Removing contact cement from MDF?

[Mr.Scrappy]

That is a great work bench! I like the top color too and I keep wavering between red and grey for my tablesaw top when I remake it.

Curious what type of farming you do? We have a certified tree farm (FSC), with a smaller home farm with rotating crops like wheat. We have people who handle the day to day operations for us by crop sharing and using a Forrester to manage logging operations. Studying up on "Differed harvest carbon credits" as we don't harvest but every few years per our stewardship plan.

You could try to apply heat to the bump, and see if it will go flatter. Might take a few minutes applying heat in constant motion so as not to damage the laminate, then lots of pressure with the roller. Heat softens the glue, but it will take a little while to gently heat the area.

Here you can see the one bump I have in the top, I’m thinking a small piece of dust is under it, I did try heating and rolling again, to no avail. But I can certainly live with that

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[Mr.Scrappy]

Of course he can also remove the residue mechanically (scraping, sanding, etc.) and he may have to do some of that anyway.

You would be surprised at what can telegraph through a sheet of formica.  It can have some small voids, but anything that stands proud of the surface will show in the final product.

To position a sheet of Formica, first place several long dowels on the surface sufficient to keep the Formica from contacting the surface.  Check the alignment of the Formica and the surface and then remove dowels at one end only.  Remove enough of the dowels so that the end of the sheet is nearly touching the surface.  Double check the alignment and then press down at that one end.  Then remove the remaining dowels in sequence, pressing down on the sheet as you go.  Follow up with a roller for best results. 

Because the dowels do not have any contact cement on them, they will not adhere to the sheet.  Both surfaces have to be coated with contact cement for a permanent bond.  So the dowels will not stick.

I have plenty of pvc, so I used those as stickers. Made sure to wipe them clean first. Worked great

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[Packard]

Here you can see the one bump I have in the top, I’m thinking a small piece of dust is under it, I did try heating and rolling again, to no avail. But I can certainly live with that

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You would have to give me a road map to locate the bump.  I found it surprising how small a particle would telegraph through Formica.  But a handsome bench.

As a side note, if you ever have any Formica come loose, squirt some wood glue under the loose edge and then clamp or add weight.  It will hold fine.  A vacuum cleaner can help suck the glue further inboard.  It saves the labor of removing it entirely and the cost of doing it over.  If it is just the corner, a bit of compressed air can force the glue in further. Or a flat piece of wood (like a paint mixing stick) can do the same.

 

[Mr.Scrappy]

Here you can see the one bump I have in the top, I’m thinking a small piece of dust is under it, I did try heating and rolling again, to no avail. But I can certainly live with that

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You would have to give me a road map to locate the bump.  I found it surprising how small a particle would telegraph through Formica.  But a handsome bench.

As a side note, if you ever have any Formica come loose, squirt some wood glue under the loose edge and then clamp or add weight.  It will hold fine.  A vacuum cleaner can help suck the glue further inboard.  It saves the labor of removing it entirely and the cost of doing it over.  If it is just the corner, a bit of compressed air can force the glue in further. Or a flat piece of wood (like a paint mixing stick) can do the same.

Here’s the bump.

Thanks for the tip! I’ll keep that in mind.

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[Packard]

Well, erase that red arrow from the Formica and no one will know about the bump. [big grin]

 

[Crazyraceguy]

The stick method works, obviously, but it has pitfalls of its own. The biggest one is the potential for introducing "junk" into the mix. Anything that is stuck to the sticks can/will end up trapped under the laminate. You also have to wait longer before sticking your parts together. Both sides have to be very dry or it is possible that the glue will stick to the sticks, at least enough to pull some away when you move them. This makes bumps too. I have also seen a guy "miss" a stick when removing them. That didn't work out well.
I only use them in very limited situations, like when there is an obstruction of some sort in the way, or up against a perpendicular surface. It usually works best to start removing the sticks from the middle and working away in each direction.
In the cabinet shop however, it is expected that this would be done "by hand". You hold the entire sheet up by one hand, guiding the edge to make contact at one corner, with about 1/4" overhang each way (side and end). Then you just "walk" that longest edge down to the other end, with that same 1/4" overhang. At that point, you just "roll" it down in a big curl. It takes some practice, but an entire 4' x 8' sheet is not that bad.