My dad used to bring scraps of this same product home from the boat factory in the 70s back then it was white on one side wood grain picture on the other side and solid core no mdf core. They built the cabins out with it. He always called it Marine grade and it was awesome to work with very hard flat and durable. Can’t wait to find it available again.
Thanks Mark. This is absolutely a game changer in using melamine. It's about time. This will make things so much better in all the applications you mentioned. Thanks again.
Where can we purchase 4 ft x 8 ft sheets? Also, how does the cost compare to 4x8 melamine? HD sells the 3/4 inch 4x8 ft melamine for $44. Your site has pieces (that don't add up to a 4x8 sheet for $129 or more (depending on the size chosen). Is it really worth triple (or more) the cost of standard melamine? Inquiring minds want to know! 😂
Good info. The big downside other than it being a lot more expensive is that you lose the stability of particleboard. You can usually rely on it always being dead flat, but you can’t with plywood. Also, I cut melamine with my normal crosscut blade or miter saw and get zero chip out. Good quality blades make a huge difference.
I'd guess that the loss of stability is minimal because the melamine blocks moisture absorption on the faces, and any absorption on unfinished edges is more or less symmetric through the depth. Still would be good to test though.
@@jeremyprovonsil7886 Even good baltic birch I would get back before the pandemic would be prone to some cupping. You have to spend a lot to get plywood that won't cup at least some, and most will cup a lot. Given the price of this plywood with a melamine top layer I have to assume it's not the best quality. Just saying it you need dead flat, this may not be the best option. The particle board stuff can be dead flat, very cheap, and very strong and sturdy as long as it's used for stationary builds like cabinets, table tops, etc. In the example he used with his kid's desk, it was actually a waste to use it on that when it's just for a stationary desk top that was edged with a hardwood anyway. It would have been much cheaper for him to use the particle board stuff and you would never know the difference.
I wish you would produce more content. Love what you provide! Nonetheless, when i see an upload i watch it immediately. Thank you for the great content.
Love it! I’ve been making my own in a sense for jigs and shop furniture by laminating my preferred Formica to Baltic birch (that I always get from Woodworkers Source) but that takes time. This will be a huge time saver for me!!
You didn't mention price, which is important when building a project. From your website, it looks like about a 10% price difference, depending on size/quantity. Not a huge difference for a single project, and IMO worth it if the price difference isn't make or break for whether you can afford the material at all, but still something I'd have expected from one of your videos. Even mentioning that it's a new(ish) product and currently more expensive (I'm talking base price, not introductory sales price), but it's possible it could become cheaper over time, would have been nice.
In Australia there's a version of this TFL-plywood (black) sold for cement forms. It's amazing for woodworking, and the cire is typically great quality.
Interesting product, I may take a look at it. QUESTION: I see you have the Delta duct collector, I have the same model and like it. Have you ever needed to get a new pleated filter for it? I want to get a spare and can’t find one anywhere! Thanks!
I seen this stuff on a woodworking TH-cam channel over in I think Northern Europe several years ago. If that stuff is available in the US now I’ll look it up again. Thanks for making the video to let us know, the desk came out awesome!
When 3/4 plywood hit $80 at Home Depot I used melamine for my cabinet/counter/workbench project. It worked great, but, DANG! is it HEAVY!! I even ironed on white plastic over the end grain. Nice stuff, holds wood screws great, just take a buddy with you to pick it up. !
Their web page doesn't seem to allow for getting 4'x8' sheets but instead have packs of uniform sized pieces cut from a 4'x8' (e.g. 4 pcs 24"x46") for $119. I would have guessed that it was just based on assuming that they had to ship them to you and that you would be able to get sheets in the stores but it's listed as an "online exclusive". Hopefully Mark can provide a real answer.
Am building a camper trailer pod to sit over (not on top) of 4’x6’ box trailer. Used the melamine ply for the inside surface. Outside I avoided fibreglass and went for Titebonded calico for waterseal then a denim outer soaked in a “polymer”. Am old and retired just messin about....will make a great coffee vendor kiosk.
This looks great! Love it. Id use it for tons of things if it were available to me. Melamine with particle board core=stuff that I dont want to ever bring into my shop. Melamine and MDF on the other hand would have my attention.
I've been using particle board cored melamine since the early 90's. I used to swing a full sheet of 3/4" up on the table saw with no problems. Now that I'm getting a little older, that stuff has gotten much heavier (gotta weigh 200-300 lbs per sheet by now😁). The weight savings might make a full sheet manageable again. I do have one question. Will the iron on melamine edge banding work with this?
Convenient product, and much much better than particle board. This isn't Ikea stuff right? lol. I've also used Formica on MDF for certain shop surfaces. Like for a workbench where you want some heft, you can grab either one sheet of 3/4" MDF or laminate 2 sheets for even more heft and then glue on a sheet of Formica. I'm not sure how much difference there is in durability and thickness between Formica and the material that comes on these boards. All I know is a sheet of Formica on its own costs more than an 8x4 sheet of MDF or birch ply. So more expensive and less convenient but you can get any color and might be a thicker material.
what do you do about the unfinished edges? If I want to use this to make shelves, I dont want the plywood edges to show. So what do you do to finish the edges?
Laminated plywood is very common where I live. And I have been working with it for years. (as a home owner, not a contractor) While I agree it's superior to laminated particle board, I think some of the advantages are overstated. a) I find that it chips when it's cut. Not as much as the particle board, especially because it usually has thicker laminate. b) you cant glue laminated ply to laminated ply, because much of the glue area will have laminate on it. You would have to cut the laminate off at the glue area for that.
Mark, this really looks like a better alternative sheet product for different applications pending the desired end look one is after. Your desk looks great and is a perfect for your daughter. I could see this being a great drawer box material as well and would look cool with dove-tailed joinery as long as the ply core voids are minimal at most. What are your thoughts on thickness consistency across the sheet? Industry wide, shops that use CNC routers are cautious about using ply-core materials since thickness variations can create havoc pending the sheet mfr source and species of ply material and is one reason mdf and PB cores are still the mainstay. This almost appears to be a Baltic Birch ply core from what I can tell from the video. Thoughts?
This video is very good. If you use the Kunlun tooth saw blade we developed, you can achieve higher results. The Kunlun tooth can make the upper and lower sides without chipping, bursting, or cracking.
Can you edge band this product, and how does it work if you apply wood glue to an edge of the wood on one surface and the melamine on the other edge, and can this be painted? Thanks so much
Great video as always Mark. Thanks for sharing didn’t know about this definitely going to check it out looking into building a workbench think this would be great for some of that build. Wish you guys had a story in Denver.
I like this style of video - shows benefits vs alternatives and shows real uses. Wondering if there are any plans to offer 4x8 sheets even if that means packing and shipping fees. And will there ever be 1/2" | 12mm available? Other colors?
I'll definitely pick up a sheet next time I'm at your store! I've used the melamine with the particle board core and it's aweful. This looks like it would be great for jigs and garage cabinets. Thanks for the tips on using it!
This is awesome, except you used the same kind of void-filled plywood (I see lots of voids in this video) that you get at the big box stores. Experience shows that stuff potato chips like mad, and the voids have been a real problem for me in the past. :( Any chance of you all doing another shot at this using a higher quality plywood?
wow thank you for introducing me to this. never heard of it before. is it in the big box stores? Also I like your presentation. Hope you're the guy I see on WWS vids. Subscribing.
Thx for the sub! I am the guy in the vids. But if you want to buy this at a big box store instead of supporting WWS, I have absolutely failed FFS *throws phone*
@@WoodworkersSourcecom that’s strange because I refuse to buy white in products like this including melamine, my personal bias would assume black would sell better lol I’d use it for work surfaces though.
I would love to use this but none of the timber merchants in the UK stock it and a full sheet of 18mm is 243 US dollars here in the uk. I just looked it up.
Honestly I think this would be a good candidate for making reptile enclosures especially if the cores are or were made with water resistant plys just because of the humidity, but either way the plywood core would be better than the press wood.
Great material if the laminate is really good and the core is multi leaf plywood. I have not seen any for years although it was common thirty years + ago. Always break the edges on this stuff . It can cut you like a knife.
Man i gotta find some of this! Ive been using melanine for alot of surfaces lately as we are a spill and scratch prone family, and i would love something a little easier to work with!
Except you didn't talk about the number one reason folks use melamine imo. Is Cost? I'm sure that's more expensive then the particle board version. I never even seen it or heard of it till now and have worked in a few cabinet shops
So many questions about this product: 1) what is the “hardwood” wood species of the core? Birch? Baltic Birch? Other? 2) do you make it, or distribute it? 3) if you only distribute this, what is the country of origin? 4) is the plywood glue exterior grade? 5) is this just another name for phenolic plywood, or is this truly melamine plywood 6) this is more of a comment- if this is truly just plywood with a virtually identical melamine-type skin, logic would dictate that because cutting MDF core melamine without a scoring saw produces chipout and cutting plywood core melamine without a scoring saw does not produce chipout, then the core of the melamine board is the real factor for chipout. Perhaps an even more economical and high quality sheet good would be an MDF core with an outer skin of one plywood ply faced with melamine. Idk if this is technically feasible, I’m not a wood product engineer. But if it is, then we get an even more economical sheet with superior workability and also could come in thicker sizes for counters, tables and other furniture.
Grab a pack and get more technical details here: www.woodworkerssource.com/melamine/34-premium-poplar-hardwood-ply-core-white-melamine-pack.html
Count on Mark to inform and teach the woodworking community. The best support on the net. Love the way he delivers the information.
I appreciate that thanks!
I wish he would produce more content. Friggin love his stuff!
Just found him and as a former carpentry instructor, loves his approach
My dad used to bring scraps of this same product home from the boat factory in the 70s back then it was white on one side wood grain picture on the other side and solid core no mdf core. They built the cabins out with it. He always called it Marine grade and it was awesome to work with very hard flat and durable. Can’t wait to find it available again.
so beside your site with the link, where else can this stuff be found in large 4x8 sheets?
Thanks Mark. You are SPOT ON!
I have a bunch of this material and it's everything you say it is.
I love what you can do with this!
Your daughter’s desk turned out, as she might say, AWESOME!
Wonder if it would work well for a Murphy bed?
It's a great product thank you Mark
I built an library shelving for a private school out of plywood core melamine. Great part for the school is that it cleans easily.
Thanks Mark. This is absolutely a game changer in using melamine. It's about time. This will make things so much better in all the applications you mentioned.
Thanks again.
Thanks Mark…. Love the desk and all the good information.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Where can we purchase 4 ft x 8 ft sheets? Also, how does the cost compare to 4x8 melamine? HD sells the 3/4 inch 4x8 ft melamine for $44. Your site has pieces (that don't add up to a 4x8 sheet for $129 or more (depending on the size chosen). Is it really worth triple (or more) the cost of standard melamine? Inquiring minds want to know! 😂
Plain 3/4 plywood in canada is 110$ a sheet, 3/4 melamine is 60$, I wonder how much this stuff is if you can eve find it! Pvc sheet is triple here too
Thanx for the tip. What a beautiful desk!
Good info. The big downside other than it being a lot more expensive is that you lose the stability of particleboard. You can usually rely on it always being dead flat, but you can’t with plywood.
Also, I cut melamine with my normal crosscut blade or miter saw and get zero chip out. Good quality blades make a huge difference.
I'd guess that the loss of stability is minimal because the melamine blocks moisture absorption on the faces, and any absorption on unfinished edges is more or less symmetric through the depth.
Still would be good to test though.
This is a high quality 8 ply, I’ve had zero issues with it being dead flat.
Not to mention plywood is almost exclusively cross-laminated, hence the typical inherent stability of nicer plywoods.
@@jeremyprovonsil7886 Even good baltic birch I would get back before the pandemic would be prone to some cupping. You have to spend a lot to get plywood that won't cup at least some, and most will cup a lot. Given the price of this plywood with a melamine top layer I have to assume it's not the best quality. Just saying it you need dead flat, this may not be the best option.
The particle board stuff can be dead flat, very cheap, and very strong and sturdy as long as it's used for stationary builds like cabinets, table tops, etc. In the example he used with his kid's desk, it was actually a waste to use it on that when it's just for a stationary desk top that was edged with a hardwood anyway. It would have been much cheaper for him to use the particle board stuff and you would never know the difference.
I wish you would produce more content. Love what you provide! Nonetheless, when i see an upload i watch it immediately. Thank you for the great content.
Working on it!
Do you have the plans for the desk? Looks amazing!
Love it! I’ve been making my own in a sense for jigs and shop furniture by laminating my preferred Formica to Baltic birch (that I always get from Woodworkers Source) but that takes time. This will be a huge time saver for me!!
Thanks fpr sharing. Ill definately be looking at this . How does this compare to birch plywood for cabinets
I agree. Love this stuff.
Definitely unaware before this video. Great production as always and I'm already thinking of projects I could put together with this stuff.
Same, once I found it I started planning a bunch of new shop upgrades
You didn't mention price, which is important when building a project. From your website, it looks like about a 10% price difference, depending on size/quantity. Not a huge difference for a single project, and IMO worth it if the price difference isn't make or break for whether you can afford the material at all, but still something I'd have expected from one of your videos. Even mentioning that it's a new(ish) product and currently more expensive (I'm talking base price, not introductory sales price), but it's possible it could become cheaper over time, would have been nice.
Will different color melamine become an option in the future?
In Australia there's a version of this TFL-plywood (black) sold for cement forms. It's amazing for woodworking, and the cire is typically great quality.
Interesting product, I may take a look at it. QUESTION: I see you have the Delta duct collector, I have the same model and like it. Have you ever needed to get a new pleated filter for it? I want to get a spare and can’t find one anywhere! Thanks!
This one is actually a Laguna. Haven’t needed to replace the filter yet though
yeah awesome but can’t find it anywhere Lowes or Home Depot doesn’t carry it?
I had no clue this existed - I'll keep it in mind next time I place an order on your site!
Definitely going to order some of this for a project I'm working on right now! Thanks for the great info!
I seen this stuff on a woodworking TH-cam channel over in I think Northern Europe several years ago. If that stuff is available in the US now I’ll look it up again. Thanks for making the video to let us know, the desk came out awesome!
When 3/4 plywood hit $80 at Home Depot I used melamine for my cabinet/counter/workbench project.
It worked great, but, DANG! is it HEAVY!! I even ironed on white plastic over the end grain. Nice
stuff, holds wood screws great, just take a buddy with you to pick it up.
!
Hey Mark. What's the cost of 18mm 4x8 on this? Does it come in other colors? Thanks, and happy new year!
Their web page doesn't seem to allow for getting 4'x8' sheets but instead have packs of uniform sized pieces cut from a 4'x8' (e.g. 4 pcs 24"x46") for $119. I would have guessed that it was just based on assuming that they had to ship them to you and that you would be able to get sheets in the stores but it's listed as an "online exclusive". Hopefully Mark can provide a real answer.
Thank you. Just ordered some for a Mitre Saw station top I'm building. Looking forward to seeing how this turns out.
Hope you enjoy it!
Thx for the order, sincerely appreciate it
Am building a camper trailer pod to sit over (not on top) of 4’x6’ box trailer. Used the melamine ply for the inside surface. Outside I avoided fibreglass and went for Titebonded calico for waterseal then a denim outer soaked in a “polymer”. Am old and retired just messin about....will make a great coffee vendor kiosk.
I wish I knew about this. I need to figure out where I want to use it. I have two of the particle core melamine sheets.
This looks great! Love it. Id use it for tons of things if it were available to me.
Melamine with particle board core=stuff that I dont want to ever bring into my shop. Melamine and MDF on the other hand would have my attention.
We'll ship it right to your door
I've been using particle board cored melamine since the early 90's. I used to swing a full sheet of 3/4" up on the table saw with no problems. Now that I'm getting a little older, that stuff has gotten much heavier (gotta weigh 200-300 lbs per sheet by now😁). The weight savings might make a full sheet manageable again.
I do have one question. Will the iron on melamine edge banding work with this?
Yes, it'll work great
@@WoodworkersSourcecom
Thanks
Wow. I want some and I don’t even have a project to use it on!
Convenient product, and much much better than particle board. This isn't Ikea stuff right? lol. I've also used Formica on MDF for certain shop surfaces. Like for a workbench where you want some heft, you can grab either one sheet of 3/4" MDF or laminate 2 sheets for even more heft and then glue on a sheet of Formica. I'm not sure how much difference there is in durability and thickness between Formica and the material that comes on these boards. All I know is a sheet of Formica on its own costs more than an 8x4 sheet of MDF or birch ply. So more expensive and less convenient but you can get any color and might be a thicker material.
what do you do about the unfinished edges? If I want to use this to make shelves, I dont want the plywood edges to show. So what do you do to finish the edges?
White iron on edge tape or solid wood edging will work great.
Laminated plywood is very common where I live. And I have been working with it for years. (as a home owner, not a contractor)
While I agree it's superior to laminated particle board, I think some of the advantages are overstated.
a) I find that it chips when it's cut. Not as much as the particle board, especially because it usually has thicker laminate.
b) you cant glue laminated ply to laminated ply, because much of the glue area will have laminate on it. You would have to cut the laminate off at the glue area for that.
Mark, this really looks like a better alternative sheet product for different applications pending the desired end look one is after. Your desk looks great and is a perfect for your daughter. I could see this being a great drawer box material as well and would look cool with dove-tailed joinery as long as the ply core voids are minimal at most. What are your thoughts on thickness consistency across the sheet? Industry wide, shops that use CNC routers are cautious about using ply-core materials since thickness variations can create havoc pending the sheet mfr source and species of ply material and is one reason mdf and PB cores are still the mainstay. This almost appears to be a Baltic Birch ply core from what I can tell from the video. Thoughts?
Totally understood about CNC concerns. The core plys will have some overlaps, it's not quiiiite as pristine as Baltic birch. But close.
This video is very good. If you use the Kunlun tooth saw blade we developed, you can achieve higher results. The Kunlun tooth can make the upper and lower sides without chipping, bursting, or cracking.
That's a really nice desk.
Nice vid. After a quick scan I didn't see this question. Is the core void free like baltic birch?
It's close but not perfect
wow this is good stuff (and new to me). Mark how long is this on sale for?
Can you edge band this product, and how does it work if you apply wood glue to an edge of the wood on one surface and the melamine on the other edge, and can this be painted? Thanks so much
The wood glue combo works fine, back it up with a 18 ga brad if you’re really concerned. You can actually paint it, but you should prime it.
Great video as always Mark. Thanks for sharing didn’t know about this definitely going to check it out looking into building a workbench think this would be great for some of that build. Wish you guys had a story in Denver.
This would be great but its extremely hard to source any of it in my area.
I like this style of video - shows benefits vs alternatives and shows real uses. Wondering if there are any plans to offer 4x8 sheets even if that means packing and shipping fees. And will there ever be 1/2" | 12mm available? Other colors?
Unfortunately can't ship full sheets, you'd have to buy 15 or more sheets just for the shipping to be equal to the material 😥
Any chance you could provide more info on dimensions and manner of construction for your daughter’s great desk? Thanks, Dan
It sounds like a winner!
Thank you, great suggestion to use for.
I'll definitely pick up a sheet next time I'm at your store! I've used the melamine with the particle board core and it's aweful. This looks like it would be great for jigs and garage cabinets. Thanks for the tips on using it!
It'll definitely be worth grabbing a couple of pieces next time you are down. Hope you are doing well Lori! - Corey
When I search for this in my market, what do I search for?
This is awesome, except you used the same kind of void-filled plywood (I see lots of voids in this video) that you get at the big box stores. Experience shows that stuff potato chips like mad, and the voids have been a real problem for me in the past. :(
Any chance of you all doing another shot at this using a higher quality plywood?
So I'm curious about what the price comparison is
Looks much better.
Thanks for that! I would make a great plane sled! Ordered a bunch of cherry, mahogany, and walnut from you guys and it's been great!
Right on! I made a new sled for my plane too 👏
Need to make a cross cut sled and a couple jigs. Looks like a trip to the Tempe store is in my near future!
wow thank you for introducing me to this. never heard of it before. is it in the big box stores? Also I like your presentation. Hope you're the guy I see on WWS vids. Subscribing.
Thx for the sub! I am the guy in the vids. But if you want to buy this at a big box store instead of supporting WWS, I have absolutely failed FFS *throws phone*
I need whole sheets, where?
Okay so I have found several three headed unicorns, but still have never run across this stuff. Where do you get it?
This is a little embarrassing to have to say it, but the good folks at Woodworkers Source have it 😇
Will it be offered in black at some point?
Probably. Black is a slow seller for us, so it’s a lower priority. What do you use it for?
@@WoodworkersSourcecom that’s strange because I refuse to buy white in products like this including melamine, my personal bias would assume black would sell better lol I’d use it for work surfaces though.
Thanks Mark. Gorgeous desk.
This is interesting. Is it available in other colors (like black)?
Not yet
Can this material do miter lock joint for drawers?
Sure thing
I would love to use this but none of the timber merchants in the UK stock it and a full sheet of 18mm is 243 US dollars here in the uk. I just looked it up.
What's the cost?
Wish I could find this in Southern California
Does it come in 4'x8' sheets?
It does, we just can't ship full sheets
Excellent! I'm a noob and learning... this is great; didn't even know this existed? And I'm in Phx so probably see you guys soon for some of this.
Awesome, can't wait to see you
Would be super interested in black. Is it available?
Not yet, but coming
Game changer. Great information. Thanks
Honestly I think this would be a good candidate for making reptile enclosures especially if the cores are or were made with water resistant plys just because of the humidity, but either way the plywood core would be better than the press wood.
Edge banding should stick to the plywood better than the particle board too.
Good point
Great info .
I just bought melamine particle board 2 weeks ago and built my wife two crafting tables! If I only knew Obi-Wan this existed!
Dang it! Should have got this one out two weeks ago!
This is amazing. I might use this for a media center wall so that I don't have to paint the interior of the carcass.
That's the spirit! 👍
Great material if the laminate is really good and the core is multi leaf plywood. I have not seen any for years although it was common thirty years + ago. Always break the edges on this stuff . It can cut you like a knife.
agreed
Very cool.
Great review! But what about cost?
Good question! It’s more than particle board 😬
Uncle Mark, your job is really cool! -Penny
u sold me. and i do like that desk frame
Moved here in south Italy and is called multi strada and is wonderful stuff. 🇨🇦🇮🇹
Love it!!!!
what is the price difference ?\
There’s no difference, just a multiple. It’s twice as much. 😬
This is sick
Man i gotta find some of this! Ive been using melanine for alot of surfaces lately as we are a spill and scratch prone family, and i would love something a little easier to work with!
We've got it and ship right to you
Other colors?
I'd really like to try some of that. To bad the shipping would be outrageous
Edit: well color me surprised. Free shipping to my door. Nice.
You better believe it!
As usual on this channel, fantastic video. Too bad we can’t get your stuff in Canada :-(
Maybe one day!
Maybe one day!
Except you didn't talk about the number one reason folks use melamine imo. Is Cost? I'm sure that's more expensive then the particle board version. I never even seen it or heard of it till now and have worked in a few cabinet shops
It’s 2x as much as particle core.
Those splintered edges were always the main drawback for using traditional melamine. Those splintered edges slice the hell outta your fingers
So many questions about this product:
1) what is the “hardwood” wood species of the core? Birch? Baltic Birch? Other?
2) do you make it, or distribute it?
3) if you only distribute this, what is the country of origin?
4) is the plywood glue exterior grade?
5) is this just another name for phenolic plywood, or is this truly melamine plywood
6) this is more of a comment- if this is truly just plywood with a virtually identical melamine-type skin, logic would dictate that because cutting MDF core melamine without a scoring saw produces chipout and cutting plywood core melamine without a scoring saw does not produce chipout, then the core of the melamine board is the real factor for chipout. Perhaps an even more economical and high quality sheet good would be an MDF core with an outer skin of one plywood ply faced with melamine. Idk if this is technically feasible, I’m not a wood product engineer. But if it is, then we get an even more economical sheet with superior workability and also could come in thicker sizes for counters, tables and other furniture.
Swell....more products I can't afford. Can't even afford regular HomeD plywood
Always like your viideos. Seems like thtt would be good for a cross cut sled.
Definitely
I wish they sold this closer to me and in standard 4x8 sheets.
Neat product but I don’t find melamine durable enough for high touch surfaces
Honestly desk looks good
I use PL 375 to join Melamine with a trim screw.
how can I get a 4' x 8' sheet"
Gotta pick it up. A single 4x8 cannot be shipped as a single piece for a reasonable amount of $$.