Formica name/number

Bill Leverett

Bill Leverett

PCS Member/Super Site Supporter/Paramedic Supervis
Does anyone happen to know the name or product number of the white with grey streaks Formica used by MM in the early 70's. The Formica was used on the medical cabinets and in my ambulance, on the floor.

I'm in need of a few pieces for repair work in my '73 Lifeliner. Pics can be found in the thread "Bought a 1973 Lifeliner"

I know it isn't in production any longer but finding any may be easier with a name or product number to go by.

Thanks
 
It is Formica White Tidewood #601 (gloss finish).



Robert Shepard
1975 M-M Criterion
1976 M-M Lifeliner
 
John ED Renstrom said:
standard on MM and Cb cabinets. but I did not know thay used it on the floor to.
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The floor in my 1976 Lifeliner is covered with White Tidewood, as is the cabinet. I think it gives the patient compartment a very clean and clinical look. One will never hear the comment "that floor looks just like what grandma had in her kitchen", as we do with the Armstrong Colonial brick pattern.
 
I agree Robert..the Tidewood does make the patient compartment look very clean and clinical however even minor area in need of repair stands out quite clearly as does ANY dirt on the floor.

I really have to hand it to the EMS crews of the day that could keep that floor spotless.
 
Formica, is the brand name, however, it is more commonly known by this name than its generic name... plastic laminate. I doubt that you will find any new old stock anywhere, since the product becomes very hard and brittle as it ages, making it difficult, if not impossible to cut or trim. For this reason, most shops usually order the product from a warehouse as they need it. The warehouses don't inventory any old or discontinued product. I learned this when I was looking for plastic laminate to repair a section of my 1978 Superior. It is either replace it all with current production product, or learn to live with what you have.
 
Thanks Paul...I'm really not expecting to find any NOS of the laminate but I'll give it a try just in case. There are a few older flooring stores in the area that according to one newer store "store xxx never throws anything away that he might be able sell".

Formica makes some laminate that is close to the Tidewood based on their website. I need to replace the plywood and laminate covering on the attendant seat base beside the medical cabinet. At some point, the ambulance service moved the seat over as close to the service door as possible and then cut out an area in plywood base in order to accomodate a larger oxygen tank. I'm guessing the 2 "D" or "E" tanks were simply not enough for those runs from Mountain Home ID. into Boise.

Once I replace the laminate, I'm hoping that when the seat gets placed properly the exposed area of laminate will be minimal and not noticed as being slightly different.
 
Bill Leverett said:
I agree Robert..the Tidewood does make the patient compartment look very clean and clinical however even minor area in need of repair stands out quite clearly as does ANY dirt on the floor.

I really have to hand it to the EMS crews of the day that could keep that floor spotless.
Click to expand...

I was one of those who kept my ambulance spotless. I loved the Formica floors, and would remove the aluminum trim that was used to hide the floor seams, to get at and clean any dirt or blood that had crept under. After scubbing the floors with hospital level cleaning products, we would apply paste wax by hand and buff it to a very high gloss. On a slow day we would clean the rig for hours on end, and made the rig as steril as possible.
 
Robert rocks

Robert, so nice to hear how important you found this to be. Most of the ambulances I have worked in have had battleship grade lino. Newer rigs now have the grit-imbedded flooring that can be cleaned but not waxed.

We always used to wax our lino floors. Some crews even went so far as to invest in a old 2 head rotary polisher. Now that really sparkled! I fondly remember splitting tongue depressors apart to make little scraping tools to clean out the corners and crevices.
 
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