Lowes wants $45.00 for a 4 x 8 sheet. Seems to me that's a bit high, but what do I know...........

That is not a bad price. The Formica and Wilsonart products run about the same. What are you going to do with it, and how large a piece do you need?

Bill, AMA 4720
WACO Brotherhood #1

I get mine from the local lumber yard where they make counter tops and they give me the cutoffs to make rib templates for hotwire foam cutting. I buy the foam from them.

I use the Ebony Star formica for bearing surfaces in telescopes that I build. Haven't found it for any less readily available than from the home centers. $45 is right on target....

Dan

If you’re not too particular about the color/style go to a shop in your area that builds laminate tops. Quite often you can purchase odd lots.

A cabinet manufacturer who is about 3 miles down the road gave me a scrap piece of 2 ft by 2 ft. I use it for odd shaped control horns.

WOW!!!!
I get a 4'x10' pice of formica for $15.00 at a local lumber/plywood close out place here in Green Bay.

Tom

If you look in the yellow pages under High Pressure Plastic Laminates you should find distributors of Wilsonart, Formica, Nevamar, and maybe others. These distributors sell to cabinet shops. They probably throw away more scrap than you could ever need.

Once again, before I quit answering you, tell me how much you need. I will find you a piece in the scrap trailer, and send it to you.

Bill, AMA 4720
WACO Brotherhood #1

Quit answering me? I was just asking a simple question if the price was in line. It was indicated in this thread that it seemed ok and in line. I figured guys in this forum might be able to better answer. To suggest that I might need some sort of hand out is ludicrous, for pictures of my building shop and what I'm into see www.my87.com/planes/shop

There are not many home shops out there that can even come close to my capabilities with 3 cnc machines, and a metal lathe amongst more traditional model building materials and tools.

How large of a piece do you need? I can probably pull a piece from the scrap pile for you.

Bill, AMA 4720
WACO Brotherhood #1

If you have a second hand shop in your area, a place that sells used windows doors ect, they might have some.

I believe he's looking for just the laminate (1/8" thick or so) and not countertops. It's used to make templates for cuttinf foam with a hot wire, as it's relatively easy to get a very smooth edge on it.

If you need some of the thicker formica (wilsonart may have to do), and they all offer the product in different thickness, let me know. We toss many square feet of the stuff every day. I would rather send it to someone who can use it, than send it to the landfill.

If I came across as being confrontational, or abrupt in the post that was deleted, please accept my apology. I never intended to seem that way.

Bill, AMA 4720
WACO Brotherhood #1

Actually, my apologies. I don't post in this forum very much, but interact with the jets forum routinely. I did a quick search on formica in this forum and didn't come up with much, so just thought I'd ask a quick question, get a quick answer.

I use a CNC router to make quick templates out of formica for a custom built scratch jet, but make the wings with a CNC foam cutter. I was hoping that per square foot, the formica would be cheaper than say lite ply as some of the large light ply airfoils that I cut out, are not straight enough to really use what I intended to use them for, so wanted to give formica a try. Anyway, I went and bought a couple big sheets, no big deal.

Just let me know if you need some scrap pieces. As I said, I scrap several square feet each day. If you are making templates, then the thinner stuff should work for you. It appears that you know that the laminate routs easily, and is pretty stern stuff for things like former templates, rib temnplates etc.

Bill, AMA 4720
WACO Brotherhood #1