Plastic Laminate Removal With a Heat Gun

If you need to remove some plastic laminate to replace it, I show a simple method of doing so.

[@myheroskryptonite]

commenting because of the algorithm. Most of your comments are from 3-4 months ago. I too was looking up how to remove laminate for countertops because I am debating what I want to do and how hard it would be to do it. Anyway, I was looking up how to do it like a month to a month and half ago. I didn't find your video then. But ta-daa your video showed up on my home feed today. Thank you to Tokoyo for a well-done video. Howdy! from Wyoming.

[@kittychrysalis4923]

Finally! Every other video I've found is about removing the entire laminate counter and not simply the sheeting, when this is exactly what I was needing! Thank you for the demonstration, I feel a little more confident on my DIY projects now!

[@TokyoCraftsman]

I'm glad you found the video helpful! Good luck with your projects you can do it! Cheers from Tokyo!

[@BillyRay501]

In the same boat 😂😂😂. Looked at about 15 videos up until this one

[@Mixdplate]

Many thanks for posting this! I'm doing a budget DIY kitchen reno and need to remove lots of dated & damaged laminate from homemade cabinets/countertops.

[@TokyoCraftsman]

Best of luck with your DIY Renovation!

[@suzannedangerfield6521]

Thank you so much for this great video, from Charleston, SC.

[@barryshepard5792]

I laminated plastic laminate onto the kitchen cabinets roughtop and will now remove the laminate by way of his technique. Thank you

[@TokyoCraftsman]

Best of luck!

[@paulwatterson5992]

Thank you for sharing, I have to do the same thing today and re-glue a piece of laminate that is coming off a bathroom countertop. Have a great day :-)

[@TokyoCraftsman]

Paul Watterson I hope it was useful, cheers

[@paulwatterson5992]

@@TokyoCraftsman yes very successful, just finished up. Thanks.

[@lukeblackford1677]

Perfect! Wish I watched this yesterday. Can you make a video showing how to patch plywood that had the laminate removed without the heat gun?

[@vaniasaucer]

Thank you for your demonstration!

[@Nakpanduri100]

Terrific video. Thank you. I appreciated the brevity, the absense of unnecessary bloviation, and your clarity. I have an old wood core door with plastic walnut color veneer that is a horrible match for the teak on the rest of my boat. Replacing it with cherry (or teak if available) wood veneer.

[@TokyoCraftsman]

Best of luck!

[@Sluggertherunner]

Thank you! Your videos helped me!

[@truthbetold4178]

Thank you so much. This is precisely what I needed to know. Best to you~🙏

[@grantking7833]

Thanks for the tip. I wonder if an iron would work?

[@mikeblakeslee2611]

Really cool. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@TokyoCraftsman]

I'm glad you enjoyed it, thanks for commenting.

[@jorgefigueroa6015]

Thank you for sharing,good job.

[@TokyoCraftsman]

I'm happy it was useful.

[@drewkapper]

Very helpful. Thank you

[@TokyoCraftsman]

Thanks, I'm happy I could help. Cheers

[@judylynn6853]

The lacquer thinner didn’t raise the wood, or damage it ?

[@TokyoCraftsman]

Hi Judy, no it did not, the wood is actually MDF and it was perfect to then put new plastic laminate on top of. Cheers!

[@cfoskeeter]

I have a table I want to restore and it has a formica top that was put on many years ago. Will the heat gun work to remove that if it was put down with contact cement?

[@TokyoCraftsman]

Yes, most likely, but you can also sand the heck out of the existing Formica top and with an #80 grit sandpaper on a ROS sander and the contact cement will stick to that too, I just redid a bunch of tables doing exactly that and it worked great, much easier than removing the old Formica, IMHO but you really have to sand it, make it all scratched and hazy. Cheers!

[@cfoskeeter]

@@TokyoCraftsman The problem is that the formica is on an old oak table and I want to restore the wood; I don't want to put another piece of laminate down. I'm thinking it may just be easier to build a new table top.

[@dhaneshchandrasaxena6860]

Which chemical is to be used for removing *old Glu* of the peeled off laminate

[@TokyoCraftsman]

It's called "Lacquer Thinner". Cheers

[@marywelsh5945]

Is it any heat gun you use

[@TokyoCraftsman]

pretty much any heat gun will work.

[@edkelly1998]

Awesome video

[@TokyoCraftsman]

Cheers!

[@rosac122]

How hot does the heat gun need to be set at?

[@brucemontgomery8136]

ty

[@mindymiller3270]

Can I do this with kitchen counters that has particle board underneath? Also, with particleboard, is there another way to remove the glue that's less toxic because I am super chemically sensitive. I will get a migraine that lasts for a week!

[@TokyoCraftsman]

Yes, the particleboard should not make a difference. I think you could just heat up the glue with the heat gun and scrape it off and then maybe sand it? Of course wear at least a dust mask and gloves. Good luck!

[@mindymiller3270]

@@TokyoCraftsman I was reading online that the particle board might come apart. Is that true and could it be repaired with a wood putty if it does

[@scootermom1791]

@@mindymiller3270 Did you ever complete your project? I ask because I have a dresser with laminate. I want to remove the laminate and paint the particle board underneath. The laminate is kind of ugly, so that's why I wanted to do it this way.

[@BillyRay501]

How would i know if it’s plastic or not

[@TokyoCraftsman]

Plastic Laminate "High Pressure Decorative Plastic Laminate" (HPL) is the generic name for Formica or Arborite, (both are brand names) it's also know in the trades as Melamine. Cheers

[@BillyRay501]

@@TokyoCraftsman oh ok thanks. I’m going to try your method on my kitchen countertop

[@joemallia2912]

Thanks for instructing

[@TokyoCraftsman]

I hope it was of some use. Cheers from Tokyo!