MacTable (V2) Restoration

[Elemenoh]

I recently acquired a MacTable (Version 2) that unfortunately has some water damage. The damage caused some of the particle board panels to swell and some mold stains on some other pieces. It's definitely savable though.

I'm going to use this thread to document the process in case others have one in rough shape that needs help.

Strategy​

My intent is to keep the table looking as original as possible and reuse what I can.

Panels​

All of the particle board panels have some amount of swelling, so need to be replaced. Unfortunately it's not practical to reuse the existing melamine laminate. There's a chance I could safely remove the existing laminate but it'd have to be placed perfectly on the new substrate since contact cement bonds instantly. It's just not practical. Instead, I'll need to completely remake the panels and apply new laminate.

Laminate​

I figured since this table was made in the late 80's, it most likely used Formica laminate. I found a shop in San Francisco (West Bay Plastics) that had a ton of Formica and other brand's samples. We quickly found an exact color match: Folkstone (927C-58). From looking at the existing panels, the laminate used was very thin. So we ordered a sheet of 'vertical grade' which uses a thinner profile than counter top grade. One 4'x8' sheet should be enough. The cost, as of July 2025, was $123 for the sheet and $50 for delivery to the shop where I bought it. I suspect you could find it cheaper online, but I was happy to buy through the shop, which was run by some lovely old school San Francisco people.

Panel Wood​

I'll be making the new panels out of MDF. MDF is more durable than particle board and more dimensionally exact than plywood. The trade-off is that it's much heavier than particle board, so the panels will be a bit more difficult to reposition.

I'll be attempting to reuse the existing solid beech edge banding. I was able to cleanly remove all of the edge banding from a panel by blowing a hair dryer on it while slowly working a putty knife through the wood glue bonding it to the particle board panel. It took about 20 minutes to get all four sides off. I expect It'll take a total of 1-2 hours to remove the rest.

Solid Wood Framing and Plywood Legs​

All the other wood will get sanded to remove yellowed finish and mold stains. I suspect it was originally finished with a clear matte polyurethane, so I will use the same.

Model​

To better document all of the table's dimensions and how it goes together, I ended up making a fairly accurate 3D model of it. It's not perfect, but quite close. I'll attach that to the thread as reference for others. @Mac84 had the excellent idea to 3D print it to use as a desk for the American Girl Doll Performa 5400 model. I might do the same. That model is 1:4 scale, so print accordingly.

Tools & Supplies​

• Track saw
• Router
• Flush cut router bit (for laminate overhang)
• Contact cement (spray can will probably be okay)
• Rubber roller (for laminate application)
• Sand paper (120, 150, 220 grit)
• Polyurethane (maybe a spray)
• Wood glue

Tasks​

✓ Find and purchase replacement laminate (One 4'x8' sheet)
✓ Purchase one 4'x8' sheet of MDF
✓ Remove existing edge banding
Sand existing solid wood
Refinish existing solid wood with polyurethane
Cut MDF to size
Cut laminate to size (with at least 1" of overhang on all sides)
Flush cut overhang with router
Glue edge banding to panels
Attach hinges to panels
Assemble

 

[Kai Robinson]

Oh I do like that as a design, looks like IKEA should sell that, even now.

 

[PL212]

Great to see this thread! (Was this the one for sale up near Chico recently?)

If you are interested in acquiring/documenting matching items, there’s a filing cabinet for sale in Berkeley. Never seen one of these in the wild before:

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/fuo/d/berkeley-scanco-lateral-file-cabinet/7863056005.html

 

[jmacz]

I was going to ask if this was the one on sale in San Francisco a few months back on Craigslist. I was tempted but the listing was gone before I could act on it.