Hi Ron,

One difference that I see, is that big box Melamine is usually fixed to cheap chip board.
Other, stronger materials may be sourced, probably.
Formica can be applied to any core material you desire, (BB ply, MDF, etc).

It depends on what you want to use the material for. Melamine may be quite suitable for many home projects, but I would not use it, unsupported, for a router table, for example.

 

What James said Melamine is more of a coating, like paint. At least for our purposes it is. Back in the 50's it was popular as cheap dinner ware so it can be had in sheets. McMaster-Carr carries it in 2'x2' sheets of varying thickness. 1/32" runs about $6/sq ft. Formica is a bit easier to get and very durable as well as slick. The melamine I've seen at the big box stores, as James pointed out, is more of a thin "paint" job of a melamine based product on a piece of particle board, 5/8" thick at my Home Depot. I don't find it to be particularly durable.

 

Melamine sheet thickness

What James said Melamine is more of a coating, like paint. At least for our purposes it is. Back in the 50's it was popular as cheap dinner ware so it can be had in sheets. McMaster-Carr carries it in 2'x2' sheets of varying thickness. 1/32" runs about $6/sq ft. Formica is a bit easier to get and very durable as well as slick. The melamine I've seen at the big box stores, as James pointed out, is more of a thin "paint" job of a melamine based product on a piece of particle board, 5/8" thick a t my Home Depot. I don't find it to be particularly durable.

MELAMINE SHEET THICKNESS: Fiber-glass reinforced Melamine sheet is available in various thicknesses (up to 20 mm; possibly more from some manufacturers). A 5 mm sheet of melamine laminated onto a 25-30 mm sheet of thoroughly sealed, moisture-resistant variety of MDF supported at ca. 300 mm intervals makes a very dimensionally-stable and robust router table. If you are building a large table it is probably best to let the 'pros' do the laminating (high-pressure, temperature-controlled cure) - Just order a bench-top.

 

Ron, most of the melamine products you will find is a paper thin coating and it does not stand up well. I am not aware of any manufacturer who uses this on their tables. Formica (or Laminex for our off shore friends) is durable, easy to apply and clean. Several companies use it on their tables. Smooth or textured does not matter, I have tried both with equal success. Just be sure it overhangs your wood and then you can trim it with your router.

 

It really doesn't matter. The surface is for looks, even a piece of plywood would work for a table top. Sure the other products will make the table a little slippery but that really isn't that much of an issue. What you want is something that will stay flat and is thick enough so that when you route out for your plate that there is still enough material left.

 

It really doesn't matter. The surface is for looks, even a piece of plywood would work for a table top.

Yep, that pretty much says it for me too. My top is 1/2" plywood (WELL supported by 2X4 chunks), and I am perfectly content with it. My previous tables also had plywood tops. :dance3:

 

Go to a cabinet shop and get either scrap countertops or sink cutouts. I get the cutouts for free. The tops might cost a few bucks but you will be able to get various sizes.

 

Thanks

Your input confirmed my suspicions. The comments helped clarify.

 

No difference, Formica is melamine. There is a difference between melamine impregnated plywood and Formica, a laminate, but for your application it is realistically insignificant.

 

Sorry to disagree with you Ray, but formica/arborite/laminex is several layers or resin impregnated kraft paper with a pattern layer and a clear ceramic based coating all bonded together under high pressure, hence the occasional designation HPL for high pressure laminate. Melamine is just a very durable coating. As pointed out, it doesn't stand up as well as HPL. Even when HPL starts to wear into the kraft paper layers it still wears very well. Here in Canada most hardware stores carry HPL cuttings that are 2'x4' for about $5 which make excellent router table tops.

 

Spot on. May be similar in appearance but markedly different in manufacturing and application.

 

Another way of putting all this is that "melamine" is plastic coated chipboard. Formica is a sheet material about 2mm thick which you glue to the substrate and lasts forever.

Note: use a "balancing layer" of Formica on the other side of the sheet, otherwise you will get substantial warping with humidity changes. (Yes, even with plywood).

 

Hi Dave

Actually almost all "Formica" is a lot thinner than 2mm - it comes in three main grades, grade 20/VGP or just "VG" (vertical grade), grade 12/HGP and grade 10/HGS or "HG" (both horizontal grades). grade 20/VGP, as the name implies is for vertical surfaces where llittle or no abrasive wear is expected, typical thickness is 0.7mm (0.26in). VG can be easily bent around tight curves. Grade 10/HGP is a postforming grade for horizontal surfaces and is a more rigid than grade 20 but it can still be bent around medium curves, typical thickness is 0.9mm (0.35in). Grade 12/HGS is the standard horizontal grade which can be bought in sheet form. It is a lot more rigid than Grades 20 and 12, typical thickness is 1.1mm (0.45in). It is difficult to bend around curves (all data taken from my Formica Installers handbook). Unless you are dealing with a specialist supplier all you will normally be offered is the Grade10/HGP quality

Agree with you about the need for a balancer sheet. On commercial jobs we often use a thin brown sheet sold for that purpose - on a hobby job I'd just go with the same for both surfaces

Either way a decorative laminate (which is what Formica is) will be harder weatring than any melamine surface coating which are typically well under 0.5mm thick

Regards

Phil

 

Charles; countertop mfgs. also, for their too short offcuts. (Not to mention mistakes)

 

Very true Dan. Some of the shops that make countertops would be only too glad to give you their ends or mistakes because they have to pay dumping fees otherwise. The guy that ran the cabinet shop I worked at for a while was so worried about paying dump fees that he had us slice up the ends for buildup for the edges.

 

Hi Ron! I just ran into Your post, and I might have something that You could use! I bought a 6 ft. long table top for computer, and shop use. I made my top for My router table from that. I have a piece that's about 34 in's by 24" of usable top left. It's sitting in My basement! It was made for industrial use, and is 1&1/4 inches thick. Covered with a laminate material, that is pretty tuff. Stuff weighs is heavy, a chipboard material that has worked very good for Me. I don't get down much to use Mine, but it is holding up great! If You would like it, just call Me, and I will get it up. If You come over, and pick it up, It is free!! I think the price is right, but You take a look and see if it works for You!

 

I used 3/4" Melamine shelf stock on my router table insert for my TS.

The plastic surface easily more than "paper thin", is nice and slick, and seems to be holding up fairly well. I did stack the 3/4" Melamine with some 1/2" MDF for rigidity. I would have used thicker but I had limited vertical space from where the supports need to be.

 

Welcome to the forum @Fractolier

 

G'day @Fractolier , welcome to the forum.
Would you like to tell us a bit about your router use and experience?