I fitted Formica to the sides of my Pac man cabaret. It can be a little difficult to cut, but it is amazingly robust and looks incredible
Here's where I fitted it to mine -
It's lamination time.
I was faced with a veriety of methods of doing this. The one I opted for was what I felt more comfortable with, considering my limited experience in this area.
The laminate was lay flat and the cab was then lowered onto it. After careful positioning, I drew around the cab as a template with a pencil held on it's tip (to allow for an overlap) then removed the cab.
Using a brand new Stanley blade, I positioned a metal straight edge along the straight lines and scored VERY CAREFULLY !! You
MUST wear gloves when doing this as one slip will cost you a
serious injury.
When the straight scores are done, you can then carefully go over your marks a few times then the laminate will break off easily. Care must be taken on the curve as this is all done 'freehand'. Patience is a vital key in this job.
The new laminate side can then be placed on top of the cab (now lay flat) and carefully positioned. I used a masking tape 'hinge' on the longest edge (the back) to join the laminate to the cab. It can then be hinged backwards, knowing that when you're ready to lower it, it will match the side perfectly.
The edge of the laminate and the cab is then painted with the contact adhesive, I then used the spray alternative to cover the rest of the surfaces. Both laminate & cab must be covered with a layer.
NOTE - You must be certain in your mind that the two sides are lined up before they come together. As the laminate is lowered, use one hand to slowly press down near the 'hinge' as you check it's uniform. Once these surfaces come together, there's NO way you're going to reposition it if you get the positioning wrong.
It's then smoothed out and lay on it's side to weigh down the join during the curing process (about 2 hours). I then used a 'ba$tard' cut file to file the excess by hand using a slow even stroke, only applying pressure on the forward stroke, so not to splinter the plastic side of the laminate. You'll see in the 1st picture the file and small wire brush. Make sure you clean the surface of the file from time to time as it clogs up with laminate dust and wear your mask.
This was a slow and laborious job, but worth the patience. Once done all round you can stand back and admire the finished side. Repeat to the other side and I have to do the front panel now.
