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Bending a Round Corner With Formica Plastic Lamiante

Follow these steps for gluing and bending Formica Plastic laminate around the corner of a kitchen or bathroom vanity countertop. I also discuss in this video what the correct size radius is for a countertop so that the laminate will not crack when you are gluing it onto the top’s edge.

Tools Needed:

J-roller
Contact Glue
Router and bit
Belt Sander
50 Grit Sanding-belt




Steps

  1. Most importantly, your surface must be flat and ninety (90) degrees.
  2. If your kitchen or bathroom countertop is an inch and a half (1’1/2”) thick ,the Formica should be cut one half inch (1/2”) larger or two inches overall.
  3. Glue both the countertop and the plastic laminate with contact adhesive.
  4. Allow it to dry until it is not wet but tacky.
  5. Start by bonding the straight area of the countertop first working toward the radius corner.
  6. Apply pressure with the J-roller as you apply the Formica to the counter edge.
  7. Work slowly as you bend the plastic around the curved corner of the top.
  8. Route the excess off and sand it flush using a belt-sander and a fifty grit sanding belt.

Tips:

  • The acceptable minimum size of a kitchen or bathroom vanity top corner radius is three inches (3”).
  • If you intend on having a smaller curve, you should either use VT Formica laminate, sand “standard” thickness mica down or use a heat gun.
  • After you glue the Formica to the top, if there;s a gap between the counter edge and the plastic edge, you can fill the void with Bondo (automotive body filler).
  • The most important thing about wrapping the curved corner of a top with a radius that’s smaller than three inches is to make sure that there is no slight cracking happening as you make the bend.

If you decide to use a heat gun when bending the corner of the countertop with the Formica, be careful to not overheat the plastic laminate. If you do, the mica will loose its shape, the edge may get burned or both.

If you are uncertain which direction to push or pull your router when cutting the edge off watch this video on routing Formica.

Make sure to practice on a scrap piece of wood first before doing the actual counter top lamination work. Gluing plastic laminate onto a curved corner of a kitchen or bathroom vanity top is not as easy as the video makes things look. Remember, I have been doing plastic lamination work for thirty years.

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  1. Wayne Woelke
    December 5th, 2010 at 16:01 | #1

    Very good video and explanation. I now feel a lot more confident about trying this

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