I would like to update my flat melamine cabinets. i was thinking of attqching some trim board to provide some added dimension and then paint them.
1) What would be recommended for attaching the trim board to the melamine?
2) What primer and paint would be best for this job?

 

You would probably shoot the trim on with a brad nailer and you'd use a little titebond melamine glue along with it. The edges of all of the trim would need a fine bead of painter's caulk, tooled down tight.

Melamine doesnt paint real well. You would need to use a binding primer. My wife likes to use Zinsser 123 on hard to paint surfaces. But she says the key is to let it cure for 7 days before you apply any topcoat. If you dont wait, it will just scratch off with your fingernail. But the longer you let it cure, the harder it gets.

Then for your paint you want to use a high quality trim enamel. Something like Sherwin Williams Emerald or ProClassic acrylic or SW Snap Dry. I'm not a fan of SW Solo. I probably wouldn't recommend Snap Dry if you arent a good / fast painter or arent spraying.

 

Thanks, XSleeper! I was actually looking at ordering the Titebond Melamine, but after I posted my original comment, I tested Titebond III that I already had and it seems to have worked really well. I didn’t even clamp it or put weight on it at all and the wood test piece seems to be very firmly attached. Since my local stores carry Titebond III, do you see any reason why I should order the Titebond Melamine?

Also, Thanks for the recommendations on the paint! I have some Gardz primer that I know some people swear by as the wonder primer for almost any job, but I will likely get the 1-2-3 as you recommended.

 

I wouldn't use Gardz on melamine, it works better on more porous substrates.