whiteboard repair

[phuketsub]

I have a portable whiteboard that is going south, with the kids now picking off the whiteboard paper.

 

My wife/boss/school director wants to buy a new one, but I would prefer to just replace the paper. Has anyone ever seen this type of paper on sale anywhere?

 

She says the stationery shops in our little town say it is unavailable. Anyway, any advice appreciated, as usual.

 

 

[thequietman]

It's paint, buy a new one.

[phuketsub]

3 minutes ago, thequietman said:

It's paint, buy a new one.

It isn't paint...it's a thin layer of plastic.

 

[thequietman]

2 hours ago, phuketsub said:

It isn't paint...it's a thin layer of plastic.

 

We are both right. It is called Melamine. It is liquid plastic that is painted onto the wood. It's a synthetic polymer.

[phuketsub]

4 hours ago, thequietman said:

We are both right. It is called Melamine. It is liquid plastic that is painted onto the wood. It's a synthetic polymer.

Thanks. At least now I know what to look for. If I get a bucket of that I'll never have to buy another frame.

[Mrjlh]

You can't buy the melamine.  And if you did it will cost more that the white board it's self.

[phuketsub]

32 minutes ago, Mrjlh said:

You can't buy the melamine.  And if you did it will cost more that the white board it's self.

I am looking into it now. There are products on the market that are called "dry erase paint", including one by Rustoleum. I am not sure if it is melamine-based or not yet. And not sure if it is available in Thailand, or -- which would be even better -- if a domestically-produced equivalent is available.

[Crossy]

Have you seen the cost of the dry-erase paints? The regular white or clear from Ideapaint  http://www.ideapaint.com/ is USD 225 for 50 sq ft. So a 3' x 2' board (6 sq ft) would cost about 30 bucks in paint alone.

 

Buy a new board.

 

[phuketsub]

It's starting to look like that is the best option. I contacted the dealership for Rustoleum in Bangkok and they said they would have to order it from overseas and that I would have to order at least two sets. Very expensive.

[Crossy]

I hadn't heard of the stuff until you mentioned it, seemed a nice idea for a wall in our place, until I saw the price

 

Since the existing board is essentially scrap anyway you could try a regular high-gloss paint, no idea how well it would work (let it dry very thoroughly) but worth a shot.

[Mrjlh]

The paint you are talking about is a two part acrylic paint with similar properties as epoxy.  Two parts mixed together then painted on being very careful of lent and dust and having it dry smoothly.

 

Another option: what you might do be able to do is buy a thin sheet of white melamine board cut to exact size as your existing board and then use contact cement to bond it to it.  They sell the melamine board at Graphic shops or plastic suppliers. 

 

However, I think you will find the cost to do this will be more than just buying a new board. You could also make your own board by doing as I just mention but bonding it to a piece of fiber board of the same size.

[phuketsub]

6 hours ago, Mrjlh said:

The paint you are talking about is a two part acrylic paint with similar properties as epoxy.  Two parts mixed together then painted on being very careful of lent and dust and having it dry smoothly.

 

Another option: what you might do be able to do is buy a thin sheet of white melamine board cut to exact size as your existing board and then use contact cement to bond it to it.  They sell the melamine board at Graphic shops or plastic suppliers. 

 

However, I think you will find the cost to do this will be more than just buying a new board. You could also make your own board by doing as I just mention but bonding it to a piece of fiber board of the same size.

Yes, this is another option I am considering. I found out from one of my students today that there is a shop that sells it here...will let you know.

 

I think my problem is that I find any kind of waste so annoying...

 

[janclaes47]

11 minutes ago, phuketsub said:

Yes, this is another option I am considering. I found out from one of my students today that there is a shop that sells it here...will let you know.

 

I think my problem is that I find any kind of waste so annoying...

 

Since all options suggested so far would cost more than a new white board, waste of money doesn't seem to annoy you.

[phuketsub]

My wife (aka boss, school director) took it to a shop in town and they replaced the whiteboard on both sides at a cost of 800 baht. So it went from being a one-sided whiteboard to a two-sided one.

 

A new, one-sided whiteboard of similar dimensions would have been about 1500 baht, so I guess it was a good deal.

 

Now I will have to find another DIY project...