Particle Board Repair

Searcher7

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Jun 2, 2012, 4:41:55 PM6/2/12

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I have to repair an game cabinet by cutting off the bottom of the
cabinet sides and edge joining in replacement pieces and gluing
braces(pine boards) over the seams *inside* of the game cabinet.

Example:
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll257/Statenislander/Pole%20Position%20II%20Project/PolePositionII.jpg

My Cabinet:
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll257/Statenislander/Pole%20Position%20II%20Project/PPLB.jpg

I'm told the cabinet is made of "particle board":
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll257/Statenislander/Pole%20Position%20II%20Project/ParticleBoard.jpg

All I could find at Home Depot was Melamine covered with some sort of
laminate. If I can get the laminate off of one side I was wondering if
the Melamine was close enough to the original "particle board"
material for my use since the repair material should expand the same
way as what it is connected/glued to.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

dadiOH

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Jun 2, 2012, 4:59:21 PM6/2/12

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The laminate is melamine. What it is on is particle board. It can be
samded off buy why bother when you *can* buy particle board at HD. Or
Lowes. Or pretty much anywhere similar.

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dadiOH
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tiredofspam

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Jun 2, 2012, 5:16:19 PM6/2/12

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Sounds easy enough. Just by the melamine at HD and cut your cabinet
across. Use biscuits to align and glue. Add a ply backing to cover above
and below the seam inside , since as you suspected the particle board
joint will not be that strong.
Paint your stripes back on and you are done.

Or go to another HD and buy particle board. The Particle boards is
definetly at HD, sold in 4x8 sheets.

If you are going to paint the sides white then stripe, just use the
plywood and brace with ply. simple... wait for it to dry, spackle the
seam, dry, sand then paint.

You will have to screw from the outside toward the ply. That would be
stronger than from the ply to the particle board. Just make sure you pre
drill the particle board.

Sonny

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Jun 2, 2012, 6:38:53 PM6/2/12

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> ..... Use biscuits to align and glue. Add a ply backing to cover above

> and below the seam inside , since as you suspected the particle board
> joint will not be that strong.

Use a solid board, not particle board, to replace what you cut off.

Sonny

Kenefick

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Jun 2, 2012, 9:18:23 PM6/2/12

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Infuse the separation with glue and clamp. Use gravity and q-tips to
push it in as far as possible.

Mike in Ohio

John Grossbohlin

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Jun 2, 2012, 11:24:36 PM6/2/12

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"Searcher7" <Sear...@mail.con2.com> wrote in message
news:98d33e1e-6d12-4560...@e18g2000yqc.googlegroups.com...

I think I'd be inclined to cut off the bottom straight and square, make a
new patch piece to match the original size, and laminate another piece of
the same material to the inside. If there is a partition above the damage
I'd make the inside piece fit the entire space up to the partition. Glue
and screw the patch to the carcass and backer and fill the screw head holes.
It might be worth making a bevel on the outside edges of the butt joint and
fill it... even auto body filler... and sand. That would hide the seam
better than a raw butt joint...

There are various types of particle board and HD and other stores may not
have the exact match. That said, I'm not sure it matters too much for a
painted piece and expansion shouldn't be a material issue... it's not like
solid wood, it doesn't really move much unless it swells from being wet and
then it doesn't matter anyway.

John

Searcher7

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Jun 8, 2012, 11:39:02 PM6/8/12

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Ok. Thanks everyone.

From what I gather plywood would work as a reparation piece and that I
shouldn't worry about different expansion rates between different
materials.

I can only find 5/8" thick particle board at Home Depot and Lowes
anyway in the 2' x 4' size.

But I'm told hardwood boards over the seams for reinforcement would be
the way to go.

tiredofspam

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Jun 9, 2012, 1:53:12 PM6/9/12

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Actually the ply would be better for the seams.
No expansion contraction issues, no grain issues.

Searcher7

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Jun 9, 2012, 2:06:05 PM6/9/12

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Ok. So I guess it's best to use plywood for the repair and plywood to
brace.

Thanks.