Help redoing table

no_Wedge · 09-10-2011, 01:26 PM

I have a dining table that used to have a veneer surface on it, but it is damaged through the veneer to the particle board under. I was wondering what material I could use to completely resurface it.
I was thinking veneer, but locally only comes in 2feet wide; the table however is 3.5ft by 5ft long.
the material is basically a large piece of particle board supported by pine underneath. Any ideas? the cheaper the better.

Jackofall1 · 09-10-2011, 01:39 PM

A 4' x 8' sheet of 1/4" finished oak plywood.

Mark

sdsester · 09-10-2011, 01:53 PM

It has wood veneer or something like formica? Can you get it all off to have one new surface to start from? You say particle board over pine but that confuses me?

You should be able to get wood veneer wider than 2' but you can butt the strips next to each other if you have a nice surface underneath. If it is a particle board top? Is the table worth putting walnut or whatever veneer on top of it?

Can you live with a piece of plastic laminate like formica? That would be your cheapest option. You can get it from a kitchen supplier and (argh, gasp, ick) from a box store in large sheets and just about any color or simulated surface you can imagine. Toss a tablecloth over it when company comes and you feel you have to hide it and you are good to go for a few more years.

A rectangular table top like yours would not be hard to deal with unless you have complex rounded edges or something. You put contact cement on the prepped table top and the back of the laminate. After it dries tacky, especially if working your own, cover the top with wax paper or use dowels. You need to float the laminate above the surface until you get it placed because if the contact cement sides come in contact with each other you will not get them apart. Pull the wax paper or dowels out of the way and use a flooring roller or something similar to press the laminate to the top. Stick a sharp laminate bit in a router and trim the top to size.

Repeat for the edges if they are square and need help too.

This is truly a perfect DIY project.

Another option for a table your size is to replace the top. You should be able to pick up a nice solid hardwood (or nicely built hollow core) door at an architectural salvage yard and refinish it cheaper than buying veneer? Even panel doors with glass tops can make nice dining tables if the legs on your thing are either interesting or beyond noticing when people are looking at it when eating.

If the table base is nice, even a piece of marble cut from an architectural boneyard piece of wall paneling would not cost you that much over a bit to trim and polish the edges. I made some great table tops and fireplace mantel shelves out of marble from an old US mint building once. The stone was headed for the dumpster so I got it for free.

no_Wedge · 09-10-2011, 04:12 PM

the table is old wood veneer attached to a piece of thick particle board, the pine is only on the sides for support i'm guessing. The corners are 45degree corners, so there will have to be some routing. And I want to cover the sides as well since there is particle board showing.

Plastic laminates are out of the picture, as i don't mind counter tops with them, but tables I can't stand.
I like the door idea, but also the plywood seems easier.

I do remember i have some cabinet grade meranti plywood if it's still usable I could cement it to the wood. Is it possible to use it on the sides as well and use the router to make it rounded off? I've never worked with the stuff.

Ron6519 · 09-10-2011, 07:25 PM

When I built the kitchen cabinets I bought a 4x8 sheet of birch veneer from a company called Flexible Materials Inc., in Jeffersonville, Indiana. As I remember it ran about $55.00 plus shipping.