On Tuesday, September 9, 2014 5:08:46 PM UTC-4, Sixtwozero Seveneightsixfive wrote:
> where can I get a sheet of Melamine cut down to a specific size?
> What I am looking to do is cut down a sheet of Melamine to be used as desktop, that will be placed on top of two trestles. I want a specific size because I want the desktop to fill a specific area---it will go to the wall.
First, make a plywood tabletop that's the right size and shape. The edges
need to be smooth and will be visible in the final product. Then, laminate the
Melamine (or, as others have suggested) Formica/Micarta (intended for heavy
desktop/tabletop use) over the base. I'd use contact cement for this part.
Then, using a router with a guided bit, trim the excess laminate to match the base.
The big-box stores can sell you a 4x4' chunk of 'butcherblock' solid wood,
and can do some kind of cutdown at the store, but that'll be short of
real furniture quality.
If you are trying to match a wall, it's useful to plan on a final bit of trim molding
that can cover the inevitable crack (walls are rarely straight and meet at
artists' interpretation of a 'right angle').