Help with laminating furniture

[Bruce Cohen]

I allowed myself to get "talked" into re-laminating my "older" daughter's bedroom furniture.

Currently it's covered in gloss white iaminate (came that way from factory). She would like it to be matte black (don't even ask why).

Bottom line, what's easier, removing existing laminate using contact cement thinner/cleaner or running a belt sander with a 80 grit belt over the existing laminate to roughten up the surface and then cementing new laminate over it.

The furniture is solidly build, so the carcasses are in excellent shape. I'll probably replace the false face drawer fronts as the existing ones are rounded over on the tops (post formed?) and make new square edged fronts. The existing laminate is in excellent shape, no dings or loose spots, so the problem of the old layer peeling up doesn't exist.

As the furniture is frameless, there won't be any problems (fit wise) excepting another layer of laminate.

Has anyone out there done this and what's the easier way to do this job, considering that I really don't want to in the first place, but can't afford new furniture which would be the easiest way.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Bruce

[Jim Boyd]

I could be mistaken but I think heat would work better on softening the contact glue.

[newbie2wood]

I had a piece of formica furniture that needed repair and the person that came to repair it used a heat gun to remove the damaged laminate.
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CANNABIS SEEDS

[just4funsies]

Heat will soften the cured contact cement and make the old laminate removable. I've seen an iron used in the absence of a heat gun, but it's slower. I've also seen new laminate installed over old, and it worked out pretty well.

[Russianwolf]

if the laminate is in good shape, not chipped, I'd just paint it with one of the plastic paints that are now available. Alot less bother, for the same look.

[linear]

if the laminate is in good shape, not chipped, I'd just paint it with one of the plastic paints that are now available. Alot less bother, for the same look.

Specifically, since you want black, vinyl dye is an excellent option. You'll want to run your own test pieces, but I've had outstanding results using "Plasti-kote Vinyl Color" and "Duplicolor Vinyl and Fabric Color" to dye plastics black. It's a very forgiving product, and the prep is easy.