HOT “NEW” COUNTERTOP SURFACE

Richlite has been around for about 70 years. It was originally used for industrial tooling and patternmaking. Recently, because of its extreme durability, it’s being used in many other products, ranging from guitar fretboards to sunglasses to high-end countertops. Richlite is 65% recycled paper and 35% phenolic resin. The surface is smooth, but the random pattern of the natural fibers in the paper imparts an eyepleasing texture. Richlite is easily workable with standard woodworking tools, comes in a wide variety of colors and thicknesses, and can be used alone or bonded to a substrate. For this countertop, 1/4-in. Richlite was bonded to 3/4-in. Baltic birch. Bonding to a substrate is best done with a vacuum press, but you can also glue it down with contact cement.