After spending about 8 hours over the period of a few days, my attempt to refresh my wife's roughly 24"x60" ironing board for quilting didn't go as planned.   After removing the old coverings and tons of staples, then flipping over the 1/2" baltic birch sheet, I added the following layers:

• Formica
• aluminum foil to repel the heat
• fiberfill padding
• silver glossy fabric meant for ironing boards
• fiberfill with some reflective stuff inside
• a quilted padded back silver layer of fabric

 

It already bubbled up somewhere inside.  I'm thinking the heat got to the Formica contact cement.

 

I don't know what to use that would be impervious to heat and steam.  Any thoughts? I don't know if I could cobble something together from steel studs or if that is a crazy idea.   Solid wood might work, but the edge glue would probably undo under the steam and heat.

think letting the heat and steam pass thru.

 

my old ironing board was a metal board with many, many holes in it, and then covered with a lightly padded cover that allowed the steam to pass thru.

 

wood?  not my first choice for ironing board.

from amazon:  

 

https://smile.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Full-Size-Ironing-Board-Removable/dp/B082B9FCY4/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=3HWU2I09TOZZD&keywords=ironing+board&qid=1675374885&sprefix=ironing+board%2Caps%2C967&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExS1hUMldZRzRGWVMmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA0MTM3NTkyS1BTMDkwNFEyUFkxJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA4MjU3NjlTWlY2MUFLOVRDWEgmd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

 

pic #3 shows the underside and it's full of holes for venting.

5 hours ago, DAB said:

from amazon:  

 

https://smile.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Full-Size-Ironing-Board-Removable/dp/B082B9FCY4/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=3HWU2I09TOZZD&keywords=ironing+board&qid=1675374885&sprefix=ironing+board%2Caps%2C967&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExS1hUMldZRzRGWVMmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA0MTM3NTkyS1BTMDkwNFEyUFkxJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA4MjU3NjlTWlY2MUFLOVRDWEgmd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

 

pic #3 shows the underside and it's full of holes for venting.

Yes, but where do I get material like that in 2'x 5' size?

That one is 14x60, so get two and marry them together. 

i'd build a wood frame of the size you want, maybe some intermediate cross pieces to keep it stable.  then cover with expanded metal mesh, and cover that with some padded fabric. allow the heat and steam to go thru the surface.