Where to buy thick phenolic sheets

[John Coloccia]

I'm looking to make a jig. It will consist of two phenolic rails about 24" long, and a router will run on top of these rails. I want it to be rigid and not flex under the weight of a router. My question is:

1) how thick to make the rails so that I won't get significant flex (the prototype currently uses a lamination of mahogany and wenge about 1 1/4" thick, and that seems fine)

2) where do I get the sheet?

Thanks for any help.

[Myk Rian]

I picked up some 3/8" and 5/8" Trespa Virtuon last week from a fellow an hour away. Nice stuff.
http://www.trespa.com/na/ See if you can find a local dealer.
http://www.trespa.com/na/contactus/r...easternregion/

[Dave Gaul]

John, Infinity Tools makes a coping sled with a 3/8" phenolic base that they guarantee will not flex, so I would say at least 3/8"!!

Not too long ago I looked for phenolic stock, considering making my own coping sled with it, and I found this http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/def...lickid=popcorn

[Jonathan Spool]

Sometimes I find what I need on Ebay, otherwise Mcmaster Carr has been a good source

[Conrad Fiore]

John,
Might want to rethink the phenolic, unless you are ready to spend some bucks. A sheet of XX phenolic 12" x 24" x 1 1/4" goes for about $90.00

[Neil Brooks]

What will the rails sit ON, and .... how much length -- maximum -- will be unsupported ??

I'm wondering whether you couldn't/shouldn't/might have to laminate steel bar stock WITH the phenolic/UHMW to keep it from flexing.

Is it the equivalent of a dado jig ??

[pat warner]

Even 1" (canvas or paper) laminate with a 2' span will significantly deflect with a 10 pound router on it. Moreover the thicknes and cup specs will flip you out.
Better to stress something like 1" oak or whatever into an I-beam e.g.

[Brett Bobo]

John,
Piggybacking on what Myk said, the Trespa product is first class but pricey. I've actually visited Trespa's headquarters in Weert, Neatherlands and toured their facility where they fabricate their products. Trespa is typically a commerically-used product, even for bathroom partitions, so I'd check with your local commercial millwork company and see if they carry the Trespa products.

[Chip Lindley]

John, perhaps a phenolic track embedded in, or glued to an otherwise sturdy wood or metal rail would be more cost effective? Much cheaper would be slick UHMW tape adhered to aluminum rails? Sources I have found for phenolic sheet or bar stock have quite prohibitive pricing. Especially graphite-impregnated phenolic! Edit: Just looked at McMaster-Carr. Better prices on a variety of phenolic grades and thicknesses than I have found elsewhere.

What we need is a remnant seller! Wish I could find some small graphite-impregnated phenolic cut-offs to make some new blade guides for my Makita 2116 resaw! The old Bakelite guides are trashed.

[Larry Edgerton]

I don't have their card right here but I buy a lot of plastic from Norva Plastics. They manufacture as well as sell all things plastic, and if you can find what you need in their scrap section it will be pennys on the dollar. They are an awesome company to do business with judging by what they have done for me.

Larry

[Bruce Wrenn]

Look in the yellow pages for "toilet partitions." They are almost always phenolic. Home Depot sells them through contractor's desk.

[george wilson]

Why not get some aluminum plate at the junk yard? Phenolic is quite expensive,and may not be as rigid as you'd want.

[Doug Walls]

You can get 4' X 8' by 3/4” thick sheets of phenolic covered birch plywood (13 plies) from suppliers to the concrete market. There used as concrete forms! Do a search or check for concrete forms & concrete supplies in your area. Here in Michigan they run about $80 a sheet.

[John Coloccia]

I think I've figured it out. I'll report back soon with what is hopefully a new and plentiful source for jig material

The problem with the phenolic ply is that there's not one piece I've ever seen that's actually flat. Ditto for any plywood, including Baltic Birch. The only things in my shop that are consistently straight are made out of MDF. I often laminate MDF with something else to make it more durable and all of these jigs are as straight as they were the day I made them.

[Jay Allen]

I work with Trespa occasionally, even going as far as building cabinets with it. The local hospitals like the the idea that it is non-porous. It is extremely dense and rather hard to work with. It is nearly like working with metal, except for the brittlness factor. You have to be very careful about screw clearence holes. You cannot "push" it out of the way driving a screw into it. It saws and otherwise "works" pretty well, just be careful about drilling. You must back-out regularly to clear the chips. Jig sawing takes some care too. It is so dense that is doesn't take curves very well.