Carpentry and Woodworking - remove laminate facing

how do i safely remove the laminate facing from some formica cabinets?
the facing appears to be glued to the cabinet box.

i want to reface the cabinets fronts with wood.

thanks,

albacore

$5 says it's applied with contact adhesive, which is usually easily debonded with lacquer thinner. Pick up a can of it at Lowes or something, and a squirt bottle (like they put mustard in at hot dog stands) and squirt a tiny stream of it on the glue as you pull it off. You will have to start the peeling with a knife, wedge it in between the lam and the counter at one end-- once started, squirt the thinner. Should start to come loose.

Wear nitrile gloves, b/c lac thinner is full of toluene, which soaks right into your skin and punishes your for your sins to the third and fourth generations.

I agree with Mako, that it's probably bonded with contact adhesive. But in my experience, old laminate will usually peel off easily by using a heavy putty knife like a chisel (a glazier's knife works well for this) and a hammer.

>> punishes your for your sins to the third and fourth generations.

LOL. is that in Exodus? ;)

I can't remember right off hand, X-Sleeper, but I'd bet it's repeated most in Leviticus (giving of the Levitical Law) and/or Deuteronomy, where Moses retells the whole Gen/Ex/Lev story. Toluene does some nasty stuff, it's liquid sin. No, wait, that's Budweiser.

Guys, guys, guys....

You're right on with the advice for the question asked...

We should probably stay away from religion on this forum, though.