Building rack, why use melamine?

[JasonG]

Seems everyone uses melamine. Is there a specific reason for this?

I like its ease of use, I just wish it wasnt white. I prefer black.

[twh]

it's easily found,fairly easy to work with and it's plastic coated.the down side is it's heavy.

try finding different colors at a cabinet shop,if they don't have it it usually can be ordered.hope this helps.

[Crazydude]

Also the top as said by twh is plastic,Its a similar type of material that coats it as formica thats used in bathrooms and kitchens. the coating makes the top (and bottem) waterproof, and its super easy to keep clean if it gets dirty. And it looks clean overall.

You can order Black melamine from your local Home improvement store, but its double the price of normal melamine, But if your set on black then its worth it. Also, just a note, depending on the size tubs you want to use, Home depot sells pre-cut melamine shelving, like to use in a shelving system that is colored, and can be wood colored, or white, ive seen a few other colors, maybe black was there, but its worth checking. Its over in the area with the shelves (wire and the melamine systems).

One other note is that you want a tablesaw to cut it that is good and fast, as it chips easily.

Besides the weight, it does seem to work great for cage building and racks, I use it on the floor of my Dragons cage and though its not exposed when something hits it its really easy to wipe free.

[Colin Vestrand]

on a side note, OSB coated in a waterproofing sealant works almost as well. it may not last as long, but maybe it does. anyway, thats what i opted for due to the cost savings.

[jglass38]

Training for a strong man competition and you dont have access to weights?

Personally I hate melamine and would never use it again.

[JasonG]

Training for a strong man competition and you dont have access to weights?

Personally I hate melamine and would never use it again.

[Jenn]

I don't care for Melamine either. I'm building a rack for my corns now. I'm building them just like the Freedom Breeders Racks, only using wood instead of metal. I like the open air design and construction is a breeze. I just rip 2X4's in half for the framing material.

[Bruce Whitehead]

All my racks are made from melamine, and I agree, that if I could find an affordable option for home-made racks I would go the other route.

The problem is the bowing and getting pieces the right size. Once you do get it all together you need to worry about the weight, and then what happens if you have to move/disassemble them.

But at the same time, it is not terrible, but I think you need to understand the limitations and work with it.

Bruce