Advise on replacement galley worktop

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MarkGrubb

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I'm replacing the galley worktop in my boat. The old one was a sheet of plywood, which was screwed to the galley frame/bulkheads, and then had a hard cover, possibly Formica, glued on top.

I'd like to replace if with something similar. Is it possible to buy plywood tops with hard wearing surface suitable for a galley? If so should it be exterior/marine ply. I looked at kitchen tops in DIY shops and could only find ones that used chipboard, which I doubt is suitable for the marine environment. Granite or solid hardwood is a bit beyond my budget.

Would plywood with a couple of coats of polyester resin be suitable (will it withstand hot pans, and sharp knives when cook forgets to use the chopping board)? Can sheets of formica be bought and glued onto ply? Does anyone have experience of any other suitable materials or ideas of how to make a top, or know where something suitable can be bought.

Advise and input warmly appreciated.

Thanks,

Mark.
 
In my last boat I used 1/2 inch marine ply with formica glued down on top. That worked reasonably well. I doubt that a polyester resin coating on the top of ply will be up to the abuse a galley work top gets. Currently planning to do the new boat with solid 25 mm iroko, as I have some salvaged from a lab refubishment.
 
Just an idea, but why don't you use marine ply as a base and then put in a softwood top, pine or something simiar, and leave it unfinished or oiled. This will take all the abuse you can throw at it, you can use it as a choping board, put hot pans on (it will get scorch marks if they are really hot). After a few years when it is starting to look really tatty, take it out and throw it on the fire, and put a new one on.
 
I depends how much money you want to spend.

You can get formica sheets from you local builders merchant.

You could think about using something like Corian.
This is very hard waring and will last forever but is not inexpensive!
It is possible to get the sink bowls molded into the worktop so it is all one piece.
We have this at home.
It was installed 17 years ago and looks as good now as the day it was installed.
 
Decorative plastic sheet is fairly readily available in a large range of colours etc.. Formica is a trade name and one of the better makes. You may have to buy a fairly large sheet if the supplier won't cut it. On my last boat I managed to chisel off the old galley Formica and replace with new. A heat gun might help with this, assuming it is stuck down with impact adhesive and not epoxy! Cutting requires great care to avoid chipping the top surface. You might glue over the old Formica. Fiddles etc covered edges in my case. Exterior ply would be fine if you are replacing the old wood. I wouldn't go for varnishrd ply.
 
Thanks for comments so far. I would have to cut and shape two holes in the plastic sheet (Formica), one for the sink and one for access to a locker underneath the galley top (where the fridge would normally go, but my boat doesn't have one).

What's the best way to work with plastic sheet so that it doesn't chip and looks neat. Can holes be cut roughly to size with a pad saw, coping saw, or jigsaw and then finished with a fine file, rasp, or detail sander (I appreciate it will be a lot harder than wood). Or would some other tools/technique be more appropriate.
 
Glue the Formica to the plywood first and then cut both together with a fine bladed jigsaw

OR

Cut the plywood accurately to shape first and glue on oversize formica, then witha router with cylindrical blade with roller trim the formica back to the wood edge.

Attempts to cut formica to shape before fastening it to the ply usually end in big cracks across the bit you want....

In UK sheets of formica are all 8x4 feet and horribly expensive. In Hong Kong you can buy 8x4 sheets of UK-made formica for a quarter of the price here, and that's after shipping the stuff 10,000 miles. Here try and find someone with an offcut big enough rather than have to buy a whole sheet.
 
Following earlier advice on this forum, I'm using marble effect hearth surround from B&Q, but I'm building the galley to fit the top!
 
These guys will sell you a 8x4 sheet of 18mm ply with a laminate on both top and bottom

http://www.richardrussell.co.uk/stock.cfm

you can choose any colour from the standard kitchen worktop range, the quality is excellent and mine was delivered yesterday, With regards to cutting i have decided not to brave and a local woodworking firm are using a cnc cutter and shaping the parts including the cut outs for the sink and fridge for a very reasonable sum
 
I did one years ago with mosaic tiles, looked good and will last.
I also did below the cooker.

galley.jpg
 
[Quote
<What's the best way to work with plastic sheet so that it doesn't chip and looks neat. >
To cut unglued laminate, I used a 32tpi hacksaw blade, and for internal curves for the sink,, a junior hacksaw blade in a padsaw handle. Very short strokes working from the upper surface, and support the material very well. Tedious but it works. Files etc. can be useful, worked along the edge, not across it.
 
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