Robbins Timer - Floor Veneer, cutting/gluing/trimming

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mattnj

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I am about to start fitting my ROBBINS LAMINATE CABIN SOLE to newly cut 10mm marine ply boards for the cabin floor....
Its going to a fair challenge to get all the teak/holly lines to line up throughout the 10 pieces in the cabin, but I think I have a plan for that.

The question is, what is the best method? It seems cutting to the exact size and lining it all up, to glue on in 1 hit may be a little tricky, so I am thinking cut the veneer panels slightly oversize, position/glue and then trim the excess...but how best to cut/trim off the thin veneer, anyone done this before?

Stanley knife? Bandsaw? Jigsaw? Planer? Sander? Scissors?

Finally, what would you treat the boards with afterwards, on the edges and underneath? Varnish? Which one? Or locker/bilge paint?
And what product to glue the veneer to ply? robbins suggested evostick impact.....but thats instant....which doesnt seem friendly to position it!

Thanks
 
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Let me know how it goes - I have exactly the same job to do this winter :)

I plan to trim the edges in the same way that a kitchen fitter trims the laminate on worktops. Namely, a laminate-trimming bit in a router. These have a little wheel which runs around the edge of the board, and a blade above which trims the laminate back exactly to the edge.

I will be re-using my existing boards after stripping the existing worn laminate off them, but if I was making new ones I would waterproof the underside and edges with epoxy, making sure the end-grain at the edges is well saturated.

Pete
 
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prv said:
Let me know how it goes - I have exactly the same job to do this winter :)

I plan to trim the edges in the same way that a kitchen fitter trims the laminate on worktops. Namely, a laminate-trimming bit in a router. These have a little wheel which runs around the edge of the board, and a blade above which trims the laminate back exactly to the edge.

I will be re-using my existing boards after stripping the existing worn laminate off them, but if I was making new ones I would waterproof the underside and edges with epoxy, making sure the end-grain at the edges is well saturated.

Pete
Click to expand...

What expoxy product....exactly?
 
mattnj said:
What expoxy product....exactly?
Click to expand...

Epoxy is a bit OTT for this application. Impact adhesive would be fine, just as you would use for applying Formica laminate to ply. If you are concerned about the instant bit then use a moisture curing polyurethane glue such as PUR and apply some weight on top while it cures. I did mine like this 20 years ago and they are still there.

Useful to seal the end grain on the edges of the boards and paint the underneath with Danbolin or similar. For the top surface there is a choice of finishes, but if you want non slip then Ronseal floor varnish or similar is good. Good sheen, hard wearing and easy to touch up.
 
Tranona said:
Epoxy is a bit OTT for this application. Impact adhesive would be fine
Click to expand...

I was suggesting epoxy for sealing, not for gluing!

You might be right that it's ott for that purpose, but it's a product I'm familiar with and I'd still use it.

Tranona said:
For the top surface there is a choice of finishes, but if you want non slip then Ronseal floor varnish or similar is good. Good sheen, hard wearing and easy to touch up.
Click to expand...

This is a plastic laminate with a slight non-slip texture moulded into it - fairly sure it doesn't need any finish on top. I'm replacing mine largely because the non-slip has been worn smooth in high-traffic areas over 14 years of hard charter use.

Pete
 
I cut templates out of hardboard and marked where the stripes needed to be to line up. Then I wimped out and got David Moss Boatyard to cut it. Money well spent.
 
I have recently finished doing exactly this using Robbins Holly and Teak laminate onto 12mm ply.

After having the same thoughts as you, I opted for marking out the laminate panels oversize and then gluing and trimming the excess.

Briefly , I started with the central panel behind the mast post and used that as my datum. Laminate was cut oversize with a Bosch multitool (gives a quick and nice clean cut). I then glued the laminate to the ply using epoxy (West as I had that around). I used epoxy so I had some movement of the laminate prior to weighting it down with some old batteries and just wiped the excess epoxy away where it oozed out. Once this was glued I used a router to trim the edges - for reference I have a variable speed, soft start Draper router with 1/2 inch bearing cutter. I then cut the other laminates around this panel.

Once all the panels were cut I then put 6 coats of varnish on each, undersides and edges of course. I was very pleased with the overall results.Varnish was just a polyurethane I had around, I did not go out and buy anything special.

I hope this is of interest.
 
Pete735 said:
I have recently finished doing exactly this using Robbins Holly and Teak laminate onto 12mm ply.

After having the same thoughts as you, I opted for marking out the laminate panels oversize and then gluing and trimming the excess.

Briefly , I started with the central panel behind the mast post and used that as my datum. Laminate was cut oversize with a Bosch multitool (gives a quick and nice clean cut). I then glued the laminate to the ply using epoxy (West as I had that around). I used epoxy so I had some movement of the laminate prior to weighting it down with some old batteries and just wiped the excess epoxy away where it oozed out. Once this was glued I used a router to trim the edges - for reference I have a variable speed, soft start Draper router with 1/2 inch bearing cutter. I then cut the other laminates around this panel.

Once all the panels were cut I then put 6 coats of varnish on each, undersides and edges of course. I was very pleased with the overall results.Varnish was just a polyurethane I had around, I did not go out and buy anything special.

I hope this is of interest.
Click to expand...

Which bosch multitool and blade please?
 
240 volt Bosch PMF 180 E using the semi circular blade BIM ACZ85EB Wood and Metal.

Interestingly enough, bought several years ago after many positive comments on this forum. A very useful piece of kit as many people here have testified.
 
If you have complex curves a router with blade with guide wheel is the only practical option to trim oversize laminate, and as you say getting an exact fit is very very difficult.
 
jwilson said:
If you have complex curves a router with blade with guide wheel is the only practical option to trim oversize laminate, and as you say getting an exact fit is very very difficult.
Click to expand...

Just to close this one, I bought a router and a laminate trimming bit from eBay (£41 for both) and it is amazing, you could literally operate it with your eyes shut, it hits and stops on the board, trimming the laminate perfectly, and quickly. I just trimmed all 4 sides of a 1m x 400mm board in about 60 seconds.

Lining up the strips is straightforward enough too....but you need a 1m metal ruler (wickes) so you can line it all up.
 
Another vote for the Bosch multi tool. I have re-fitted the floor on my Harley 25 in Robbins teak and holly laminate. I used brown paper to mark out templates and using the tool, cut panels from a single sheet so they lined up. Full story is on the re-fit blog, here is the part where I glue the laminate down. No need for epoxy, use Sikaflex as a glue.
http://harley25refit.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/a-new-floor.html For cuts I used the multi tool, for final adjustments and trimming I uses a sanding disk on a small angle grinder.
 
You use an edge trimmer bit for a router. This allows you to firmly glue the veneer slightly oversize and then the router bit has a bearing on it which is guided by the edge of the ply so that it cuts the veneer perfectly flush.
 
salar said:
A laminate trimmer trims, it doesn't cut which is why the multi tool is so handy. If you cut carefully with a multi tool you don't need to trim your messy cuts up afterwards ��
Click to expand...

Not sure you have read the thread here, you need to line up the lines on the veneer, so it has to be oversize by at least one width of the lines on each side, then glued, then trimmed. Doesnt matter how neat / messy the first cut is, ive been doing it with large scissors, and its fine.

The panel is glued down in position, left to dry then trimmed afterwards.

I will post some pictures later, hopefully it will help others.
 
pmagowan said:
You use an edge trimmer bit for a router. This allows you to firmly glue the veneer slightly oversize and then the router bit has a bearing on it which is guided by the edge of the ply so that it cuts the veneer perfectly flush.
Click to expand...

+1 That's how the pros do it.
Obviously it only works well if the ply has a true edge.
The routed edge of the laminate is extremely sharp but is easily dressed back with a light sand.
 
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