Tufnol, Phenolic, SRBP, HPL, CGL, SGL

Guys I'm looking for some hard sheet material for use under a small lathe, I remembered back to some very hard plastics used in lab work surfaces and counter tops back in my school days which would be ideal.

Searching around the web it seems to come under many different names, HPL, CGL, SGL, SRBP, and Phenolic resin to name but a few.

I only need a small piece and was wondering if anyone knew of a supplier?

Failing that, does anyone know of an alternative? It needs to be tuff and hard wearing for my application. Tufnol might have been an option had it not been only available in brown.

Any suggestions?

Lab worktops are often made of ‘Trespa’ - a trade name for some type of laminate. It’s horrendously expensive, but you may be able to buy an off cut. (It cuts & machines OK with TCT woodworking tools.)

The thing that comes to mind is what I would know as formica. Noel.

Yes,thats the stuff. And yes expensive! I was hoping someone knew where to get an offcut.

Steel sheet galvanised, plated or painted would be cheaper, have much longer life, and be much more robust than laminates etc. as well as being the traditional proven under-lathe material. However if you really want laminate/plastic I would give a +1 to Noel's suggestion of formica, as used in kitchen counters. A kitchen or bath fitter shop may have an offcut or a counter that was cut too short for less than all new custom cut material.

Hello Hollowpoint,

What about the material used for the base of small trailers (Ifor Williams, etc). It's a phenolic covered plywood. Unfortunately, I haven't got a clue what it's called.

Buffalo Board and/or Hexagrip?

Rod

I know it simply as "phenolic-faced ply" but I suppose there may be a brand name.

AFAIK, Formica is a thin laminate ie not a board material as such.

Thin stainless sheet glued down on a piece of MDF. Thin stainless is available as cooker splashbacks or just as sheet.

If stainless will do PM me. Noel

Thanks for the replies.

I have some stainless sheet (thanks anyway Noel) and have considered gluing a piece to some ply and I might yet go down that route.

My requirements though are quite specific. I have built a base from aluminium extrusion to house the motor and electrics for a small Cowells lathe, The board will sit in the top and be screwed up from the bottom. I want something durable and scratch resistant, I could use wood but I feel it will start to look tatty relatively quickly. Metal would be better, but will scratch. Hard plastic seems like a good compromise as it will do what I want while also having the benefit of insulating the electronics below.

Corian would be good if you could get an offcut from a kitchen/bathroom fitter.

Rob

Yes that might be an option. Thanks

Has anyone used SRBP? it seems to be quite cheap and plentiful on ebay.

Edited By Hollowpoint on 14/02/2021 17:06:02

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But isn’t that typically Brown in colour ?

... as per the Tufnol products that you rejected

MichaelG.

It seems to be available in black too.

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Then use it, and be happy

MichaelG.

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Edit: __ Possibly this : https://www.attwater.com/products/b4b

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 14/02/2021 17:21:51

Hollow, I have an unused 6 ft length of white Formica kitchen work surface which you, or anyone else, are welcome to, f.o.c. I'm in the Bromley/Croydon area if that's any help.

I hate a workbench that has scratches on it ! Dont you ?

Thank you for the offer, very kind! but I'm in the Leeds area so a fair distance away and I've just ordered a piece of SRBP so will give that a go.

It's more of a box to be fair, haha.