Source for Free Materials

[Dan]

Cincinnati, Ohio has an initiative called zero-landfill Cincinnati where companies take all their old remnants of carpets, flooring, wall coverings, and more, and give them away instead of filling up our landfill. I decided to see what they had to offer and saw some great potential. Below are some pictures of just a few of the material I picked up.

 

There were boxes and boxes of Formica and other laminates. All were just samples, but some were 10" x 8" and some just 2" x 3". These could make some great ornaments, bookmarks, and possibly pendants and earrings. Everything I have is just 3/64" thick and very strong. Someone got there earlier than me and got some great looking laminates.

 

I didn't know how well these would cut so I thought I'd give it a shot. I stack-cut four bookmarks. I cut the blanks just a little oversized on the table saw. I wrapped them in blue tape, adhered the pattern, and drilled blade entry holes. All that took about 5 minutes. I used a #3 Flying Dutchman Ultra Reverse blade to cut the entire project. That took another 20 minutes. Then I sanded the edges a bit. No finish required.

 

What I found was the laminate was a little tougher to cut than wood. I'd guess that this is because of the glue used to make the laminate. With wood, I usually stack 6 to 8 pieces. The blade heated up a bit more than I expected but it never broke but did seem to dull a little faster. It was a little slow going. The material does have a strong odor when cutting so I suggest good ventilation and possibly a small fan. One downside to this material is the back is not finished. The back of most of them is nice enough looking that I'm happy with this material. I will probably glue two pieces back-to-back and try some ornaments next.

 

For about 30 minutes of my time and free material, I think I like this stuff enough to try a few other things.

 

If anyone is in the Cincinnati area, they are doing this again next Saturday, Sept 11. PM me if you need the location.

 

Dan

[Huntter2022]

Dan looks like a nice source , sure you will be there at the next one doing your part in recycling

[MBridges]

I wish they'd do that hear. I'd love to have some of that stuff!