I recommend the melamine glue. If Melamine to melamine the contact cement might be better but you still have the same problem, the remaining solvent has to be able to escape through the gap between the sheets.

I am going to glue the 1/2 inch melamine to 1/2 mdf (or maybe baltic birch). I don't know if I can find that melamine glue you are referring to.

Will contact adhesive work for this?

KR

Hi Kelly - If you with contact cement, use the solvent based stuff if you can. I haven't had much luck with the waterbase. Maybe just me but I think not. If you are going plywood or MDF to Melamine, the porous side may need two coats of glue. The DAP Weldwood stuff has pretty good instructions.
Careful of the solvent based though, not only smelling nasty, the fumes are very explosive. Good Luck

My table is 2 pieces of 3/4 melamine. I brought the melamine to a cabinet shop and had them flat sand 1 side of each piece. I then used Titebond III and glued it together.

Al