# Help finishing laminate table top with wood edge



## mrmossy (Aug 15, 2011)

I am building a laminate table top about 3' x 2'. The top itself is 3/4" MDF covered with a Formica laminate. The edge of the table is going to be 3/4" oak that is about 1-1/2" high. The oak is going to be stained and finished. The top will look very similar to this:

http://www.seatingexpert.com/Proddet.asp?ProdID=475

The question is - do I stain/finish the edging before or after I attach it? If I attach all the edging and then stain/finish I risk getting stain and finish on the laminate since it will be joined right up next to it. If I stain/finish all the edging before attaching then if a joint doesn't fit perfectly I won't be able to sand it out.

I am leaning towards attaching all the edging and getting a perfect fit, then taping off the laminate and hoping for the best. Opinions?


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## troyd1976 (Jul 26, 2011)

If your laminate is fairly smooth, you will be OK taping it off preventing the stain from getting to the laminate. I'd use 3M 2020 (its a high tack yellow tape as opposed to the blue tape that is low tack) masking tape, and when you do so take a flexible putty knife at about a 10 deg. angle and drag it along the tape to seat it. 
With the 2020 most of the time it will show a color variation between where its stuck down good and not stuck. Develops a bit of transparency when you have it well seated.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

troyd1976 said:


> If your laminate is fairly smooth, you will be OK taping it off preventing the stain from getting to the laminate. I'd use 3M 2020 (its a high tack yellow tape as opposed to the blue tape that is low tack) masking tape, and when you do so take a flexible putty knife at about a 10 deg. angle and drag it along the tape to seat it.
> With the 2020 most of the time it will show a color variation between where its stuck down good and not stuck. Develops a bit of transparency when you have it well seated.


+1. I always stain after in that situation. Most laminates can be cleaned with lacquer thinner or acetone if the stain leaks, or you slip up.












 







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## troyd1976 (Jul 26, 2011)

+1 on the thinner, as a painter for a living theres not many problems in the world i don't feel can be cured simply with some lacquer thinner, lol.


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## slicksqueegie (Feb 9, 2011)

If your using wood edging on a formica table. Install the edging before the laminate. Then cover the whole top with the Formica. Trim/route the edges. Then stain and finish.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

slicksqueegie said:


> If your using wood edging on a formica table. Install the edging before the laminate. Then cover the whole top with the Formica. Trim/route the edges. Then stain and finish.


This sounds like you are suggesting to add the wood edge to the substrate, and the top of the wood is flush (or made flush) with the substrate. Then to laminate the top over the wood, and then trim the edge off the laminate.

In this case the laminate would still have to be filed smooth to the wood. Or a profile type bit used to add a detail to the edge.

Or, if the wood is to be added so the top edge is flush with the added laminate, and the wood is added to the edges first, fitting in a piece of laminate would be difficult to get perfect. The usual method for this procedure would be to laminate the substrate, and rout the laminate flush to the edge of the substrate. Then use a hand block sander and dress the edge clean, so there's a nice sharp edge of the laminate at 90 degrees to the edge. Then glue on the edging slightly high to the laminate. Then rout the wood edge to the laminate flush with a trim bit. If still needing dressing, a scraper will dress it flush.

Then it can be left square cornered, radiused with a roundover bit, or an edge profile added to the wood with a bit with a bearing. Staining after, provides the opportunity to dress the wood if imperfect, and then stain. That's just the way I do it. 












 







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## mrmossy (Aug 15, 2011)

Thanks for the suggestions, very helpful!


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