What Kind of Tabletop Is This?

quanticism on 17/01/2023 - 14:08

I have an old table that was once used as a kitchen table and is now being used as a computer desk. It's probably around 20 years old now. I'm not sure what kind of material it's made out of. The top surface has never been maintained and there's a few imperfections but apart from that it's completely fine for me.

Is the top surface just veneer or melamine or somethin else? And is the bottom particleboard or MDF or something else?

Top
https://i.imgur.com/s2iHHXw.jpeg
https://i.imgur.com/J5Z5wUk.jpeg

Bottom
https://i.imgur.com/3pJgQfT.jpeg
https://i.imgur.com/YvdaeZe.jpeg

I'm shopping for another table for someone else and had my eye on this. It has a melamine surface on top of particleboard. I wonder if it'll last as long as what I have.

Home & Garden Furniture Table

Comments

  • Fergy1987 on 17/01/2023 - 14:35
    +6

    Reckon you're bang on with veneer and particleboard

    • quanticism on 17/01/2023 - 15:01

      Is it possible for melamine to look like that? Just wondering cause there's hardly any damage to the surface given how old it is. I have another piece of furniture which I think was much more expensive and my god did it scratch and get indented easily from just running writing with a pen on paper over it. https://i.imgur.com/C2ZMEjc.jpeg

      • Benoffie on 17/01/2023 - 15:16
        +2

        You can get laminate/formica in the old 60's/70's wood veneer styles. The desk you've flagged is quite typical for schools and workplaces and can take a beating. When cut, they will show black as the laminate sublayer is black.

        • quanticism on 17/01/2023 - 16:26

          Is it possible to still get tables that are this hard wearing? If not, I'll just pick up the other table that I'm eyeing with the expectation that it may needs to be replaced in 5-10 years.

          • Benoffie on 17/01/2023 - 20:23

            @quanticism: If you don't care about dag factor, FB marketplace, Gumtree and auction houses will have heaps and heaps of options.

            • quanticism on 17/01/2023 - 20:40

              @Benoffie: Figured as much. Spent a few minutes flipping through some pages but didn't see any that immediately resonated so I just purchased that table. I suppose furniture not lasting as long is good for the economy. Keeps the velocity of money from stagnating.

              • quanticism on 25/01/2023 - 17:50

                @quanticism: Ended up purchasing that table. It's the RapidLine table being sold at other places like Officeworks and Milan Direct.

                The melamine surface seems like the standard surface used for office tables at work. First impression is that it's quite sturdy so pretty happy. Time will tell how durable the surface is.

  • Transient on 17/01/2023 - 15:40
    +1

    Could it be one of those old formica / laminex tabletops? I've got a desk with that type of laminate. Very hard surface and long wearing.

    Hard to say whether the new desk you are after has the same finish. If you look at the Ikea website, some of the desk finishes are of acrylic paint on particleboard (https://www.ikea.com/au/en/p/linnmon-table-top-white-0036175…) which is not as hard wearing. After a year or so, the paint can wear off just by rubbing with a mouse.

    • NevC on 26/01/2023 - 21:16
      +1

      Is that a live or dead mouse?

      • Transient on 26/01/2023 - 21:25

        Live I guess to begin with, then after a few kilometres of rubbing, the poor fella just gives up the ghost.

  • NevC on 26/01/2023 - 21:15

    Drill a hole through it. That will solve the riddle.

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