I'm looking at getting a sheet of formply (a.k.a. hard face) plywood to build my lab bench (and maybe a chemical storage cabinet & fume hood).
Formply is used for making concrete forms and is exterior-grade plywood with a phenolic coating on the outer hardwood plies. I reckon since phenolic
has pretty good chemical resistance properties that it should work well, at least for a bench top. The phenolic layer is quite thin, less than half a
millimetre, so I would probably put ceramic tiles or a sheet of glass inside the fume hood to take the brunt of any spillage. Oh, and the surface is
black, though other colours are available (I haven't seen any, though).
I can pick up a brand new 1200 x 2400 x 17 sheet locally for $64AU or a surplus "second" sheet for about $45AU.
Has anyone tried this stuff? It's quite a bit more expensive than cement board, but heaps stronger. Or would I be better off using an epoxy finish
on regular exterior plywood?
-Bobby
(revised & reposted from homebuilt fume hood thread)Panache - 31-8-2010 at 18:56
Yes,
i have used it often for bench-tops and the like, it is cheap, structural and i actually really like the finish. If you want an inexpensive very
durable surface a sheet of glass can't be beat, the glazier can have it annealed or heat treated /toughened for better thermal resistance but i find
this unnecessary as i tend to not place hot items directly on the one i have. It however is very clunky for glassware so care needs to be taken and it
would not do for a routine lab with multiple users.
If you are tiling find the largest floor tiles you can, i say this because the grouting will quickly become stained etc and its a pain in the arse to
grind out and reapply, although the dremel tool i have now isn't too bad.
Finally if you are contemplating a table style bench with fixed legs (i have an island bench in the middle of the lab like this, laminate two sheets
of the formply together with glue and screws, or even better grab some 10mmx 5mm flat bar and saw out a few grooves on the two laminating faces at a
depth of 5mm and use the flat iron as a tongue in groove, this when glued and screwed is incredibly stiff yet quite light and thin and it looks great,
when fixed to the fixed legs it creates a very strong box structure that can easily take my weight without noticable flex (this is the specification i
have for all lab benches, ie can i sit on it repeatedly)
edit-hows Radelaide? City of Churches and outlaw bikie gangs lol
[Edited on 1-9-2010 by Panache]Gearhead_Shem_Tov - 31-8-2010 at 19:21
...
If you are tiling find the largest floor tiles you can, i say this because the grouting will quickly become stained etc and its a pain in the arse to
grind out ...
I figured that might be the case.
Quote:
... hows Radelaide? City of Churches and outlaw bikie gangs lol
I reckon it's an ecological balance sort of thing ...
