Edge banding

[woodmats]

I am building a corner entertainment unit using 3/4" maple plywood. The unit will be 25" high to hold a 55" TV. In additions to edge banding the top, I also plan to apply edge banding to inset doors and inset drawer fronts. I plan to make the banding from solid maple. Is 1/4" thickness enough or should I use thicker stock to make it easier to clamp? I plan to use trans tint dye for the finish and a suitable varnish on top of that.

[Robert Adams]

1/4 is fine and what I make it to.

[jteneyck]

That will be plenty robust, but you run the almost certain probability of seeing the edging/plywood joint, especially the banding that runs cross grain with the plywood. It's much less obvious if you make it only 1/16" thick. That's still plenty thick enough. A side benefit is it's easier to trim flush. Another option, at least for the inset doors is to make beaded edging. The bead adds decorative interest and you aren't faced with trying to get the edging perfectly flush.

John

[woodmats]

Thanks guys!

I hadn't considered using banding as small as 1/16" so I had to go to the shop to see how if I could cut that on my table saw and it worked very well! I don't own a bandsaw (yet) so that isn't a choice. Do you use anything but glue/clamps to secure it? I've seen the guys on the Woodsmith Shop use beaded edging on many projects and I may try it to see if I like the look. The Scandinavian in me likes square and simplistic .

[YSU65]

I just finished several items with edge banded plywood. I made the bands slightly thicker than the ply. To remove the excess banding from the edge, I used a router with a auxiliary base and the bit set just above the surface. (I set it up with two layers of blue tape.) To get it flush, I went to my trusty card scraper. Worked out great, no digs into the ply, very flush edges. Pretty fast, too! Tom

[jteneyck]

Glad you were able to cut the thin strips on your TS OK. Glue and clamps with a backing board in between is all you need. Just make sure to put plenty on the plywood so you get a good bond.

You don't have to make rounded beads. You could make chamfered ones instead, if that appeals better to your sense of design. Or even rectangular ones, set slightly proud of the drawer front.

John

[woodmats]

Thin strips it is! I plan to make the strips a little wider than the plywood but I've always had problems keeping the router straight enough to only get the edging and not the surface. The blue tape trick sounds like a good idea. I was thinking of making the Woodsmith flush trim jig to hold the router and provide more support to keep it straight. I like the card scraper idea also instead of sanding.

[YSU65]

I don't remember what the Woodsmith jig looks like but is probably similar to mine. It may have been something I had seen in the past but don't remember where.

I used a piece of 1/2" maple ply and had the left side longer than the right. I waxed the base to make it slide better. I kept pressure on the left side as I made the trim. I had a 3/4" bit in the router and adjusted the ply base so that the bit would cut through about half the diameter. I put the base on to my router then plunged it through the auxiliary base to minimize tearout. I set the router on a flat surface, put small pieces of tape just under the bit, then plunged the bit onto the tape and locked it in place. AND LOCKED IN PLACE. I did not want it to move at all. Ever. I made test pieces and was happy with the result. I started on the under side first as I was making table tops. A mistake there would not be noticeable. Walnut ply, walnut edge banding, 70" x 35". I had trouble with the corners for some reason, I could not get a flush cut there. I cleaned this up with a card scraper.

I'm sure Pat would have better instructions as he has way more experience than me. But this worked and I was happy with the result...Tom

[jteneyck]

I use a trim router with a bottom bearing flush trim bit to trim shop sawn edge banding. I double the width of the panel by clamping a piece of straight stock next to it, flush at the front. You have to cut a little rabbet in that straight edge to accommodate the overhanging edge banding. I use a climb cut to avoid tearout. Pretty simple. On curved parts I do it by hand with a block plane with a couple of pieces of tape on the sole. In both cases I finish with the ROS with 220 or 320 grit.

John

[Cooler]

For a lot of work I use the iron on edge banding. I have had no problems with it in practice.

For items where I worry that rough handling will be an issue I have a Whiteside edge banding router bit set. It is a good choice as it gives you plenty of gluing area. Setup is a bit fussy though.

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/147935/...CFVMvgQod6zQCOQ